The issue of proposed changes to healthcare premiums came up at the last MTA Executive Board meeting. I checked on the Department of Budget Management website for additional information and found the following two PDF documents which outline considerable changes to PPO and POS healthcare plans for active personnel and retirees which will become effective on July 1, 2012. It is my understanding that active members currently under bargaining unit 1 (SLEOLA) may be exempted from this change this year because it was not negatiated as part of the existing contract with the State. Members may want to examine other plan options during the next open enrollment period to determine if PPO or POS are cost effective for your personal healthcare needs considering these changes. Instead of trying to summarize the changes, you can see the documents by following the links below.