Lack of salary increases, insurance updates top forum discussions

Why take the HRA Employees who take the Health Risk Assessment this fall will have access to: A $300 Wellness and Preventative Services benefit — a $50 increase over the standard benefit; A $600 Well-Child Care Benefit — a $100 increase over the standard benefit; A free colonoscopy through a Blue Cross Blue Shield preferred provider every 10 years once they reach the age of 50; and No co-pay for generic drugs accessed through mail service.

Due to budget strains at the state level, UNMC employees will not receive salary increases this year.

That was the word Wednesday from UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., at a pair of forums for employees.

“Salaries for faculty and staff are critical and we hope that in the next biennium we can offer increases regardless of the budget condition,” Dr. Maurer said.

As is the case at the other University of Nebraska campuses, a group has been formed at UNMC to examine ways to consolidate activities or find new sources of revenue to provide salary increases for employees in the 2011-2013 biennium, Dr. Maurer said.

Other points discussed at forums, which featured presentations from Dr. Maurer and benefits specialist JoAnne Watkins, included:

• Health care reform legislation will require UNMC, The Nebraska Medical Center and UNMC Physicians to drastically increase collaboration to ensure their collective and individual success and viability;
  
• UNMC has adopted increasing its clinical research capabilities and becoming a center for primary care as two of its main strategic initiatives;
  
• As of Jan. 1, employees with university health care coverage can include children up to the age 26 on their plans so long as the children don’t have access to health coverage through their own employers;
  
• Also as of Jan. 1, health care reimbursement accounts can no longer be used to cover over-the-counter drug purchases;
  
• UNMC will again conduct a Health Risk Assessment this fall to gauge the state of campus wellness. Taking the HRA gives employees access to an enhanced wellness benefit (see sidebar); and
  
• As of July 9, Walgreens will no longer honor CVS Caremark prescription coverage, which is offered as part of the University of Nebraska’s benefits package.