By Ralph Derickson

The
UK president established the task force in response
to what he called the many "widespread campus
concerns" over the health insurance benefit that
had been expressed to him both before and after he
took office July 1 as UK's 11th president.
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July
3, 2001
(Lexington, Ky.)
University
of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. today named
a 12-member task force to review the university's
health insurance coverage for faculty, staff and retired
employees. The president asked the task force to issue
a report with recommendations by Dec. 31.
Todd named Thomas W. Samuel, a professor of health
management in the School of Public Health, College
of Allied Health, as chair of the task force, which
includes representation from all the university's
employee groups. (See membership list accompanying
this news release.)
The UK president established the task force in response
to what he called the many "widespread campus
concerns" over the health insurance benefit that
had been expressed to him both before and after he
took office July 1 as UK's 11th president.
"I
believe it is critical for the future of this key
benefit that there be a thorough airing of the program
with all pertinent information relative to cost and
usage made available to the entire campus community,"
Todd said.
A list of six key points the health insurance task
force should consider in its deliberations accompanied
the president's announcement. Among the issues, Todd
said, is that the university must be concerned about
the demographics of an aging workforce, the availability
of expensive new medical procedures and the rising
costs of prescription drugs.
"The university must protect the integrity of
its health benefit by promoting the wellness of its
employees and their families, assuring access to essential
medical service and encouraging participation by all
eligible participants," Todd said.
One
of the more controversial concerns the task force
will consider is the link between the university's
contribution to an employee's health coverage and
the employee's out-of-pocket costs for health care.
Those costs increased sharply for the 2001-2002 insurance
coverage period for UK employees.
One of the more controversial concerns the task force
will consider is the link between the university's
contribution to an employee's health coverage and
the employee's out-of-pocket costs for health care.
Those costs increased sharply for the 2001-2002 insurance
coverage period for UK employees.
The new annual operating budget for the university
requires UK employees who carry single-person UK HMO
coverage and retired faculty and staff members who
have single-person UK HMO coverage to pay $21 per
month for their health coverage for the first time.
Samuel, a former member of the UK Benefits Committee
and an advocate for university employees, said he
would conduct the task force's work in an atmosphere
of openness, including publishing its meetings' minutes
on a Web site.
The task force, Samuel added, will seek and consider
the opinions of the entire university community and
the advice and counsel of health insurance coverage
experts on and off the campus.
The
members of the task force are:
Professor
Tom Samuel, chair, School of Public Health, College
of Allied Health; Sheila Brothers, Endocrinology,
Medical Center; Debbie Davis, UK Research Foundation;
Professor Bill Fortune, College of Law; David Hoke,
Wellness Center; John Madden, retired professor of
economics; Karen Mayo, Registrar's Office, Lexington
Community College; Professor Lee Meyer, Agricultural
Economics, College of Agriculture; Bill Reesor, Physical
Plant; Ann Smith, Diagnostic Services, UK Hospital;
Robert Stroup, emeritus faculty; and Roberta Young,
Physical Plant.
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