Uninsured firefighters unaware

D.C. firefighters say they are discovering during doctor visits that their health insurance has been canceled for nonpayment by the District, even though their paychecks indicate that insurance premiums are being deducted.

Lt. Ray Sneed, president of the D.C. Firefighters Association, said he has been contacted by five firefighters who discovered the problem after visiting doctors for themselves or family members.

“The five that have been identified isn’t the problem,” Lt. Sneed said. “We don’t know how many people are without insurance.”

Health insurance is not the only payroll problem city firefighters have struggled with recently.

Among 53 who have reported pay problems, two haven’t been paid for six weeks, Lt. Sneed said. In addition, two others have tried unsuccessfully to get the department to correct their checks because they have been getting paid too much money.

Others have earned step increases and promotions but have not been compensated accordingly. Some are owed extra money for performing additional duties. Some simply started getting the wrong amounts in their paychecks.

Chief Adrian H. Thompson said last night that the payroll problems can be traced to a new computer system at the D.C. Office of Personnel.

He said he was not aware of the insurance problems but pledged to take up the matter with the personnel officials immediately.

“That’s a guarantee,” he said.

During D.C. Council hearings March 7 and April 12, council member Phil Mendelson raised the issue of back pay with Chief Thompson.

Chief Thompson told Mr. Mendelson, at-large Democrat, that the payroll problems appeared to be originating in the Department of Personnel and that they would be resolved by April 29.

“If anything, they’ve gotten worse,” Lt. Sneed said.

Firefighter Edward Kauffman said he changed insurance carriers during an open enrollment late in 2003, and the new policy went into effect in March 2004.

He found out in November after an insurance claim was rejected that the policy had been canceled on April 1, 2004, and that he had been without insurance for seven months.

After Firefighter Kauffman contacted fire officials and the insurance company, he thought he had resolved the problem. However, he advised his wife to put their newborn child on a health insurance plan she had through her job — just to be safe.

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