Regional governments this year required employees to pay, on average, a larger share of their health insurance premiums compared to 2011, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis. Township employees still pay the lowest percentage, about a third of the overall average.

Employees covered by 183 different government insurance plans in Butler, Champaign, Clark, Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Warren counties paid about 11.4 percent of their monthly premiums for single coverage, and 12.4 percent for family coverage, according to a newspaper analysis of recently released data compiled by the State Employee Relations Board. That’s compared to 8.8 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively, last year.

More governments responded to SERB’s survey this year, so the increased participation level could account for some of the change. But the numbers consistently show government employees paying more, and officials said the data reflect real-world conditions.

On average, Ohio government employees paid 10.7 percent of monthly premiums for single plans, and 11.5 percent for family plans. A year ago they paid 9.5 percent for single coverage and 10.7 percent for family coverage, according to SERB.

Local township plans, meanwhile, required an average contribution of around 3.5 percent for both single and family plans. Notable examples of generous plans include Harrison Township in Montgomery County and Moorefield Township in Clark County, which both paid 100 percent of their employees’ monthly premiums. Harrison Township employees paid $200 deductibles for single plans and $600 for family plans, while Moorefield pays its employees’ deductibles.

Local township employees did pay, on average, about 1 percent more of their insurance premiums than last year. But premiums only tell part of the story. Six of the 17 area townships that responded to the survey charge employees deductibles of more than $2,000. Another seven charged deductibles of $250 or less.

Statewide, about 1,180 governments responded to SERB’s health insurance survey. Included among those were about 90 health plans for townships. About 43 percent of townships reported charging employees deductibles of $2,400 or more. But another one-quarter reported charging no deductible.

Mike Lang, a Butler Twp. trustee in Montgomery County, said townships have historically paid a greater part of their employees’ insurance to make up for lower salaries. He added that salaries of some township employees have generally increased, as have health insurance costs.

Butler Township had covered its employees’ insurance costs, but began requiring employees to pay 5 percent in 2011 and is phasing in a 10 percent contribution level.

“Times have changed, and everybody’s got to re-evaluate what’s going on,” Lang said. “Just because it’s worked in the past doesn’t mean it’s going to work today.”

Some townships can afford to offer better benefits because some don’t have as many employees as larger governments, said Mike Ratcliff, executive director of the Greater Dayton Mayors and Managers Association. Townships also tend to be comprised of community members and are more close-knit, he said.

“You have three elected officials who are determining the amount of benefits. It’s to their best interest to keep the employees who could vote for them … happy,” Ratcliff said.

Matt DeTemple, executive director of the Ohio Township Association, said most of Ohio’s townships don’t offer health insurance. But those that do have increasingly looked to high-deductible plans to drive down costs, he said.

“They are trying to squeeze every nickel, and health care is definitely a focus,” DeTemple said.

Townships aren’t alone in considering high-deductible plans. Ratcliff said cities are also looking to shift costs toward employees.

“I think the cities are recognizing that realistically, costs need to be shared,” Ratcliff said. “… And I think employees of the cities have understood that this is the way it needs to go in order to stay viable. The days of unlimited raises and unlimited health care isn’t around anymore.”

Still, some of the most generous insurance plans are for employees of city governments.

Huber Heights picks up the entire cost of monthly premiums, while paying 80 percent of annual $2,500 deductibles for single coverage and $5,000 deductibles for family plans. The city of Moraine requires employees to pay no monthly premiums and a $200 deductible for single plans, $400 for family plans.

Moraine City Manager David Hicks said there are no immediate plans to make a change. City employees took a 10 percent pay cut two years ago.

“I’m still very pleased city employees understand the financial conditions we’re in, and they’re doing a great job for us,” he said.

While government employees are paying a larger percentage of their premiums, private sector contribution levels in Southwest Ohio held steady this year, according to Gene Rau, an insurance broker for McGohan Brabender. In traditional PPO plans, private sector workers paid 22 percent of their monthly premiums for single plans and 25 percent for family plans, he said. In high-deductible plans, employees pay 15 percent for single coverage and 19 percent for family.

The Dayton Daily News has previously reported that of the 15 governments in the region that offered plans that pay 100 percent of their employees’ health insurance premiums, 12 of them townships. Because of the increased participation in this year’s survey, another five governments self-reported doing the same thing, raising the number to 20.

Republicans last year attempted to require Ohio’s public employees to pay at least 15 percent of their health insurance premiums. But Ohio voters overwhelmingly voted last November to repeal the bill, which more broadly limited the power of public unions, including making it illegal for them to go on strike.

Contact this reporter at 937-225-2494 or andrew.tobias@coxinc.com