NEW YORK NURSE: April 2011

Fighting to protect health plan benefits

by Mark Genovese

Also affecting contract talks for several bargaining units is the status of the NYSNA Benefits Plan, which provides healthcare coverage for nearly 20,000 members in 38 bargaining units. The plan’s finances have suffered due to the recession, which employer trustees are trying to use to their advantage.

NYSNA has been involved in intense negotiations working to retain the plan’s current level of benefits and prevent employers from increasing their profits by eliminating benefits.

Despite the willingness of NYSNA’s trustees to discuss the issues and reach a fair settlement, little progress had been made as this edition went to press.

In fact, the employers have been aggressive in forwarding proposals that could decimate the plan as members know it, including:

Requiring nurses to pay for some of the cost of the premium, which is $25 to $100 dollars per month for single
coverage and more for family coverage
Mandatory generic prescriptions
Step therapy
Restrictions on specialty drugs
Increasing emergency room copays from the current $25 to $75 to $100
Increasing specialist copays from the current $10 to $25 to $30
Increasing costs for out-of-network care
Increasing prescription copays to, at worst, $12, $25, and $40

Without an apparent resolution through negotiations, NYSNA has decided to take this matter to arbitration. NYSNA suspects the employer trustees will file for arbitration over their proposal as well. NYSNA will provide more details on this issue to members during inter-regional meetings this spring.