Walker's self-insurance plan for state employees looks unstoppable

[lutefisk]

A committee of the state's Group Insurance Board planned to decide Friday whether to move ahead with getting more information about the change. Currently, state employees get their insurance from 18 health maintenance organizations....

Gov. Scott Walker says he wants to get more information about the idea before deciding whether to move ahead with it.

The Wisconsin Association of Health Plans opposes the move, saying it would threaten health care competition, provider-patient relationships and the economies of several communities.

http://host.madison.com/news/state-and-regional/panel-to-consider-state-worker-insurance-change/article_f0ee8fa4-27b7-5561-8000-89651088942c.html

The general counsel at ETF stated that the Group Insurance Board has the authority to eliminate the current health insurance plans for state employees and replace them with, well, pretty much whatever the board wants. The very bad news is that the board is made up of Walker appointees. All the power to make changes lies with Walker and his appointees. Imagine this: With union representation out of the way, Scott Kevin Walker will have the power to dictate the terms of our health care!

If the state wants to self-insure its employees, the Legislature would not have to approve the change, the top lawyer for the Department of Employee Trust Funds said Thursday.

The Group Insurance Board, which meets Friday to further vet a possible move to self-insurance, has the authority “on behalf of the state” to “provide any group insurance plan on a self-insured basis,” wrote ETF general counsel David Nispel, citing state law.

http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/etf-change-in-law-not-required-for-state-to-self/article_29d0a52f-855a-529d-b313-6f8bc447724d.html#ixzz2hQRFBiJK|story link]

Here is a list of who is on the Group Insurance Board:

http://etf.wi.gov/boards/board_roster_gib.pdf


This will affect health insurance and care in this state for more people than just the quarter of a million state employees and their families. Walker's plan will almost certainly bring radical changes to health care across the state. There is concern for the viability of some of the HMO groups after losing the state employee pool as well as reduced/changed coverage for state employees and other HMO members. Articles over the past week have also discussed people likely having to change doctors and facilities, at the least.

Because self-insured plans have different rules, there is real concern that Walker would be free to dictate the terms of coverage, or even eliminate coverage in areas such as reproductive health and mental health. And of course with no union representation to negotiate terms, deductibles could be set sky-high, along with what are certain to be drastically reduced benefits. Again, this will affect more than just state employees. Health care groups in the state are rightfully very, very concerned.

And it goes without saying that the cronyism and corruption sure to unfold in this new scheme to steal health insurance money and punish the state employees will probably shock even the most jaded among us...

[Turbineguy]

1. But..... self insurance... isn't that

a lot like "big government"?

[lutefisk]

2. Yeah, turns out Walker's a socialist!

This plan is dripping with hypocrisy.

[Thinkingabout]

3. I have been under a self insured program for many years but this is through a large company.

My question is does Wisconsin have the funds to be self insured? If they don't have the resources then this would be a dumb idea but then Walker has been down the dumb idea road a few times.

[lutefisk]

4. Wisconsin "can" do it

One of the criticisms of the plan is that it will almost certainly cost the state substantially more than the current system (which works just fine) while almost certainly reducing benefits, raising deductibles, and limiting choice.

The motivations for this come from some combination of ALEC policy, Walker benefiting politically in his bid for the Presidency, and Walker's insatiable desire to punish public employees (or at least make people think they deserve to be punished).

[Thinkingabout]

5. It would only take a few large claims and any money they thought they saved would be

Gone, not smart on his part. You are probably right, an attempt to control by Walker. Dictator wanna be.

[postulater]

6. Walker's insurance policy is that State Patrol car parked in the driveway at his house

in Wauwatosa.

[unionthug777]

7. don't forget

the one across the street, also.