[Vision2020] ID Public Records Law: UI

[Wayne Price]

Paul,

I think the point that Saundra and Rosemary were trying to make is  
that here on the hill (U of I) we pay 191.00 per pay period ( 26 x 191= 
$4,966.00 per year) for the same type of coverage that LCSC  or anyone  
in the state insurance fund pays  1,308.00 for!   (12x 109=$1,308.00).  
Now, where is the EXTRA  $3,658.00 going? And if ONLY 1,000 of the  
employees are getting that type of insurance from  U of I, that means  
$3,658.000.00 OVER.   Based on the track record of the U of I, I sure  
as hell don't think they are responsible enough to be let loose with a  
slush fund paid into by the employees!  Does "Idaho Place", ring a  
bell?  Something stinks with the current program, and I'm hoping  
someone or some organization (Faculty Senate?) can get some answers to  
these questions from the HBT!

And that $5.00 dollar fitness tax is also a joke! When are the run of  
the mill employees supposed to use those facilities?  Who has time to  
take off DURING THE DAY and get down to the gym?  Or, is it a "hidden"  
benefit that employees can and do take off and use the gym during  
working hours?


Wayne



On Oct 5, 2009, at 1:39 PM, Paul Rumelhart wrote:

> Saundra Lund wrote:
>> Visionaries:
>>
>> As some of you know, I'm on a quest to understand why UI employees  
>> pay so
>> much more for health insurance than other state employees, and Rose  
>> Huskey
>> has kindly been helping.
>>
>> The cost difference is shocking -- we're not talking chump change  
>> here.  For
>> those interested in details, an employee in the state insurance  
>> pool with a
>> spouse and two children pays $109 per MONTH for decent Blue Cross  
>> of Idaho
>> PPO coverage while it would cost a UI employee about $191 PER PAY  
>> PERIOD for
>> similar but inferior coverage.  This doesn't include the mandatory  
>> $5.50 per
>> pay period "wellness" TAX Moscow campus employees are assessed.
>>
>
> I'm not trying to take away from anything you're doing, but I wanted  
> to
> show another perspective.  I'm a single guy with no dependents.  I  
> used
> to pay around $25 a pay period for health insurance, I now pay about  
> $3
> a pay period.  I'm on plan H, the HSA plan, with much of what I don't
> need dialed down to bare minimums.  I also currently have about $1500
> stashed in an HSA bank account somewhere as a result of this.  Plus,  
> my
> ceiling is lower - so I won't pay as much if I do suffer a  
> catastrophic
> accident or illness, and I have that $1500 I can throw at it first.
>
> Obviously, this won't work for everyone.  But it's not true that all  
> UI
> employees pay more for health insurance now than they used to.  A  
> lot of
> them do, sure, but not everybody.  That's why I like the cafeteria  
> plan,
> you can choose how much each facet of your insurance means to you and
> spend accordingly.  The health spending account also goads me into
> shopping around more and paying for less, because the first portion of
> it comes out of your account which is real money instead of thinking
> "well, the insurance will cover it".  Better for everybody that way, I
> think.
>
> Paul
>
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