Huge increases hit thousands
This summer, sharply rising health care costs led to unusually high increases in the premium rates of the HMO plans the city offers.

Tens of thousands of municipal employees and retirees enrolled in HMO plans were hit by increases in premium co-payments of 20 percent or more in July.

Ordinarily, the city only lets municipal employees and retirees switch plans during the annual health-care open enrollment period in the fall. But because of the huge increases, the city made an exception this year for participants who claimed the hikes represented an economic hardship.

The rate increases did not affect city workers in GHI, HIP and DC 37 Med Team/Choice-except for those with riders-because those plans don't have premium co-payments.

The hikes also did not affect Medicare-eligible retirees in the GHI-CBP/EBCBS Senior Care Plan, which also has no premium co-pay.