BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

MINUTES OF MEETING

DECEMBER 18, 2003

 

[In these minutes:  Stop Loss Insurance, Open Enrollment Update, MinuteClinic Update, Coverage for Erectile Dysfunction, Dental Claims Appeals Process, PatientChoice Identification Cards, BAC Preliminary Spring Semester Schedule and Agenda Items, Wellness Program Report]

 

[These minutes reflect discussion and debate at a meeting of a committee of the University Senate or Twin Cities Assembly; none of the comments, conclusions, or actions reported in these minutes represent the view of, nor are they binding on the Senate or Assembly, the Administration, or the Board of Regents.]

 

PRESENT:  Fred Morrison (chair), Linda Aaker, Gavin Watt, Pam Wilson, Karen Wolterstorff, Jody Ebert, Ronald Enger, Don Cavalier, Wendy Williamson, George Green, Gailon Roen, Susan Brorson, Amos Deinard, Richard McGehee, Peh Ng, Theodor Litman, Rod Loper, Dann Chapman,

 

REGRETS:  Joseph Jameson, Carla Volkman-Lien, Rita McCue, Steve Chilton

 

ABSENT:  Carol Carrier, Frank Cerra, Keith Dunder

 

OTHERS:  Linda Blake, Karen Chapin, Jennifer Durocher, Gladys McKenzie

 

I).  Professor Morrison called the meeting to order.

 

II).  Karen Chapin reported that the Board of Regents approved the Stop Loss Insurance Committee’s recommendation to:

 

In addition, the Board of Regents approved the University to:

 

 

Professor Morrison requested at the next meeting on January 22, 2004 an anonymous report on the top two or three highest accumulations towards the $5 million lifetime maximum.  Ms. Chapin noted that this information was included in the Stop Loss Request for Proposal and will be shared with members at the January meeting.

 

III).  OPEN ENROLLMENT REPORT:  Dann Chapman distributed a handout and explained the format used to calculate the changes between 2003 enrollment figures and 2004 enrollment figures.  Reports incorporated within this handout included:

 

Mr. Chapman emphasized that this is not a final open enrollment report because three groups are still being contacted:

 

IV).  MINUTECLINIC UPDATE:  Karen Chapman reported that the CEO of MinuteClinic is meeting with several individuals in Duluth on Monday, December 22 to strategize about opening the Duluth MinuteClinic.

 

V).  COVERAGE FOR ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION:  Ms. Chapin reported that currently HealthPartners covers Viagra only for treatment of erectile dysfunction.  The University’s other three plan administrators, Definity, PatientChoice and PreferredOne, cover the entire therapeutic class, Viagra and Levitra, and, in 2004 as they are released, Cialis and UPrima.  The University has approached HealthPartners and requested that they also offer the entire therapeutic class.  Effective January 1, 2004 coverage for the entire therapeutic class of erectile dysfunction drugs on all UPlan medical options will be available to plan participants.  The University, however, reserves the right to modify this coverage should future drugs released in this class be significantly more expensive, or be shown to provide significantly less therapeutic value than the drugs previously released in this class.

 

VI).  Ms. Chapin announced that the UPlan will now cover the flu mist inhalation vaccine now that supplies of the injectable flu vaccine are exhausted.

 

VII).  DENTAL CLAIM APPEAL PROCESS:  Mr. Chapman announced that because the University is self-insuring its dental coverage it is required to put in place an appeals process as it did when it began self-insuring its medical coverage.  The dental appeals process is the same as the medical appeals process with one exception, the Employee Benefits Director makes final decisions on dental appeals rather than having appeals be sent to an external review panel.  The reason for this exception is twofold, cost and the simplicity in determining what is a covered expense and what is not.

 

VIII).  Ms. Chapin reported that PatientChoice is issuing identification cards without social security numbers.  PreferredOne is the only plan that still uses social security numbers as an identification number but they plan to do away with social security numbers sometime this year.  Secondly, with regard to PatientChoice, they are reissuing identification cards because they printed the wrong co-pay amount on the original cards.

 

A member announced that Blue Cross/Blue Shield (retiree plan) will also eliminate the use of social security numbers on its identification cards for its plan participants in the future.  Ms. Chapin added that NEW retirees to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan will not have their social security numbers on their identification cards.

 

IX).  Professor Morrison distributed a handout outlining a spring semester BAC meeting schedule with preliminary agenda items:

·        January 22, 2004 – Miscellaneous business items, general discussion of plan performance, and directions for 2006 – 2011.

 

Other agenda items to be scheduled for spring semester 2004 include:

 

A member requested that when pharmacy benefits are discussed a well-informed individual on the subject be invited to share with the Committee the benefits versus the risks of importing Canadian drugs.

 

X).  Professor Morrison called on Wellness Coordinator Ruth Rounds to provide members with a Wellness Program Report.  Ms. Rounds distributed a PowerPoint handout for members to reference during her presentation.  In addition, Ms. Rounds distributed an ‘Employee Benefits and Wellness Calendar’, which emphasizes resources that are currently in place as well as a University publication dealing with obesity.  Mr. Chapman prefaced Ms. Rounds’ presentation with a slight word of caution.  Because there exists a lot of pent-up expectation for a wellness program at the University, there is the desire to immediately rollout a full-blown program.  Mr. Chapman stressed that to properly rollout a scientific, measurable wellness program it will take time.

 

Next, Ms. Rounds shared with members her thoughts on a proposed UPlan Wellness Program.  She highlighted the following information:

 

To conclude, by the end of 2004 the goal is to have all University employees be aware that a wellness program exists at the University of Minnesota.

 

Comments/questions from members following Ms. Rounds’ presentation:

 

Professor Morrison thanked Ms. Rounds for her presentation.  He added that he plans to have her report back in May to provide members with another progress report.

 

XI).  Hearing no further business, Professor Morrison adjourned the meeting.

 

                                                                                          Renee Dempsey

                                                                                          University Senate