The BTA Board of Directors has selected Blue Shield as the Health Care Provider to replace CalPERS. Blue Shield was able to bid for the coverage once we made the decision to withdraw from CalPERS in early September. As a result, representatives from Blue Shield attended last month’s BUSD Joint Benefits Committee meeting to present their proposal. While not the least expensive of the proposals from the three companies under consideration, Blue Shield is a top quality provider with a very large base of participating physicians. We believe this change will cause very little disruption for our members, while still delivering substantial savings in monthly premiums to most.
Approximately 60% of our members should experience no change in service. Kaiser remains as it was and Blue Shield will provide a non-Kaiser HMO and PPO coverage to replace PERSCare and PERSChoice. Information we have received from members indicates that most doctors who participated in the discontinued PERSCare and PERSChoice PPO’s (Blue Cross) are also participants in Blue Shield. Members and retirees who participated in CalPERS will soon be receiving more information from BTA and the District on the details of this change.
The Joint Benefits Committee is in the process of finalizing the plans for the specific rates and coverages to be offered. BUSD will hold a special open enrollment for the new Blue Shield plans as soon as the details are finalized. Your current medical coverage with CalPERs will remain in effect until December 31, 2003. The new coverage will be effective beginning January 1, 2004.
In addition to the premium savings for most individual participants, the decision to leave CalPERS will also result in a savings to the District of more than $1 million. As a part of negotiating this change with the District, our Bargaining Unit members will receive a portion of the District’s premium savings in the form of a 1% (on schedule) salary increase effective January 1, 2004. It is important for members to know that there are no changes in coverage for the District dental plans, vision plans, or the optional life insurance coverage. For more details on premium rates for these plans, please refer to the District’s bulletin on Health and Welfare Premium Changes dated September 16, 2003.