New on today's
Bulletin Board

Cancer Society Relay for Life is May 18 at Ashley Pond

Work Wear New Mexico in Los Alamos today and Friday

Wellness Center class

Monday, May 06, 2002

UC and Lab officials continue health-care meetings; will meet with community leaders

Representatives from the University of California and the Laboratory are scheduled to meet with community leaders and officials today to apprise them of a joint UC-Lab initiative, supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration, to address escalating health-care-benefit costs for Lab employees, retirees and their dependents.

In a continuing effort to prepare for the effect of the nationwide trend toward higher health-care costs on the UC system and the Lab and its neighboring region, the UC and Lab representatives will participate in a standing, monthly coordinating meeting involving Los Alamos County, the Lab and NNSA's office. They also will attend a meeting of the Community Health Care Roundtable, a group of local residents, Lab employees, retirees and health-care providers formed to consider and advise on community health-care issues.

According to information gathered by benefits specialists from UC and the Lab, health-care costs and premiums are increasing at double-digit rates nationally. In response, UC is preparing for changes in plan options and shared costs to the benefit programs it offers at its campuses and laboratories.

Major changes to the LANL health care plan are not expected to take effect until 2004 and UC is engaging in an extensive process of communication, information gathering and evaluation before determining appropriate changes (see the April 22 Daily Newsbulletin for additional details).

As part of the process, consultants working with UC will conduct focus groups with employees, retirees, local providers and others later this month. Details of those meetings are still being developed.

Michele French, who manages health-care-benefit programs for UC, conducted informational meetings in March with Lab employees, retirees and the general public on the health-care issues and the need to work cooperatively to address the changing environment.

The lead UC official on this week's meeting with community representatives is Bob Van Ness, assistant vice president for laboratory administration at the UC Office of the President. He will be joined by Rich Marquez, the Lab's associate director for administration. They said the intent of the meetings is to share information with local and regional community members about the financial pressures on health-care plans and discuss the UC-Lab effort to manage upcoming changes.

"UC is committed to providing a health-care program that provides employees, their dependents and retirees cost effective, accessible and quality health care," Van Ness said. "We are also very mindful of potential effects of any changes we implement on providers and communities. We intend to share information and solicit comment and cooperation so there is clear understanding all around of how we proceed."

Marquez added, "We recognize that with the current financial pressures on health-care plans there will undoubtedly be changes ahead. It is imperative that UC, the Lab, our employees and retirees, and other affected parties work together to identify workable solutions. There will be impacts, and the solutions we develop will likely require that all parties share some of the burden. "

Additional information on health care can be found at http://int.lanl.gov/worklife/benefits/healthmatters.shtml online.

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