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Make me a health insurance guinea pig? No, thank you!
Senate Bill 10 would turn current school employees and retirees into involuntary guinea pigs in an ill-defined experiment to cut state spending for health insurance. This bill may have serious consequences for the employees, retirees, and their families who depend on TRS (or ERS) for their health coverage.
Contact your state representative and Gov. Perry and tell them not to allow SB 10 to move forward until the many unanswered questions about this legislation have been answered satisfactorily.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Don't make school employees health insurance guinea pigs with SB 10!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
Senate Bill 10 would turn current school employees and retirees into involuntary guinea pigs in an ill-defined experiment to cut state spending for health insurance. There is no limit under SB 10 on the number of employees and retirees who can be required to participate. There is no limit on the geographic area included in the experiment. No more than "basic" coverage would be guaranteed. Critical choices about health-care costs and benefits for participants would be made not by employees and retirees but by trustees of the major state retirement systems.
This bill by Senator Robert Duncan would direct the TRS board to set up "pilot programs" involving alternative payment systems for health-care providers under TRS-ActiveCare for current school employees and the TRS-Care program for school retirees (and also under the ERS Uniform Group Insurance Program). Virtually all parameters of the proposed "pilot programs" affecting TRS members would be determined in rule-making by the unelected TRS trustees.
This bill was filed late (April 24) and received only a minimal hearing and brief floor debate before it passed the Senate May 4. Many questions about this legislation remain unanswered. Will quality of care suffer? Will participants end up paying more for less? Will participants be assured of a share in any benefit from cost savings?
This bill may have serious consequences for the employees, retirees, and their families who depend on TRS (or ERS) for their health coverage. Please do not allow SB 10 to move forward until the many unanswered questions about this legislation have been answered satisfactorily.
Alternative payment systems may be worth exploring, but not by forcing employees and retirees to participate in an ill-defined experiment with their health insurance.
Sincerely,
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