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7/18/2007
So, are teachers exempt from Healthy Wisconsin?
Universal health care advocate and former Doyle budget director (and very smart man) David Riemer, sent this note of clarification to Jack Lohman, businessman and rabid universal health care advocate. Jack published it in his 7/17 eNewsletter.
Riemer’s thoughts are very interesting, but understandably, are a bit labyrinthian. Neverthless, take a minute to read through them. When you finish, you tell me – are teachers exempt from Healthy Wisconsin?
“One of the silly myths about Healthy Wisconsin that's circulating in the blogosphere and elsewhere is that teachers are exempt. That is untrue. Teachers are treated like all Wisconsinites. Their benefits under Healthy Wisconsin are the same as everyone else's. They pay the same assessment as everyone else. Their employers (school boards) pay the same assessment as all other employers. [ostensibly a major savings to taxpayers – under Healthy Wisconsin, costs would be 10.4% of salaries, compared with costs as high as over 40% of salaries.]
“How did this silly myth that teachers are exempt come about? I believe it's because of a technical provision, inserted at the suggestion of the non-partisan Legislative Reference Bureau, that seeks to harmonize the provisions of Healthy Wisconsin with the provisions of the existing QEO (Qualified Economic Offer) law.
“I'm not an expert on the QEO law. But I believe that all the technical provision does is provide that, in interpreting an existing QEO requirement that teachers' existing health benefits must be maintained if a QEO is imposed at the end of the collective bargaining process, the meaning of "maintaining existing health benefits" once Healthy Wisconsin takes effect shall be the sum of the often lesser Healthy Wisconsin benefit package plus whatever supplemental benefits are needed to add up to existing benefits. [Which are a lot. Emphasis is mine.]
“This is a complicated provision. It's understandable that some people have misunderstood. Regrettably, others who know better seem to have intentionally twisted its meaning to try to score debating points.
“But the bottom line is that Healthy Wisconsin doesn't exempt teachers from anything. To continue to claim that teachers are exempt from Healthy Wisconsin is to distort the truth.”
It looks pretty cut and dried. Teachers’ health benefits would be maintained at existing levels, essentially exempting them from Healthy Wisconsin coverage proscriptions. When is a duck not a duck?
COMMENTS
Jo: You are correct; schools would be exempt because the offerings in Healthy Wisconsin would not be equivalent to the plans most of the districts have, thus violating the QEO. So they would stay with what they have - most likely the WEA Trust. See how this all works?
Jeff Prickette (Wed Jul 18 08:23:20 2007)
So, Jo, why don't YOU ask for a direct reply to your question? And don't be satisfied with a non-answer!
Jim Perry (Wed Jul 18 10:33:49 2007)
Don'tcha just love smoke & mirrors? It's what I like to see when I go to a Magic Show. Just not necessarily when I view the Health Care/Budget Magic Show.
Two thumbs up, Jo.
C.R. Stevenson (Wed Jul 18 15:46:32 2007)
Whether teachers are going to be included in Healthy Wisconsin will have to be resolved before universal coverage is enacted. If enough teachers voluntarily accept HW, there should be no problems. Teachers will have to have the same insurance as Wisconsin citizens.
There are tons of other HW issues to be resolved before it ever becomes a reality. True
I appreciate your thought. However, chances that teachers will accept the still-very-nice-but-a-lot-less-than-most-school-packages state health benefits program, are about nil. Most teachers will fall under Healthy Wisconsin, but then will require a supplementary package that will equal their existing Rolls Royce benefits. Benefits that WE as taxpayers are paying for. JE
germantown_kid (Wed Jul 18 16:27:08 2007)
It is interesting that Mr. Reimer is clear on the part about they wouldn't be exempt and that it will save taxpayers money. Then is so unclear on the fact that the bill as drafted would require the purchase and the school districts to pay for supplemental policies so that teachers will continue to recieve the same benifits they enjoy now. Why only teachers? What about AFSME members.
Exactly Frank. Do you think municipal employees will negotiate supplemental policies? JE
Rep Frank Lasee (Wed Jul 25 07:30:11 2007)
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