Dana Ragle and Sue Conway
As you know, BTA and the District have tentatively agreed on wages and benefits for this year. We are continuing to exchange language on other Articles and we are set to meet with the District again on February 4th. We would like to offer our thanks to our negotiating team.They have worked very hard to represent the views or our teachers, nurses, counselors, and speech therapists at the table. We aren’t quite finished, and we’re grateful for their continued commitment to our members.
Since we have tentatively agreed on health benefits, we thought we would clarify a few things about how our benefits work. We often get questions in the BTA office about the benefits cap. The cap refers to the amount of money the District will pay to Blue Shield and Kaiser for our benefit plans. Some of our plans are under the cap. For example, Blue Shield HMO for a single person is below the cap. The employee does not have to pay for any part of the plan. On the other hand, some of our plans exceed the cap, like Blue Shield PPO for families. If a member chooses a family PPO, then he/she will have to pay for part of the plan"out of pocket" because the plan exceeds the amount the District will pay for our health insurance plans.
BTA is committed to having at least one of our family health plans under the cap. A member could choose Blue Shield HMO family plan, and not have to pay anything "out of pocket" for health benefits. With the rising cost of heath care a perennial problem, this is an important priority for our member’s families.
We have had a few questions on whether the benefits cap is a cap on medical expenses you might incur for the year. The benefits cap does not limit your access to health care or put a limit on how much money your health plan will pay for medical procedures. The cap has nothing to do with the cost of the care you might need in a year. It just pays for the cost of the medical insurance plan you have chosen.
Recently, we have been very grateful for our medical benefits, and we know that access to health care is a huge concern for all of our members, and for the citizens of our nation. BTA will continue to rank benefits as a top priority at the bargaining table, and we will work to insure the best plans possible for all of us.
Remember to take advantage of your access to medical services. Preventative medicine is the best way to stay healthy. With that said, we hope you all enjoy good health in the coming year!