Let's recap freak. The only thing you posted on this thread came from the same people who funded Scott Walker and ran his campaign. But you don't even question their credibility.
You found a way to justify punishing people who did nothing wrong, and were not the cause of Wisconsin's budget woes. BUT, they belong to a 'union', the evil of all evils to the robber baron Koch brothers. And you parrot their agenda.
As a matter of fact, the teachers in Wisconsin are not overcompensated. 50 years of collective bargaining gained the teachers in Wisconsin a rank of 21st in average salary nationwide. Hardly malfeasance. They immediately dropped to
23rd in 2010. Wisconsin teacher pay fell to the lowest level in 50 years compared to other teachers nationally.
And the union and the teachers not only did nothing wrong, they did everything right. They helped create an insurance trust that spends 94 cents of every dollar on benefits. Through WEA Trust, teachers were able to get a very comprehensive plan for the same cost as a bare bones plan from 'for profit' providers. They saved taxpayers money over the years and protected themselves and their families from illnesses with innovative plans that offered preventative care and wellness plans. But you slander WEA Trust.
You didn't understand how government bidding works. They are sealed bids. No one bidding can negotiate price, or offer to match another bid. They would be in court in an instant. And if the government specs call for a Ford F-150 or equal, no one is going to bid an F-450 King Ranch.
WEA Trust: Not Your Typical Insurance Company
WEA Trust is the number one health insurance provider in the state of Wisconsin and the number two provider in the US, according to the recent 2009 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, an independent national survey which includes hundreds of health plans across the country. The Trust has the advantage of serving a captive audience: it was created by the largest teacher’s union in the state, Wisconsin Educational Association Council (WEAC), to serve all public school districts with a WEAC affiliate, which total approximately 400 districts. From its inception nearly 40 years ago, the company has been striving to be a different kind of insurance company.
“Most people don’t trust their health insurance provider,” said CEO Fred Evert. “We aim to establish long-term relationships with our members to help them be as healthy, productive, and as financially secure as possible.”
He explained that this mission is achieved in part through the Trust’s emphasis on excellent customer service. The organization is exceedingly efficient: Evert said
the company has historically delivered 93 cents on every dollar a member pays in the form of benefits. Furthermore, the company still has every call answered personally by a staff member during business hours and strives to have members transferred only once. The company also staffs extra hands before and after school hours when most teachers have time to call their insurance company.
Over the last few years, the Trust has made several investments in its infrastructure to augment its customer service, including adding 60,000 square feet of space to its campus and updating its state-of-the-art phone system. Evert added that he and his team emphasize the benefits of partnerships, such as those with Ingenix software or with the state’s Department of Public Instruction (DPI), in delivering innovative products and exceptional service—hallmarks of the Trust brand.
For example, the Trust underwrites the cost to place DPI’s anti-bullying curriculum in every middle school and high school in Wisconsin. Evert wrote an editorial that ran in all the major state newspapers to support this anti-bullying campaign, Safe and Respectful Schools, saying an unsafe school is not a healthy school. In addition to working to create safer learning environments for Wisconsin children, this partnership distinguishes the Trust as a different type of insurance company.
Through its partnership with Ingenix, the Trust uses a number of software programs to coordinate care for its members. Perhaps the most significant of these is CarePlanner Web, which allows the Trust to use claims information to identify individuals with serious medical risks. Evert said the company works with providers and members to improve quality of care and manage costs.
Evert was proud to report that because of the Trust’s innovative services and excellent service, it enjoys a member persistence rate of more than 95%. “We offer a variety of programs and services to help our members get the care they need at the right place, the right time, and at the right price,” he said.
Ensuring wellness
The Trust has a four-part wellness plan that uses technology and a personal touch to help members stay healthy. The first piece is an online health risk assessment. The company has implemented a number of incentives and educational campaigns about the benefits of such a test, and in 2007, a record 46,000 members took the assessment.
Another piece is the Ingenix ImpactPro software, which takes information from assessments and claims data to identify at-risk individuals. This allows the Trust to communicate with members and make sure they are using the resources that are available to them.
The third piece is a case management system, which includes a number of programs for members with different chronic diseases, like diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. These programs help members get the right care at the right time.
The fourth piece is a software system called Impact Intelligence, which allows the Trust to analyze claims data and work with providers to improve the quality of care. Evert said the company compares providers, partners with those who provide the highest quality care for the lowest cost, and then steers members toward them.
“The rising cost of healthcare necessitates that we choose to get care in the most efficacious and least costly settings, and this technology helps us guide members toward that,” said Evert.
Pending board approval later this year, the Trust plans to offer a new program with its wellness offerings: Trust Rewards. This program is designed to give members an incentive to engage in healthy practices and get regular screenings. The company already sends every member a birthday card on his or her 50th birthday to remind them to get a colonoscopy; Evert said screening rates improved by 22% from that simple measure alone.
The Trust also sponsors programs that include community outreach and education initiatives, like the Movin’ and Munchin’ program, which is in conjunction with the DPI. Through Movin’ and Munchin’, the company sponsors two Wisconsin Olympians to speak at school districts across the state, encouraging adults and kids to adopt healthy behaviors. With the help of the Trust, the program has increased participation nearly 400%, including 170 schools in 2008, up from 34 in 2007.
Innovative insurance
There are few more important values for the Trust than innovation, as these programs illustrate. But Evert and his team have more up their sleeves. This year, the company redesigned its prescription drug benefits so about 100 of the most commonly used therapeutic classes require no co-payment when members opt for a generic label. Already, nearly 60% of the company’s members use generics rather than brand-name drugs, saving about $115 per prescription.
The Trust was one of the first in the nation to offer a long-term disability plan that essentially replaces a member’s take-home pay with a 90% replacement ratio. The company is also one of the only of its kind to offer true group long-term care plans. Currently, 58,000 of its members are insured for about $300,000 in the event they are incapacitated for an extended period of time. They can shield assets equal to that amount and still qualify for Medicaid support.
http://www.americanexecutive.com/featured-spotlights/157-featured-corporate-spotlights/7284-wea-trust-not-your-typical-insurance-company
