Chair Talk
December 2013
On Tuesday, December 3rd, Mary Pollock and I received copies of the Impasse Panel Recommendations that are a result of the bargaining impasse between the State Employee Unions and the State of Michigan. The major impact of those recommendations involves the changes in the State Health Plan. The Panel recommended that there be one State Health Plan and that would be the New State Health Plan PPO (NSHP) this plan has been in place for new employees hired after April 1, 2010. Changes in the State Health Plan will not go into effect until October 1, 2014. The Impasse Panel Recommendations will be on the Agenda for the December 18, 2013 Civil Service Commission meeting.
Below is a comparison of the current health plan and the proposed Impasse Panel Recommendations:
| Current | Recommendations |
Prescription Drug Copays (retail) | $10/20/40 | $10/30/60 |
Prescription Copays (mail order) | $20/40/80 | $20/60/120 |
Deductibles | $300/600 | $400/800 |
Emergency room co-pay if not admitted | $50 | $200 |
Coinsurance | 0% | 10% up to out of pocket max |
Out-of-Pocket Max | $1000/2000 | $2000/4000 |
HMO deductibles | 0 | $125/250 |
Office visits | $15 | $20 |
Autism benefits added to health plan | ||
Adding Dental Plan coverage for implants | ||
The above changes are the significant ones. If you want to view what the current New State Health Plan (NSHP) and the New Health Maintenance plan (NHMO) you can go to the Civil Service Website under Employee Benefits. We will be meeting with OSE and Civil Service in the months to come to discuss the impact of these changes to retirees and discuss alternatives.
Editor’s note: Bob Kopasz is Chair of the Michigan SERA Council. He may be reached at P.O. Box 692, Mt. Morris, MI 48458; phone 810/240-8380.