City workers protest health care plan

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Providence Mayor David Cicilline got an earful when hundreds of city workers booed and picketed him over proposed changes to the city's health care plan.

The workers protested outside a downtown fund-raiser Cicilline was attending Wednesday. At issue is a switch in their health care provider from Blue Cross and Blue Shield to United Healthcare. The change was announced earlier this month and would go into effect Jan. 1.

Union officials said members would no longer have access to the same specialists and providers. But Cicilline said he was puzzled by the protests and that the switch would save taxpayers millions of dollars without altering the amount of type of health coverage.