UAF Staff Council Unit 5 (Geophysical Institute)

July 9, 2003 - just a quick update, as I'll be out of town for the next few days.

1. Plans are being evaluated for accomplishing the following with the UA 2000 Health Care Plan:
2. Movement to a fiscal from a calendar year starting July 1, 2004 - timeline
3. Movement to a prospective from a retrospective plan for billing employees their defined contribution - timeline.
4. Establishing several options for coverage, including an opt-out for those employees who can document a group plan coverage elsewhere (such as through a spouse). These plans are documented here. The Traditional Plan is close to the current Union plan. These are DRAFTS.

June 2003

Health care cost projections prepared by Vickie Gilligan - this was discussed with the business council, staff alliance, and the full health care review committee. Page 1 and 2 of the document reflect the health care defined contribution and employee charge calculations under the current retrospective models. Page 3 compares the defined contribution and employee charges under the current model to a proposed prospective FY plan model. Page 4 compares the staff benefit cost impact to the departments under the current model to the proposed prospective FY plan model.

An interesting Wall Street Journal article on the concept of fairness in employees' health care charges at one company.

President Hamilton's letter to employees on rising health care costs and the UA plans to deal with those cost increases.

June 9, 2003 update from Gary Newman on the Health Care Review Committee progress

June 3, 2003 update from Staff Council President Rory O'Neill on the Health Care Review Committee progress.

Mike Humphrey, Director of Benefits at UA has posted some new information on the HR UA2000 benefits website.

April 2, 2003 update from Gary Newman on the Health Care Review Committee progress and the Mercer Report on Health Care UA2000 Plan focus groups.

Because of the impact noted with the 2003 Health Care employee charges, the UA President Mark Hamilton established a Health Care Review Committee to review ways to improve the plan and make it more economical for employees. Mike Humphrey, Director of Benefits is charged with organizing this committee. Staff Council is represented on this committee by Rory O'Neill and Gary Newman. The Staff Alliance has been tracking this issue and they presented an informative memo on this issue (and others). I am trying to locate an electronic copy of President Hamilton's memo as well.

If non-union staff have reviewed their latest paystubs, they'll see a marked increase in the amount paid by the employee for the balance of the monthly premium NOT paid by the University. The University's contribution is capped around $467 per employee, allowing for up to a 3% yearly escalation, but nowhere's near the actual increase. Unless some changes are made, this amount can only go up.

The Health Care Review Committee has broken up into three subcommittees to focus on the following issues:

• Finance - Jan. 22, 2003 agenda - Rory attended on behalf of Staff Council - after the fact, looked at the financial issues inherent in a retrospective model (we are charged per paycheck based upon last year's expenses) and how it could be converted to a prospective model. Further information check with Rory O'Neill.
• Communications - Jan. 23, 2003 agenda - this committee was not attended by anyone from Staff Council.
• Plan Review - Jan. 24, 2003 agenda - Gary attended on behalf of Staff Council - after the fact, we looked at ways of educating folks on how the current plan is structured and different ways we might restructure it. We looked at having some focus groups composed of staff meet to determine what the issues are for the staff, as well as different expense components, such as prescription drugs cost (mail order pharmacy use is a big savings for the plan, perhaps up to $500,000 per year), catastrophic impacts (last year, around $3 million out of a $25 million total cost).

• Mike Humphrey - mike.humphrey@alaska.edu
• Gail West - angmw@uaa.alaska.edu
• Ginger Baker - virginia.baker@alaska.edu
• Beth Behner - beth.behner@alaska.edu
• Cheryl Wright - ancjw@uaa.alaska.edu
• Carol Griffin - carol.griffin@uas.alaska.edu
• Jamo Parrish - snjap1@alaska.edu
• Carolyn Chapman - fncsc@uaf.edu
• Jim Johnsen - jim.johnsen@alaska.edu
• Vickie Gilligan - snvjg@mail.alaska.edu
• Mike Hostina - snmph@mail.alaska.edu
• Joe Beedle - joseph.beedle@alaska.edu
• John Mitchell - john.mitchell@alaska.edu
• Lisa Sporleder - sxles@mail.alaska.edu
• Judy Michael - anjam@uaa.alaska.edu
• Karen Perdue - karen.perdue@alaska.edu
• Chairita Franklin - ancaw@uaa.alaska.edu
• Mark Neumayr UAF - mark.neumayr@uaf.edu
• Soren Orley - anseo@uaa.alaska.edu
• Mel Kalkowski - anmlk@uaa.alaska.edu
• Cindy Matson - ancm@uaa.alaska.edu
• Pat Pitney - snpkp@mail.alaska.edu
• Randy Weaver - snrlw@mail.alaska.edu
• Ron Kamahele - afrck@uaa.alaska.edu
• Erika Van Flein - erika.vanflein@alaska.edu
• Jeannine Senechal - jeannine.senechal@alaska.edu
• Deon MacMillan - deon.macmillan@gi.alaska.edu
• Tom McBrien - thomas.mcbrien@uas.alaska.edu
• Tom Dienst - tom.dienst@uas.alaska.edu
• Rory O'Neill - fnrjo@uaf.edu
• Gary Newman - gary@gi.alaska.edu