[Vision2020] ID Public Records Law: UI

[Paul Rumelhart]

Saundra,

I had every confidence that you had crunched the numbers.  I just wanted 
to know what plans and what options.  More below.

Saundra Lund wrote:
> Paul wrote:
> "Where does the $191 per pay period number come from?  Which plan, what
> options?"
>   
<lots of great information snipped for brevity>
> 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.
>   

I'm not quite sure why my ginormous and presumably unearned salary has 
become such a big issue.  I was letting you know that there are at least 
a few situations where people are happily saving money on this plan.  
The amount I put away into the HSA was factored into my resulting $3 
health care payment.

I started working at the U of I making minimum wage, so I know something 
about eating Top Ramen and pancakes to get by.  Not real poverty by any 
means, but not the country club atmosphere you seem to believe I've 
insulated myself with.

> 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  :-(
>   

Of course the landscape changes if you have dependents, or if you have 
chronic ailments, or if you have other drains on your bank account.  I 
agree with that.

> 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.
>   

Perhaps I'm unique then.  I like plan H.  I made it through the first 
year, so I now have enough in my HSA to cover my deductibles.  I like 
the lower ceiling.  I go to the doctor only when I have to anyway, I'm 
covered if something horrible happens, and I pay less than I do for my 
parking permit for it.  I have an account that, gods willing, I can use 
as an extra retirement account someday.  Or as a source of needed cash 
if I do have something tragic happen to me.

> 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.
>   

Without taking this as an attack or anything, what does the Plan H 
participant pay compared to the Plan A participant if they take full 
advantage of the HSA?  Just to get the numbers.  If you are putting 
money into the HSA, then you will have some in the account that can be 
used when trying to meet your higher deductible.  I understand that the 
first year is a crap shoot - you may need to pay $X when you have yet 
put that much into the account.

What are the differences in coverage between Plan A and Plan H?  I'm not 
trying to claim that Plan H is better, I simply don't know.

> 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.
>   

It's my understanding that we haven't been on the State plan for years, 
if ever.  What would we have paid if we had stayed with Regence?

Paul