2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the Editor
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: Opinion
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Dear Editor,
Central's health care system is ailing. Dependent premiums are so high that many employees with families have left the system, creating a lower pool of healthy people and increasing the proportion of those with health problems. With fewer healthy people in the system, the insurance company paid a higher percentage of claim dollars per premium dollars this year, resulting in increased premiums, which will result in more employees pulling their dependents out of the system: a vicious cycle.
Employees with healthy dependents who stay in the system suffer financially and pay for those with health problems, which is unjust. Many employees can't afford dependent health care, which is wrong. Employees with health problems pay high out-of-pocket costs, with nothing left for retirement. The anxiety this crisis created triggers stress-related illness and low productivity, making the University function ineffectively.
I propose that the University provide a flexible benefit of $350/ per month for each full-time employee for 2006. Employees could use this benefit to pay dependent premiums, other medical costs or retirement savings. At the very least, dependent premiums need to be underwritten by the University.
The University benefits by having long-term savings in insurance premiums, and increased employee diversity, retention, productivity and loyalty. The University would fulfill its "Caring" creed, and attract more prospective students and donors.
This may seem impractical, but it is more impractical to solve our health care problem by chasing cost-effective members out of our health care community and to hoard funds for a hypothetical emergency when we have a real health care emergency now.
I've heard talk about fixing the system "in the future." The future starts NOW, as we enroll for 2006 benefits. Let's have a hopeful future, with more members enriching our health care community, and bringing us a better New Year.
Central's health care system is ailing. Dependent premiums are so high that many employees with families have left the system, creating a lower pool of healthy people and increasing the proportion of those with health problems. With fewer healthy people in the system, the insurance company paid a higher percentage of claim dollars per premium dollars this year, resulting in increased premiums, which will result in more employees pulling their dependents out of the system: a vicious cycle.
Employees with healthy dependents who stay in the system suffer financially and pay for those with health problems, which is unjust. Many employees can't afford dependent health care, which is wrong. Employees with health problems pay high out-of-pocket costs, with nothing left for retirement. The anxiety this crisis created triggers stress-related illness and low productivity, making the University function ineffectively.
I propose that the University provide a flexible benefit of $350/ per month for each full-time employee for 2006. Employees could use this benefit to pay dependent premiums, other medical costs or retirement savings. At the very least, dependent premiums need to be underwritten by the University.
The University benefits by having long-term savings in insurance premiums, and increased employee diversity, retention, productivity and loyalty. The University would fulfill its "Caring" creed, and attract more prospective students and donors.
This may seem impractical, but it is more impractical to solve our health care problem by chasing cost-effective members out of our health care community and to hoard funds for a hypothetical emergency when we have a real health care emergency now.
I've heard talk about fixing the system "in the future." The future starts NOW, as we enroll for 2006 benefits. Let's have a hopeful future, with more members enriching our health care community, and bringing us a better New Year.