APs, all other non-bargained for employees, to pay some portion of healthcare insurance premiums starting in 2007

Come Jan. 1, 2007, administrative professionals, as well as all other non-bargained for employees at Eastern Michigan University, will be required to pay a portion of their healthcare insurance premiums if they wish to maintain the same level of coverage they currently enjoy.

However, the non-bargained for employees (which includes administrative professionals, athletic coaches and confidential clericals) have the option of enrolling in a base Blue Cross Blue Shield Community Blue PPO plan and continue to have their healthcare premiums paid by the University. The tradeoff: slightly less benefits.

"We simply delayed this (charging portion of premiums) as long as humanly possible," EMU President John Fallon told a gathering of non-bargained for employees at a June 8 forum in McKenny Union's Ballroom. "This is where the University is today. We have to deal with it. The University must begin to expand cost-sharing in its benefit packages."

Fallon said EMU is the last public entity in Washtenaw County that fully covers the cost of healthcare premiums for its employees.

"We tried everything to prevent this day from coming," said Jeanette Hassan, director, benefits.

Community Blue PPO Option 1, as proposed, will not require any cost share on the part of the employee. However, employees will have a reduced level of benefits, Hassan said.

Under Option 1, office visits would cost $15, up from $10. In addition, many in-network procedures — such as outpatient surgery, lab test and X-rays — would be covered at only 90 percent after payment of a deductible is met. Deductibles in-network would be $250 for single people and $500 for families, Hassan said. Medical procedures would only be covered at 70 percent if out-of-network providers were used. Deductibles for using out-of-network providers would be $500 for a single person and $1,000 for a family.

Retail prescription drugs would cost $10 for a generic brand, $20 for a preferred brand name and $30 for a non-preferred brand name. A 90-day supply of mail order prescription drugs would cost $30 for a generic brand, $60 for a preferred brand name and $90 for a non-preferred brand name.

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