CAT Tracks for April 22, 2004 BLUECROSS BLUESHIELD VOTE

Just received news from a member of the District's Insurance Committee that the anticipated vote concerning a modification of the District's Group Health Insurance Program will be conducted Friday, April 23rd, in each attendance center by a member of the Insurance Committee...

This vote is a follow-up to the District-wide meeting that was held in the CJSHS Cafeteria on April 6th. The plan was put forward in response to employee concerns about a proposed 13.4% increase in the BlueCross BlueShield insurance premium.

Under the new plan, deductibles and copayments will go up, allowing premiums to go down. The major difference between the two plans is that instead of medications being covered along with other medical bills (and being applied to the same deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses), District employees will begin using a "Prescription Card" that covers medications separately. Prescriptions will cost $10, $25, or $35 each with no cap on expenses.

The details of the proposed plan were presented in written form at the April 6th meeting. If you have questions, you should review that information prior to voting.