Faculty Senate voted unanimously to not endorse a recommendation of the Budget Planning Council that would save $3 million in health care expenses by shifting costs onto all employees.
One of three health care resolutions considered by the senate last night, the first resolution expressed the senate's displeasure with the shift in costs.
Does anybody have any good reason to support this? asked Joe Slade, senator from the College of Communication. Especially when we've got a useless athletic department and a bunch of useless administrators.
The BPC recommendation would increase the amount employees contribute to the plan by raising premiums.
Employee salaries are divided into nine brackets and premiums are paid on a graduated basis. If President Roderick McDavis accepts the health care changes, the top bracket would be divided into three to place a heavier burden on the highest-paid employees.
The Faculty Handbook requires the university present changes to health care costs to the senate, but changes can be implemented without senate approval.
The senate later passed a resolution accepting three provisions of the BPC recommendation that would save the university $860,000. The resolution endorses the mandatory generic drug program, the mandatory mail-order drug program and a procedure to charge premiums to the higher-paid employee in families with more than university employee.
The resolution also asked the university to keep Holzer Clinic as a Tier 1 health care provider. It was announced last week that Holzer would be made a Tier 2 provider, increasing costs to employees who use it.
It was originally announced that Holzer would become an out-of-network provider, but Director of Benefits Greg Fialko later clarified that it would remain in the network, but would be considered a Tier 2 provider.
There has been a lot of miscommunication about the Holzer decision
said Joe McLaughlin, chairman of the senate's Finance and Facilities committee.
Holzer will become a Tier 2 provider because it charges a substantially higher amount than competitors for medical care, said Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration Bill Decatur.
This is a salary cut said journalism professor Bernhard Debatin. And it's the worst kind of salary cut it's a salary cut in disguise.
The lack of negotiation between the university and Holzer may indicate that the decision is more about protecting University Medical Associates - a private practice run by doctors from the College of Osteopathic Medicine - than cutting costs, Debatin added.
Fialko said that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the university's coverage provider, has repeatedly attempted to negotiate lower costs with Holzer, and that those negotiations will continue this week.
OU must present the health care plan for the upcoming year to Anthem by Sunday.
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Wesley Lowery
