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HCA Engages Multiple Audiences as K-12 Public School Employee Health Benefits Report is Drafted for Legislature
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For Immediate Release: 09/12/2011
Contact: Jim Stevenson jim.stevenson@hca.wa.gov, Communications, Health Care Authority 360-725-1915; Sharon Michael sharon.michael@hca.wa.gov, Communications, Health Care Authority 360-923-2764

State agencies, legislators, school employees, administrators and insurance executives participating on five project teams

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Health Care Authority is reaching out to a diverse group of Washington public school stakeholders as it researches a legislative report on how the state should fund and deliver health benefits for school faculty and staff.

As outlined by the Legislature earlier this year, the report will include options and recommendations for a strengthened, consolidated public school employee health benefits program, including medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage. The report is due December 15, 2011.

"We are being responsive to the Legislature’s request, and we are focused on engaging and learning from those businesses and organizations that are involved in providing benefits to Washington’s K-12 school teachers and classified employees," said HCA Director Doug Porter.

"I have instructed HCA executives to be methodical and to provide the 2012 State Legislature with the best information so its members can make the necessary policy and legislative decisions."

“The K-12 Public School Employee Health Benefits Report” will include engagement, feedback and ideas from five project teams, including internal and external groups that will also be asked to review the research and respond to draft materials. In addition, any interested person can learn more as the report progresses and sign up for email updates on the project’s website at http://www.hca.wa.gov/k12report. The project teams are:

  1. Inter-agency Authorization Executive Team – Made up of State Agency executives responsible for policy, funding and legal, this team includes Cabinet level agencies and key legislators.
  2. Project Leadership and Support Team – Within HCA, this is the group that will provide executive leadership for the project and is responsible for the Report’s delivery.
  3. Project Design Team – Responsible for developing the design options and project boundaries to be included in the Report, this team includes HCA executives and subject matter experts responsible for public employee benefits, legal, fiscal, pharmacy benefits, health care policy, actuarial and information services.
  4. K-12 Project Advisory Team – Consists of education professionals, labor representatives, insurance carriers and associations, school districts and insurance brokers. Responsible for participating in the review process and providing feedback that will inform the report.
  5. Key Legislators and Legislative Staff – This group will be kept apprised of process and progress related to development of the Report, as well as offering insight to the project team.

The report will include:

  • Options and recommendations for a consolidated benefits program at the aggregate level, including mandatory and voluntary approaches.
  • Projected pros and cons for employees, school districts, and the state resulting from the transition from the current system to the proposed consolidated state-sponsored program.
  • Projected pros and cons regarding the potential integration with the Washington State Public Employees Benefits Board Program.
  • A program implementation strategy identifying the process, timeline and budget the HCA will need to undertake start-up activities to successfully implement necessary management, operations, information systems, etc. for program start-up as early as the 2013-14 school year.

Such a revised program - which could streamline the numerous and widely varying health plans offered across the state's 295 school districts and nine education service districts - could be implemented as early as the 2013-14 school year for the Evergreen State’s 100,000-plus public school employees—from teachers and nutritional services staff to operating engineers.

This project is the culmination of discussions, research and analysis performed, during the course of several years, in response to ongoing interest and questions raised by elected and government agency officials, public education leaders, public school employees and others. In January 2011, the State Auditor’s Office delivered a performance audit of the public school employee health benefits system with three key recommendations:

  • Streamline the benefits system to improve efficiency, transparency and stability
  • Standardize coverage levels for more affordable and equitable health care benefits
  • Reduce costs by restructuring the health benefits system.

The K-12 Benefits Report continues this discussion, moving the focus from problems to solutions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND:
Auditor’s Performance Audit is at www.sao.wa.gov/auditreports/auditreportfiles/ar1004979.pdf
The HCA project’s website is http://www.hca.wa.gov/k12report


The Health Care Authority does not discriminate and provides equal access to its programs and services for all persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, veteran’s status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.