[Vision2020] ID Public Records Law: UI

[Saundra Lund]

Paul wrote:
"Where does the $191 per pay period number come from?  Which plan, what
options?"

Well, Paul, that's using ***my*** family as an example  :-)  Employee,
spouse, and child or children.  Now, my family couldn't afford the Plan A
I'm using as the example -- along with two-thirds of UI employees, we were
financially forced into Plan H for CY08 -- but Plan A what's used in my
example.

I'm assuming you know how the Choice Dollars work, right?  So, to make the
example easy, my figures come from applying ***all*** the UI Choice Dollars
to *medical* insurance premiums ONLY.  That's $312 Choice Dollars per pay
period for my family.

For the UI's BCI Plan A PPO Basic, the BIWEEKLY premium for an employee with
a spouse and one or more children is $502.99.  Subtract ALL the Choice
Dollars, and that makes the BIWEEKLY employee premium $190.99, which I took
the liberty of rounding up to $191.  Multiply that by 26, and you get an
annual family premium of $4966.

Coverage details are a $1050 family deductible; coinsurance is 80% after the
deductible is met; there's a pre-deductible co-pay of $25 for doctor's
office visits; and the out-of-pocket maximum is $10,500.

Compare that with the real coverage offered to those in the state insurance
pool -- and that includes LCSC, BSU, and ISU employees.  Because it's the
plan most similar to the UI's Plan A, we'll use their BCI PPO Plan, and to
make the UI insurance look less sucky, we'll say the employee has a spouse
and two or more children (if there's only a spouse and one child, the
premium would be $13 per month -- or $156 per year -- less).  The MONTHLY
premium would be $109, for an annual cost of $1308.

Additionally, that PPO coverage is superior to what the UI offers.  For
those in the state pool with the PPO plan, the family deductible is only
$750; the co-insurance is 85%; the pre-deductible co-pay for a doctor's
office visit is only $20; and the family out-of-pocket maximum is $6,700.

Just for giggles, let's look at the same coverage for an employee and
spouse.  A UI employee would pay $91 BIWEEKLY ($403.17 - $312 Choice
Dollars) for an annual cost of $2366 while an employee in the state
insurance pool would pay $77 PER MONTH for an annual cost of $924.

I can crunch the numbers any way you want, Paul, but the end result is that
the UI has become a very family UNFRIENDLY employer from a health insurance
perspective.

Paul, I'm truly glad the CHOICE you made to go with Plan H is working for
you, but I would certainly hope you've not lost the humanity to understand
that people who earn half what you make feel very differently about being
financially forced into Plan H.  Extend yourself, Paul, and talk to someone
at the UI whose gross pay is $25,000 per year, and ask them how easy it is
for them to make ANY contribution to the HSA or to meet the $1150 individual
/ $2300 family deductible.  Then, find a single parent (and there are more
than a few) at UI whose gross pay is $40,000 per year, and ask that parent
how Plan H is working for them.

In short, it's NOT.  Because they can't AFFORD real insurance like Plan A or
Plan B where you can see a doctor for an affordable pre-deductible co-pay,
they can't AFFORD to see doctors for things like bronchitis or pneumonia or
ear aches or strep -- or headaches that may be a symptom of hypertension --
without becoming unable to afford to EAT or pay their rent or put gas in the
cars to get to work or pay child care so they can work.  I know several UI
employees who have had to stop taking medication for chronic health
conditions because they can't AFFORD to pay the entire monthly cost of the
medication until they meet the deductible  :-(

I can also tell you, Paul, that even the single Plan H UI employees I've
showed the costs to would much rather pay $30 per month for that PPO
coverage or $37 per month for traditional coverage than to be stuck with
Plan H.

It's a damn shame that UI employees are getting totally SCREWED on health
insurance while those in the state insurance pool continue to be offered
real and affordable health insurance.

And, here's another little factoid the UI isn't talking about:  when people
can't AFFORD to go to the doctor when they are sick, they are far less
likely to take advantage of wellness/preventative care benefits.  So, for
all those UI employees -- and their families -- who were financially FORCED
into Plan H, the wellness/preventative care benefit most likely won't pay
off over time by helping keep health care costs down as intended.

Paul, I don't have statistics for this year because the UI has become less
and less transparent about the information over the last couple of years,
but I can tell you that for CY08, something like 67% of employees went with
Plan H, 26% were able to afford Plan A, and only 7% could afford Plan B.

And, to show you just how completely out of touch UI administration is with
the financial realities for their employees, they thought the reason for the
"success" of Plan H was because they "actively marketed" it.  <snort>  How
they can remain oblivious to the fact that Plan H is the ONLY coverage many
employees can afford is a mystery to me, particularly since employees
certainly haven't been quiet about it!

Paul also wrote:
"I don't know if we can get these numbers, but it would be nice to know what
LCSC pays average per employee compared to the U of I.  That might be
something we can sink our teeth into."

I really don't think that would be helpful because they are fortunate to be
in the state pool.  What you'd want to see is the average pay of those in
the state pool compared to the average UI employee.

In looking back through all the meeting minutes, it's a CRUEL JOKE that UI
employees have been told at every turn it wouldn't be advantageous for the
UI to participate in the state insurance pool because UI employees are a
healthier pool and we'd see our costs go up were we to join the state pool.
In fact, when questioned in ***2007*** Lloyd Mues offered the same
explanation yet again and added that the state pool rates wouldn't look as
good come ***July 1, 2008*** as they then looked.  Fortunately for all the
state employees -- and unfortunately for UI employees -- Mues was wrong,
wrong, wrong.

For any who are interested in seeing for themselves the details of the
coverage those in the state pool are offered, check out:
http://adm.idaho.gov/insurance/contracts.htm
For FY10, check out:
http://adm.idaho.gov/insurance/grp/contracts/FY2010/GI_Handbook_Summary_FY20
10_final_CCD.pdf
Current rates are on page 14.

State pool rate increases positively pale in comparison to what my family
has seen with the UI in recent years.  Our family premiums increased 23% for
FY07 (7/1/2006 - 6/30/2007).  We then had a WHOPPING 69% premium increase
effective 7-1-2007, and we *would* have had another 70% premium increase
just six months later effective 1-1-2008, but that's when we were
financially forced into Plan H.

There is something very, very wrong with this whole picture  :-(


Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
~ Edmund Burke

***** Original material contained herein is Copyright 2009 through life plus
70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
the Vision 2020 forum without the express written permission of the
author.*****


-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Rumelhart [mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Monday, October 05, 2009 2:30 PM
To: Wayne Price
Cc: Saundra Lund; Moscow Vision 2020; Rosemary Rose Huskey
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] ID Public Records Law: UI

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!

I'm not trying to be antagonistic here, but I'm skeptical that the UI 
has raked in an extra $3.5 million on the health plan.  Where does the 
$191 per pay period number come from?  Which plan, what options?  Has 
anyone asked for numbers of participants per plan?  I don't know if we 
can get these numbers, but it would be nice to know what LCSC pays 
average per employee compared to the U of I.  That might be something we 
can sink our teeth into.

I'd just like to see some firmer numbers.

>
> 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?

I'm with you on the wellness amount.  I don't use their facilities, and 
if I did I wouldn't mind paying extra for it.  I used to do that.

Paul