Health Care Q & A
Q. Where does the $756 amount come from?
A. In 2004, we had bargained that the state would contribute $744 per employee effective July 1, 2006. Since the state’s real cost of providing our health coverage was only $681, the state decided to pocket the savings. State employee unions, including SEIU, filed a joint grievance over how the state decided to allocate our health care money.
We argued that we were entitled to the full $744. Governor Gregoire agreed. Her bargaining team proposed a lump sum payment of the difference between the actual cost and the $744, which works out to $756 for each union member ($744 - $681 = $63 per month x 12 months = $756).
Q. What does the settlement mean for my health care premiums?
A. Health care premiums will continue to rise over the next few years, but the state will absorb 88% of the increases and employees will pick up 12%. Here are estimated employee premiums for UMP and Group Health between 2006 and 2009:
Estimated Uniform Medical Plan employee premiums
| |
Employees
Only |
Employee and
spouse/partner |
Employee and
children |
Full family |
| 2006 |
$14 |
$38 |
$25 |
$49 |
| 2007 |
$24 |
$57 |
$41 |
$75 |
| 2008 |
$24 |
$59 |
$42 |
$77 |
| 2009 |
$26 |
$61 |
$45 |
$81 |
Estimated Group Health 'Classic' employee premiums
| |
Employees
Only |
Employee and
spouse/partner |
Employee and
children |
Full family |
| 2006 |
$51 |
$113 |
$290 |
$151 |
| 2007 |
$57 |
$124 |
$100 |
$167 |
| 2008 |
$70 |
$151 |
$123 |
$203 |
| 2009 |
$86 |
$181 |
$150 |
$245 |
Estimated Group Health 'Value' employee premiums
| |
Employees
Only |
Employee and
spouse/partner |
Employee and
children |
Full family |
| 2006 |
$N/A |
$N/A |
$N/A |
$N/A |
| 2007 |
$13 |
$36 |
$23 |
$46 |
| 2008 |
$22 |
$53 |
$38 |
$70 |
| 2009 |
$32 |
$74 |
$56 |
$98 |
Q. What does the 'sunset' mean regarding our 1.6% raise?
A. As part of our grievance settlement, Governor Gregoire agreed to fix a problem leftover from the Locke administration. Under Governor Gary Locke, state employees were forced to agree that the 1.6% raise we received on July 1st would expire, or “sunset” as of June 30th, 2007. Now the state (and by extension the University of Washington) has agreed to make the 1.6% part of our base pay for the future. The state’s bargaining team characterized this wage agreement as setting a “floor” for bargaining, meaning that whatever else we bargain will be on top of the 1.6%.