Most part-time jobs do not provide health insurance benefits, so it may surprise some to hear that York County commissioners, who set policy for county government, are provided with coverage at taxpayer expense.

Everyone in the U.S. needs access to affordable medical care, so we are reluctant to argue that county commissioners should give up their coverage to help balance the county budget. It’s a question that the county budget committee should weigh carefully; looking at the practice of other counties and municipalities regarding elected officials.

It does not seem appropriate that this judgment call should continue to be made by commissioners themselves, since such coverage is clearly a matter of self-interest. Under today’s health insurance system, it is hard to fault individuals for avoiding the risks of going without.

Layoffs and rising health insurance costs are creating difficult circumstances for many. Last summer President Obama, commenting on the need for health reform, said 14,000 Americans are losing health insurance every day. For the last decade, American wages have remained stagnant as an ever-larger share of compensation has been diverted to pay health insurance premiums.

The national unemployment rate is stuck at 10 percent and insurance companies are set to impose another round of substantial increases. Last week, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maine proposed rate hikes of nearly 23 percent for individual coverage plans.

Meanwhile, York County is struggling to recover from perennial budget problems aggravated by last year’s restriction on the use of $1.3 million in jail revenue. The county has been scaling back its workforce for years and, faced by last fall’s financial crisis, laid off 24 union employees. Cost-saving efforts include proposals to require employees to pay a larger share of health insurance costs. Unlike most employers, the county still picks up 100 percent of the cost of premiums for employees and 50 percent of family coverage.

Deciding how the pain will be shared is a thankless responsibility. In York County, the bottom line may include tax increases and operating with less than full staffing. Under such circumstances, the pay and benefits of both workers and officials should also be on the table.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com or City Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski at kristenm@journaltribune.com.