Health plan ignites debate
Jessica Kumor
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: News
The St. Bonaventure University health insurance options available to faculty and staff effective January 2009 have many university employees struggling to swallow the increase in insurance costs and the administration's lack of communication.
"The new health insurance plan is not going to break me, and I won't be as hurt as a lot of people, but I fear people will choose to not get health insurance because of the new high costs," Karen Robbins, assistant professor of history and chair of the Faculty Senate's Compensation Committee, said.
The university's health care provider, Independent Health, provided the university with the premiums increases for 2009. Administrators anticipated an increase of 20 percent; Independent Health presented the university with a 47 percent premium increase for single coverage and a 41 percent increase for family coverage, according to a Nov. 18 newsletter from Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president.
Brenda Snow, senior vice president for business and finance, wrote in an e-mail that she wasn't happy with the rate increase but wrote she feels the university has identified the best option available under the circumstances.
The 2009 health insurance options provided by Independent Health offer a new plan, i-Direct, to replace the Flex Fit Select plan.
The Flex Fit Select plan was the cheapest of the three plans offered to employees for the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years. The new i-Direct plan is more expensive than the Flex Fit Select but still the cheapest of the three offered plans. Under the i-Direct plan, university employees have to pay a deductible of $1,500 for single coverage and $3,000 for family coverage, according to the newsletter.
Under the old Flex Fit Select plan, employees did not have to pay the cheaper deductible unless having a large medical procedure, Robbins said.
Now, under the i-Direct plan, the deductible must be paid if the coverage holders want their insurance to cover the cost of their medical expenses.
"The new health insurance plan is not going to break me, and I won't be as hurt as a lot of people, but I fear people will choose to not get health insurance because of the new high costs," Karen Robbins, assistant professor of history and chair of the Faculty Senate's Compensation Committee, said.
The university's health care provider, Independent Health, provided the university with the premiums increases for 2009. Administrators anticipated an increase of 20 percent; Independent Health presented the university with a 47 percent premium increase for single coverage and a 41 percent increase for family coverage, according to a Nov. 18 newsletter from Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president.
Brenda Snow, senior vice president for business and finance, wrote in an e-mail that she wasn't happy with the rate increase but wrote she feels the university has identified the best option available under the circumstances.
The 2009 health insurance options provided by Independent Health offer a new plan, i-Direct, to replace the Flex Fit Select plan.
The Flex Fit Select plan was the cheapest of the three plans offered to employees for the 2007 and 2008 fiscal years. The new i-Direct plan is more expensive than the Flex Fit Select but still the cheapest of the three offered plans. Under the i-Direct plan, university employees have to pay a deductible of $1,500 for single coverage and $3,000 for family coverage, according to the newsletter.
Under the old Flex Fit Select plan, employees did not have to pay the cheaper deductible unless having a large medical procedure, Robbins said.
Now, under the i-Direct plan, the deductible must be paid if the coverage holders want their insurance to cover the cost of their medical expenses.
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