Side Letter – Joint Health Care Committee

 

The UAW and the University agree to establish a Joint Health Care Committee (JHCC) as follows:

A. Purpose: The primary purpose of the JHCC is to review the Postdoctoral Scholar’s Health, Dental and Vision Plans and to make recommendations for improvements or changes.

B. Composition: Each party shall select 2 members to serve on the JHCC. With mutual agreement, the parties may have additional representatives on the JHCC.

C. Meetings: The JHCC shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently if needed, commencing in January or February, 2011.

D. JHCC Activities will include:

  1. Review current procedures utilized by University in its annual renewal process for the Postdoctoral Scholars Health, Dental and Vision Plans;
  2. Review reports of complaints or programs issues from the prior calendar year and recommend methods of and means to resolve them;
  3. Discuss goals and trends for renewal for the upcoming plan year;
  4. Discuss and recommend agreed upon improvements as needed;
  5. Provide agreed upon reports of the JHCC meetings for Union and University Leadership on an agreed upon schedule; and
  6. Other agreed upon activities.

E. Additionally, the JHCC may:

  1. Review and discuss Requests for Renewals during April and May;
  2. Jointly meet with University consultants during April and May;
  3. Jointly provide recommendations to University consultants during April and May; and
  4. Review recommendations for program renewals during June and July.

F. Open Enrollment: Open Enrollment for Postdoctoral Scholars shall be held in November.

G. Sharing of Information:

The UAW and the University agree that they will each provide each other relevant and necessary information related to the University’s decisions about benefits offerings and costs. The University will share information with the UAW to allow the UAW the opportunity to ensure the proper calculation of premiums and the application of relevant health care regulations. Both parties understand and agree that some of this material contains information that is not available to the public and therefore the parties agree to enter into appropriate confidentiality agreements covering this information. With regard to proprietary information, the parties agree that each will contact the third party whose information it is and ask that, subject to a confidentiality agreement, the proprietary information be shared with the UAW or the University. Both the UAW and the University retain the right to refuse to provide certain relevant and necessary information based on defenses available under HEERA.

Among the information the parties agree to share is:

  • Cost for Plan Design Changes including aggregate increased cost to the University
  • Goals/Trends information
  • Utilization reports will include the following information, when and if available from each of the health plan carriers:
  • Demographics including geographic distribution, average membership for Postdoctoral Scholars and eligible family members;
  • Utilization data for each of the Postdoctoral Scholar health plans;
  • Pharmacy utilization data for each of the Postdoctoral Scholar health plans;
  • High claims information for each of the Postdoctoral Scholar health plans;

All information will be provided in aggregate numbers.