City Council to Study Feasibility of Providing Healthcare to Taxi Drivers
The City Council passed an introductory bill last week to explore giving drivers from the taxi and for-hire industry health care and insurance benefits. However, the cost of the health plan could add to the cost for passengers.
The bill, sponsored by three City Council members, requires the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) to conduct a study to identify health benefits the drivers could receive and determine which would be the most cost-feasible. The benefits under review include medical care, disability insurance, vision services and sick pay insurance.
“TLC supports the goal of providing benefits to the city’s hardworking drivers… We will take the time to see how best to structure benefits to all drivers,” TLC chair Meera Joshi said.
There are nearly 6,000 taxi-medallion owners and 185,000 for-hire drivers in the city. Uber and Lyft drivers are considered independent contractors and generally do not receive health insurance. For-hire and taxi drivers are also responsible for their own coverage.
“If we are provided healthcare, it will take away a lot of burden from us,” said Lamont Sanders. “It’s a dangerous job… At least I have insurance. Some are playing with fire without it.”
The TLC is also responsible for determining the cost of the health plan. A preliminary idea discussed in a separate bill would be to introduce surcharges on all for-hire vehicles to fund health plans. Currently all taxi rides have an 80-cent surcharge. The healthcare bill does not say what the next surcharge would be.
The study must be submitted in no later than 120 days. City commissioners hope to enact the benefits by the end of the first quarter of 2019.
