|
|
Post by frankly on Jun 3, 2015 10:45:08 GMT -5
I heard that some exempt staff sent a letter to senior administrators and benefits policy-makers, expressing concern about the 2015 health plan changes... Does anybody in this forum have a copy of the text that they can post here?
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Town Crier on Jun 3, 2015 10:57:24 GMT -5
Here's the text of the letter, pasted below. It was sent by email on Thursday, May 21 and paper copies hand-delivered on May 22. As of this morning, no response has been received. If other exempt staff members want to join in the conversation about next steps, you can comment on this board or send email to openharv@gmail.com . Interested to hear people's thoughts about all this.
Date: May 21, 2015
To: President Drew Gilpin Faust
Cc: Members of the University Benefits Committee
Marilyn Hausammann, Vice President for Human Resources
Katie Lapp, Executive Vice President
Bill Murphy, Director of Labor and Employee Relations
Alan Garber, Provost
Re: Exempt employees share support for a comprehensive revision to 2015 health care plan
Dear President Faust:
On behalf of the exempt employees of Harvard University, we wish to thank you and the University Benefits Committee for addressing this important issue through meetings with the community regarding the 2015 changes to Harvard’s health benefits. It is encouraging to learn from media accounts that our concerns were heard and that as a result “there will likely be changes” to the 2016 plan. As the largest cohort of Harvard employees on campus, we seek to have a voice in the dialogue taking place on the future of the health care benefits package that impacts us all – faculty, exempt staff, and postdoctoral fellows alike. We are aware that the University will need to make decisions soon regarding the 2016 health plan. As such, we hope that you, your leadership team, and the UBC will take into account three points moving forward:
I. Harvard University should strive for excellence and “veritas” in all of its actions on behalf of our community. Harvard University's vision of excellence in higher education is interdependent on the creation and support of teaching and research provided by faculty, students, fellows, and staff. As Harvard strives to advance this vision, it must provide excellence in the conditions for faculty and staff to perform this work. We believe that Harvard can and will do better by its committed citizenry of talented employees.
II. We hope that Harvard will return to a more equitable health insurance plan that spreads risk more evenly across our community. The out-of-pocket costs associated with the 2015 benefits plan disproportionately tax members of our community when they most need security, such as during a health incident. Provost Alan Garber indicated that “without the policy change, policyholders’ premiums would have gone up by about 3.6 percent” (Harvard Crimson, October 14, 2014). We feel that this option would have been far preferable. We urge Harvard to return to a pre-2015 health plan option with fair and reasonable premium costs shared progressively among Harvard employees
III. Finally, the process by which substantive changes are made to Harvard University benefits should be an open and transparent process. In order to achieve the best outcomes for the community as a whole, we request that the UBC and Harvard leadership bring the community into the conversation in a more systematic and comprehensive way to better evaluate and understand the impact across sectors before decisions are imposed upon the community. We seek to be partners in this process moving forward.
We are encouraged that Harvard University will demonstrate exceptional leadership and a culture of excellence in the design of its health benefits package for 2016. We would welcome the opportunity to contribute and provide feedback on the 2016 plan before it is communicated across the University. Please let us know how we can best be of service.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.
Sincere regards,
110 exempt staff representing 10 schools, the Radcliffe Institute, and administrative units across Harvard University
|
|
|
|
Post by Appreciative on Jun 3, 2015 15:22:28 GMT -5
Sincere thanks to all who signed this letter. The positive and productive tone is a testament to the caliber of the Harvard staff. I certainly cannot recall an issue that has generated such an expression from staff in the past. The fact that it is representative of people from every area of our community is remarkable. Hopefully some of the missteps associated with the last year's changes can be addressed going forward. Optimistic to see the conversation continue!
|
|
|
|
Post by Responsee on Jun 11, 2015 17:58:51 GMT -5
Below is the response from the University to the people who signed the letter mentioned above. It makes up in cordiality what it lacks in substance. And so it goes.
Dear Colleague:
President Faust shared with me your letter providing feedback on the 2015 changes in the Harvard health plans for faculty and nonunion staff. On behalf of the President and the University Benefits Committee working on our health plans, thank you for your comments. Your input will help inform our deliberations and recommendations for 2016.
We share your commitment to excellence in all we do, which includes the comprehensive and highly-competitive health benefits Harvard offers to you and your co-workers. We are especially mindful of the effects of any changes in health benefits on individuals, particularly people who earn less or are vulnerable due to chronic or serious illness.
Our goals are to provide comprehensive, high-quality health insurance at affordable prices and to protect faculty and staff from excessive costs, while maintaining access to quality health care and positive health outcomes for our community. At the same time, we aim to help Harvard find a path to financial sustainability for benefits and adapt to a rapidly-changing health care and regulatory environment.
We also want to acknowledge your desire for dialogue and input. Our information sessions as well as our open mailbox were intended to provide some ways for you and all those in our community to share thoughts and concerns. Particularly as we look forward to open enrollment in the fall for the 2016 benefits plans, the University Benefits Committee continues to consider ways in which communication with members of the community might occur more regularly.
Sincerely,
Michael E. Chernew
For the University Benefits Committee (ubc@harvard.edu)
|
|
