2002 Minutes

December 12, 2002

Fringe Benefits Committee Minutes

Vision Care:  Art and Howard.  HB provided information  on vision care plans and  distributed a possible plan which was discussed.  Contacted Vision Service Plan (VSP) and got six different suggestions for plans.  Plans change the frequency of services. Fully insured plan—i.e. off the shelf plan from VSP. University pays 100% of cost. Cost to university would be $28,144/year. Would be entitled for annual eye exam with $10 co-pay  20% discount for glasses, 15% discount on contacts. Employee pays nothing for coverage. Restricted to certain facilities. Has 8 optometrist in Springfield, none in WP or Mtn Grove. Subsequent pages are variations on the first. Like Med-Pay this group, VSP,  process the claims.  Create a reserve fund to pay for.  Among large employers, this is a more popular option. Why is 2^nd plan higher than 1^st plan?  Fully insured has fewer risks since we are educational group.  On 2^nd page, we are taking the risk and must have reserve fund.  Page 3:  University provides base benefit for the eye exam. Then employee can buy up coverage for materials.  Could put premium in cafeteria plan and have it payed pre-tax. 4^th page, fully insured with all paid by university—costs $288,818 to University.  Co-pays for exam and materials.  Plan 5 sample:  comprehensive package where we self insure with university, pays for everything. Last page, university doesn’t pay for anything.  We buy our own coverage. 

Right now no vision care plan at university.  For vision plan we must stipulate network doctors in WP and MTN Grove. Art distributed proposal and rationale. Should we survey faculty/staff to see if they would really pay for such a plan?  Do people want vision care more than pay raises?  Have never sent any proposal forward about vision care. Could send forward several proposals with medical being one and other things.  Need to do this in a timely way.  Budget process starts in January.  John Satzinger commented  1^st page example looks like a real bargain.  Going in at base level can then look at including more coverage.  Teri Oehm, would it be better to not submit anything right now and put together a list of things and present for next fall?  However if the timing is good right now, this seems like a pretty cheap benefit and could be done. Could easily do a list of proposed benefits:  bookstore discount, tuition waiver, vision care. We keep having higher medical expenses. Still possible to get started with a basic wellness oriented vision care program. 

John Satzinger moved that we recommend to Keiser some kind of wellness-oriented vision care plan.2^nd by as. Vote was 6 to 1in favor for an informal visit by Art and Debbie.

 Funeral Leave Policy: Martha Tuttle looked up information  from other schools.  She recommends that step-family be included in funeral leave policy. Janis King moved that we add step-children, step-brother and step-sister, step grandparents and step- grandchildren to the existing policy on funeral leave. 2^nd Martha. Motion passed.

 Colonoscopies:  Now covered by Medicare for screening charge instead of fecal blood test and flexible sigmoidoscopy. Better to pay for this test and stop cancer before it develops into cancer.  Everyone at age of 50 should have colonoscopy and if normal have another at age 60.  If abnormal have more frequently.  Gastroenterologist, physician charge is $1,400-1,500.  Hospital charge is about $900.  As a UPPO, Med-Pay pays $1,064 for the procedure for the procedure. If a diagnostic procedure then would be covered. Some think this should be a screening device. 2000/crack!

Reinvestigate after the new policy goes into effect.  Perhaps pay part of it or get discount. 

Why isn’t this part of wellness coverage? Med-pay only covers what we state in the plan. Pursue this with St. John’s for the discount.

Minutes by Neosha A. Mackey