[Vision2020] ID Public Records Law: UI

[Sam Scripter]

This is about "fitness"/Wellness at UI . . .

I agree with you, Wayne, EXCEPT, Saundra's original language, near the
bottom of this thread, was about "wellness", not your "fitness".

If this means the "Wellness Program," which used to and maybe still
does apply to both active employees and retirees, then it covers
reduced rates on psychological counseling, reduced legal costs,
reduced accounting costs, fitness evaluations, and I don't remember
what all.

So the Wellness program which I knew, while it included evaluations and
programs to foster employee physical "fitness", it addressed much
more.

Besides, improved physical being probably fosters "better" [whatever
that means] employees of the U. 

But a difference I see is that I did not pay for the Wellness program
when I was an active employee, it was a "Free" employee benefit.   Sigh.

But if employees are in fact aware that they are paying for it, maybe
a few will actual partake of fitness evaluation and enhancement . . . Maybe.

Does anyone on the V know if the Wellness Program is extant, and if
so, just what the full list of benefits comprises?

Sam Scripter

Wayne Price wrote:
> 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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