Worcester, MA, August 23, 2007— The Research Bureau’s 2005 report Condition Serious, Prognosis Uncertain: The Impact of Municipal Employee Health Insurance on Massachusetts Cities, which recommended that the City of Worcester negotiate an increase in the employee contribution to health insurance premiums, has received national recognition from the Governmental Research Association (GRA) for Outstanding Policy Achievement. The award was presented at the GRA’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado on August 7, 2007. The Bureau’s research and recommendations were credited with leading to “tangible improvements in public policy, management, service delivery, and/or cost savings.” Specifically, the City’s negotiations with its employee unions have resulted in City workers paying a higher percentage of their health insurance costs, and these changes in the rate structure resulted in significant savings—more than $10 million dollars in fiscal year 2007-- to the City and its taxpayers.
The Governmental Research Association was established in 1914 and is the national organization of individuals professionally engaged in governmental research. The purpose of the Association is to encourage individuals and organizations to engage in governmental research in the general interest. Governmental research involves the collection, analysis, and distribution of factual information on governmental activities to citizens and officials for the improvement of government and the reduction of its cost.
About The Research Bureau
The Research Bureau, established in 1985, is a private, non-profit organization conducting independent, non-partisan research on public policy issues in Central Massachusetts. The Research Bureau provides objective analysis of public policy issues to educate both citizens and public officials, and to suggest directions toward the resolution of problems that will inform and guide debate. The Research Bureau also measures government performance in Worcester by tracking trends on a wide variety of indicators related to the goals of the City’s strategic plan.