[Vision2020] A letter to Dr. Nellis

[Rosemary]

The Bucks Consulting Corporation is the benefits consulting firm that
"guides" the University of Idaho's health insurance program.  They were
unhappy with the letter we sent on September 2 to Dr. Nellis detailing our
concern about the UI self-insured health care program.  We urged Dr. Nellis
to consider joining up with the other public higher ed. institutions in the
state for a much more affordable, containing better benefits, health
insurance package.  The Buck boys were not happy about our suggestion.  Oh,
well.  Anyhow, we sent the following letter to Dr. Nellis et al.  We will
continue to pursue this issue.

And now, at least for the rest of the evening, I'm getting off this computer
and going to bed.

Rose

 

********************

 

Good Evening,

 

One of the greatest pleasures in life is the epiphany of an "ah-HA" moment.
We enjoyed one such moment this afternoon.  Thanks to the kindness of a
friend, we received copies of the September 16, 2009 letter sent to Dr.
Nellis from Buck Consultants' representatives Daniel Levin and John
Lapinski.  Their letter furnished the key to unlock the mystery behind the
distinctly chilly responses we have received from all of you.  Now we know
why University Counsels Kent Nelson and Sharyl Kammerzell felt comfortable
ignoring Ms. Huskey's public records request of September 16th.  It
explained the vague generalities and patronizing platitudes in Ms. Stotler's
letter.  We get it - you embraced (no doubt with a happy sigh of relief) the
innuendos suggested by the Buck Consultants that we are a pair of not very
bright - and possibly malicious --  crackpots.

  

It is both just and pragmatic to stipulate that the material presented by
Buck Consultants is intended to support their lucrative $250,000+ annual
contract with the UI. (Help us to understand what in the world they do to
earn that kind of money.)  And, it is equally sensible to recognize that it
is in the best interest of those administrators who helped establish (and
continue to support) the self-insurance program to justify their actions in
part by marginalizing us and dismissing our concerns.  

 

Historically, the UI has valued employees and their families as evidenced by
previously family-friendly, affordable, health insurance policies.  Times
change.  Current UI administrators chose to channel a majority of employees
into the high deductible Plan H.  This is, of course, a pleasant little cash
cow arrangement for the university.

 

We appreciate the irony of Buck Consultants accusing us of cherry-picking a
coverage tier and plan option combination that they claim portrays the
current insurance program in an unfavorable light. We simply followed the
model offered by a former UI benefits consultant in a PowerPoint
presentation at a benefits explanation meeting on campus. She compared Plan
H to Plan B (a plan that only 7% of UI employees chose because of the high
premium costs). Dr. Nellis, we urge you to personally review the Plan H
"model" wherein a hypothetical UI employee with a family earning a gross
salary of $25,000 (or less) a year is able to contribute $5300 a year to his
HSA. How credible is that scenario?  It is our belief that such examples
were selected to scare employees into the only affordable option:  high
deductible Plan H.  Do you, President Nellis, think that it is a
coincidence, that 68% of UI employees are enrolled in Plan H.? Or, do you
prefer the spin offered by UI administrators who congratulate themselves on
launching a surprisingly successful marketing program?  

 

We strongly dispute Buck's claim of financial parity with the State of Idaho
employees health insurance program. We believe that we can demonstrate that
many of the claims in their September 16th  letter are deliberately
inaccurate and misleading.   We are eager to have a face-to-face
conversation with any of you who are willing to explain and/or defend the
current UI health insurance program.  Naturally, we hope that Dr. Nellis
would also be present.  We look forward to learning how the current plan
might be described as family friendly, affordable, and competitive with the
other state university insurance plans.   Absent proof to the contrary, we
again reiterate that the primary purpose behind the current self-insurance
program and cost shifting move is the agreeable financial bonus it provides
the University.  By the way, would you mind sharing just how that profit is
used?

 

Who amongst you would enjoy a front end deductible that is 10% of your gross
salary?  Curiously, you don't appear to object when a cleaning specialist
supporting a family on her annual salary of $20,000 a year is forced into
Plan H and must meet a $2300 deductible.   Why not show your good will and
unselfish leadership by throwing your lot in with her (and hundreds of other
UI employees)?  Imagine the powerful example of solidarity you would set
when you voluntarily met the 10% challenge and capped off the whole stunt by
signing up for Plan H.

 

 We'd like to believe that with a new President, a new day is dawning.
Perhaps all employees -- and their families -- will be once again be valued
and treated fairly, maybe the time has come when  the door will finally
close on a decade of avarice, criminal mismanagement, and cover-ups.  With
privilege comes responsibility.  Regardless of the path that you
individually and/or corporately take, know that we will continue to seek the
truth, demand accountability, and be very public with our questions and your
answers - because, in fact, we are neither stupid nor crackpots.

 

Best wishes,

 

Rosemary Huskey               Saundra Lund

 

 

 

 

 

 

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