As a state employee your health insurance is the product of collective bargaining just as the MGEC contract is. But the process in which it’s bargained is quite a bit different.
Because the State Employee Group Insurance Plan (SEGIP) is a benefit that is the same for all state employees, it is bargained in a coalition with all of the state’s unions. That coalition has recently started meeting to determine what the proposals will be for the first round of bargaining with the state, which begins on April 25th.
MGEC put out the call for ideas from our members a few weeks back. We heard lots of great ideas and we presented them to the union coalition. Many of them matched ideas that other unions are also prioritizing, and others were new to the groups and found support – the nature of a coalition makes it that much easier to speak with one voice to the employer!
There isn’t enough space to list everything that’s on the table, but this year’s proposals include raising the age of dependent coverage; lowering co-pays for office visits and Rx; expanding coverage for rural areas with fewer service providers; hearing aid and durable medical equipment coverage; increasing life insurance amounts; lowering vision premiums and expanding coverage; and increasing dental and orthodontia coverages to keep up with rising costs. And there’s a discussion of either improving the Wellness program so it delivers results, or scrapping it and using the money elsewhere. This is by no means an exhaustive list; just as with any other bargaining, the coalition will work to deliver the best possible outcomes for our members. And in addition to our bargaining demands, we have presented a formal information request that seeks specifics of exactly how SEGIP healthcare is used by state employees. Information is power, and the more detail we have about what is happening, the more credibility and power we have at the bargaining table.