Special Health Insurance
Meeting
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
5:30 PM
111 FORUM BUILDING
SPONSORED
BY
GPSA HEALTH INSURANCE COMMITTEE
CO-CHAIRS:
ALISON FRANKLIN
NATHANIEL PORTER
AGENDA
 Welcome & Introduction (10 min)
 Alison Franklin, Graduate Student
 Updates – ACA Guidelines & RFP (15 min)
 Dennis Shea, Associate Dean – Health & Human Development
 Policy Decisions – Explanations & Exercise (60 min)
 Nathaniel Porter, Graduate Student
 Closing Remarks (5 min)
 Danielle Rhubart, Graduate Student
 Informal Q&A (25 min)
 Committee Co-Chairs and liaisons
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals.
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. –Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
TIMELINE
 December – 2014

University allocates money for a consultant to put out a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for student health insurance plan 2015-2016
 January – 2015



Consultant (Towers Watson) tasked with putting out RFI/RFP
Jan. 15 – GPSA updated about consultant (RFI/RFP)
Jan. 30 – GPSA updated about Premium Parity
 February – 2015

Mid Feb. – Initial bids in. Student feedback needed for potential
insurers to craft proposals
 March – 2015


Early March – Proposals reviewed
End of March – Final deadline for final plan decisions, if insurer is
not Aetna
Explanation of Mandatory Changes
 ACA Guidelines
 Family Rating (Premium Parity)


Individuals within same age bracket cannot have differing
premium rates (i.e. students and spouses)
AV Calculator Updates

Now includes prescription drugs for 2015
 Request for Proposals (RFP) Process
 Consultant (Towers Watson)
 RFI/RFP put out for potential insurer bid/proposals
Student input on plan design very important when requesting
proposals!
 Proposals reviewed and voted on by Student Insurance Advisory
Board/Council (SIAB/SIAC)

Feedback Format (each of 4 decisions in agenda)
 Initial explanation of two contrasting options (Nathaniel)
 Opportunity for brief clarification of options
 Initial vote- Hands raised high based on information
you have for each option
 Oral arguments- 1 minute comments (strictly timed)


Up to 2 students per position, raise hand to speak
State preference up front then defend your position
 Final vote – Same as before
 Both votes will be recorded and reported to Liaisons
Decision 1- Metal Tier
Platinum Plan
Gold Plan
 Highest benefits and
 Moderately high
premiums
 Current plan
 Lowest deductible, pervisit costs and O-O-P
max
 Least risk of
catastrophic costs
benefits
 5-15% lower premium
 Deductible and O-O-P
maximum tend to be 22.5 times as high
 Better value to rare
users or UHS-only
users
Decision 2: Plan Structure
Copay
Coinsurance
 Set fee (dollar amount)
 Set percentage pay for




for each type of service
Predictable costs per
visit
Higher average cost for
routine visits
Do not always have a
deductible
Higher O-O-P max
each type of service
 Current plan
 Unpredictable costs for
complex treatment
(ER, etc.)
 Typically much lower
O-O-P max
Decision 3: Balancing Ded./Coins.
Higher Deductible
Higher Coinsurance
 Higher cost barrier to
 Higher costs for
initial (non-UHS)
treatment
 Only limited flexibility
(J-1 visa requires $500
or lower)
participants with
ongoing or expensive
medical needs
Decision 4: Balancing Ded./OOP Max
Higher Deductible
Higher Out-of-Pocket Max
 Deductibles affect
 Major impact on those
higher portion of
participants
 Only limited flexibility
(J-1 visa requires $500
or lower)
who reach maximum
 Only affects small
number of students