September 02, 2016
A report published last month by the Commonwealth Foundation sheds light on what Pennsylvania teachers contribute toward their health insurance premiums.
The organization's review of labor contracts in each of the state's 500 school districts indicates that teachers' minimum health care contributions range all over the place.
The collective bargaining agreements, according to the foundation, include district-sponsored health care plans for major medical, prescription coverage, dental insurance and, in most cases, life insurance. Those who opt into a non-district-sponsored plan typically get a lump-sum payment. Teachers statewide have various plan options with an array of deductibles and co-pays.
Lucky teachers in about 99 state school districts – including four in the Philadelphia region – contribute nothing toward their health care premiums. (See tables below.)
In those districts with pacts requiring a contribution toward premiums, teachers pay in one of three different ways, depending on the terms of their agreement: a fixed annual contribution, percentage of premium cost and percentage of salary.
The foundation's analysis indicated the average cost for a teacher making a set annual contribution was $649. On average, those teachers paying a percentage of the premiums contributed 9.54 percent of the premium cost and employees paying a salary percentage paid 1.95 percent of their salary.
The labor agreements are generally negotiated behind closed doors, notes the foundation, which describes itself as "Pennsylvania’s free-market think tank." It has put online a searchable database with labor contract provisions for each school district.
Here's a look at the four local school districts where teachers make no contribution to their health care premiums, followed by a full list of school districts in Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties:
| District | County | Min. Salary | Max. Salary | Minimum Contribution |
| Centennial | Bucks | $47,628 | $111,867 | $0 |
| Avon Grove | Chester | $47,779 | $96,849 | $0 |
| Chester-Upland | Delaware | $41,607 | $88,764 | $0 |
| Upper Perkiomen | Montgomery | $42,935 | $97,814 | $0 |
| District | County | Min. Salary | Max. Salary | Minimum Contribution |
| Bensalem | Bucks | $49,855 | $111,294 | 16% of premium |
| Bristol Borough | Bucks | $49,935 | $103,163 | $1,200 of premium |
| Bristol Township | Bucks | $45,928 | $102,379 | $300 of premium |
| Centennial | Bucks | $47,628 | $111,867 | $0 |
| Central Bucks | Bucks | $45,024 | $106,169 | 10% of premium |
| Council Rock | Bucks | $44,469 | $107,469 | 16% of premium |
| Morrisville | Bucks | $46,011 | $98,335 | 16% of premium |
| Neshaminy | Bucks | $44,469 | $107,469 | 16% of premium |
| New Hope-Solebury | Bucks | $47,664 | $111,482 | 10% of premium |
| Palisades | Bucks | $41,500 | $99,000 | 11% of premium |
| Pennridge | Bucks | $40,027 | $99,983 | 10% of premium |
| Pennsbury | Bucks | $45,176 | $98,222 | 12% of premium |
| Quakertown Community | Bucks | $46,434 | $103,708 | 10% of premium |
| Avon Grove | Chester | $47,779 | $96,849 | $0 |
| Coatesville Area | Chester | $43,133 | $97,133 | $480 of premium |
| Downingtown Area | Chester | $47,878 | $98,002 | 6% of premium |
| Great Valley | Chester | $51,697 | $111,274 | $857 of premium |
| Octorara Area | Chester | $49,641 | $90,849 | 8% of premium |
| Owen J. Roberts | Chester | $46,085 | $96,706 | (no data) |
| Oxford Area | Chester | $47,132 | $87,204 | (no data) |
| Phoenixville Area | Chester | $45,585 | $103,213 | 11% of premium |
| Tredyffrin-Easttown | Chester | $50,250 | $111,900 | 12% of premium |
| Unionville-Chadds Ford | Chester | $48,520 | $102,741 | 10% of premium |
| West Chester Area | Chester | $46,000 | $100,605 | 10% of premium |
| Kennett Consolidated | Chester | $45,870 | $103,568 | 12% of premium |
| Chester-Upland | Delaware | $41,607 | $88,764 | $0 |
| Chichester | Delaware | $41,797 | $89,276 | 13% of premium |
| Garnet Valley | Delaware | $45,100 | $96,600 | $624 of premium |
| Haverford | Delaware | $51,730 | $109,810 | 6.5% of premium |
| Interboro | Delaware | $45,242 | $100,518 | 10% of premium |
| Marple Newtown | Delaware | $42,646 | $94,972 | 10% of premium |
| Penn Delco | Delaware | $47,750 | $95,020 | 12.5% of premium |
| Radnor Township | Delaware | $50,000 | $107,225 | 1.15% of salary |
| Ridley | Delaware | $43,881 | $101,650 | $879 of premium |
| Rose Tree Media | Delaware | $46,374 | $101,462 | 9% of premium |
| Southeast Delco | Delaware | $44,750 | $98,551 | 11% of premium |
| Springfield | Delaware | $48,864 | $102,378 | 12% of premium |
| Upper Darby | Delaware | $45,169 | $95,000 | 10% of premium |
| Wallingford-Swarthmore | Delaware | $48,360 | $105,800 | 9% of premium |
| William Penn | Delaware | $44,984 | $94,554 | 9% of premium |
| Abington | Montgomery | $45,347 | $109,564 | $1,140 of premium |
| Cheltenham | Montgomery | $42,122 | $109,422 | 9% of premium |
| Colonial | Montgomery | $46,325 | $104,713 | 13% of premium |
| Hatboro-Horsham | Montgomery | $42,685 | $99,966 | 10% of premium |
| Jenkintown | Montgomery | $43,047 | $105,667 | 12% of premium |
| Lower Merion | Montgomery | $53,700 | $122,078 | 1.6% of salary |
| Lower Moreland | Montgomery | $52,034 | $106,668 | 9% of premium |
| Methacton | Montgomery | $45,050 | $99,250 | 5% of premium |
| Norristown Area | Montgomery | $46,441 | $102,378 | 9% of premium |
| North Penn | Montgomery | $46,746 | $102,442 | 12% of premium |
| Perkiomen Valley | Montgomery | $43,421 | $93,221 | 15% of premium |
| Pottsgrove | Montgomery | $42,710 | $93,844 | 13% of premium |
| Pottstown | Montgomery | $43,768 | $90,044 | 20% of premium |
| Souderton Area | Montgomery | $43,113 | $96,919 | 16% of premium |
| Springfield | Montgomery | $46,045 | $101,981 | 10% of premium |
| Spring-Ford Area | Montgomery | $44,700 | $99,250 | 7% of premium |
| Upper Dublin | Montgomery | $48,836 | $104,204 | 13.4% of premium |
| Upper Merion | Montgomery | $45,337 | $109,515 | 6% of premium |
| Upper Moreland | Montgomery | $46,256 | $101,076 | 11% of premium |
| Upper Perkiomen | Montgomery | $42,935 | $97,814 | $0 |
| Wissahickon | Montgomery | $54,155 | $112,376 | 12% of premium |
| Philadelphia S.D. | Philadelphia | $37,253 | $105,978 | 3% of premium |
