Christie administration and teachers union trade blame as health care costs rise

[TexasTowelie]

While many Americans brace for higher health care premiums due to uncertainty created by President Donald Trump, thousands of teachers in New Jersey have been notified that they'll pay more for coverage next year.

But the increased costs here have nothing to do with the clashing interests in Washington, D.C. Instead, Gov. Chris Christie's administration is laying the blame on the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers union.

In a letter sent last week to teachers and obtained by The Record, state Treasurer Ford Scudder said the cost increases could have been avoided by adopting reforms proposed by the administration and suggested that the union's leadership has put its own interests ahead of its members'.

The union, however, contends that the administration's changes would have reduced the quality of the coverage, hurt members and done "nothing to deal with the underlying problem of skyrocketing health care costs."

Read more: http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2017/10/23/christie-administration-and-teachers-union-trade-blame-health-care-costs-rise/790274001/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. So blind.

When you're discussing health care expenses, you're talking about avoiding disability and death.

If teachers were truly valued for more than keeping up property values, maybe there wouldn't be debate about paying whatever is necessary to keep them in the classroom. Why should teachers be denied the right to seek medical treatment that they can afford?