Due to the rising costs of health care we are being forced to take a look into some cost saving measures. My first obstacle is we are a Unionized shop. Secondly, we offer two health care plans for our employees; an HMO and a POS (of which we are self-funded). I am looking into the possibility of offering an "opt-out of medical coverage" incentive, spousal carve-out, etc. We do not have a cafeteria plan in place at this time, just our section 125 flexible spending. I am looking for suggestions, examples, and any other ideas that have worked for your companies.

I have been involved with many union negotiations in this very area and the possible solutions are extremely varied and depend on your particular situation. I would want to ask a lot of questions before I would offer suggestions. I think your best bet is to find an expert in the field to assist you. One suggestion might be to split the cost of the consulting fees with management. I have been engaged that way and it made both sides feel more comfortable. Neither side thought I was being "partisan" in my recommendations.