Tuesday, March 3, 2020

TRS Officials Respond to My Open Records Request Regarding 2021 Health-Care Changes

            Monday, February 24, I filed an Open Records Request with the Teachers Retirement System of Texas regarding the 2021 health-care changes for both active and retired public-ed employees who are covered under TRS health-insurance plans.  My questions are based on questions TRS members began posing when the announcement was made two weeks ago that TRS retirees under the age of 65 would be moving from Aetna to Blue Cross Blue Shield and those over 65 would move out of Humana and into United Healthcare in January of 2021.
            Below are the questions (Q) I asked in my ORR and the responses (R) I received today from TRS:


Q: Are these plans already fully developed?  (ATTENTION ALL CURRENT PUBLIC-ED EMPLOYEES ON TRS ACTIVECARE!!!)

R: TRS-Care and TRS-Care Medicare Advantage rates and benefits will not change through 2021. The 86th Texas Legislature appropriated $231 million to keep TRS-Care premiums the same through 2021, and the added savings from the contracts allows TRS to support this commitment.
The TRS board will hear recommendations for TRS-ActiveCare benefits and rates at its meeting on April 16-17, 2020. While we were able to secure considerable savings for TRS-ActiveCare from the vendor transition, the program, like most other employer groups in the U.S., faces rising health care prices. We are currently reviewing the past year’s claims experience to project future health care expenses and will take those projections along with the contract savings into account as we finalize rates and benefits for TRS-ActiveCare. We encourage you to tune into the board meeting to hear the discussion. The agenda will be posted a few weeks in advance so you can determine which day the discussion will occur.
(MY NOTE:  Those of you who currently work in districts covered by TRS-ActiveCare, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD!  Contact TRS board members NOW, before their board meeting April 16-17.  Tell board members your stories now!  Contact TRS Board members through their secretary, Katherine Farrell at katherine.farrell@trs.texas.gov.


Q: Were current and retired TRS members part of the selection process?

R: Current and retired TRS members are not directly part of the vendor selection process; however, the evaluation team that reviewed proposals considers our members’ needs across a broad range of categories including financial savings, provider networks, customer service, communications, disease management, and clinical programs.
TRS goes through a rigorous process to select vendors. The process to select medical plan administrators was complex and took more than a year. Our goal was to select medical plan administrators who could meet our enhanced requirements for member satisfaction and care, accessibility, quality, and value. Ultimately, the team recommended to the board the administrators we knew could bring the most value and highest quality of care to our members.
Throughout the contract term, these administrators will conduct participant satisfaction surveys to make sure our members are satisfied with the plans. Following the board’s vendor awards announcement, the TRS staff work with the vendor the board selects to execute a contract that reflects the board’s decision, which is how major procurement processes are conducted.


Q:  Were/Are current and retired TRS members playing a role in developing the plans?

R: See above regarding TRS-Care – rates and benefits will be staying the same through 2021.
Over the past several months, TRS’ has met with school district chief financial officers, human resource directors, and assistant superintendents to engage in a dialogue about how we can
transform TRS-ActiveCare. This major effort is the first of its kind in the program’s near-two-decade existence. We are listening to our stakeholders and providing them with financial and health insights that paint a clear picture of the challenges facing the program. We will present recommendations for TRS-ActiveCare to the board in April that reflect the feedback we’ve received from districts as part of this initiative. We believe that, together, we can make this the program public school communities across Texas value.


Q: If they are NOT fully developed, how can TRS members provide PROACTIVE advice/feedback?

R: TRS members and retirees can always send us feedback to healthcarecomm@trs.texas.gov.
TRS-ActiveCare participants can also communicate the information to their district leaders or benefit administrators.
The TRS-Care Retirees Advisory Committee (RAC) holds public meetings on group coverage, recommends to TRS minimum standards and plan features, and recommends to TRS changes to rules and legislation affecting TRS-Care. The RAC periodically has open seats available for nomination. The committee meets at least twice a year in Austin and provides updates to the TRS Board of Trustees.


CALL TO ACTION!  SPEAK UP or REMAIN SILENT!
The choice is OURS!

TRS ActiveCare Members
Read the first question and answer above.  The TRS Board meets April 16-17 and will discuss YOUR plan! 
·         Send an email
·         Attend the meetings and sign up to speak
·         Submit letters to the editor of your local newspaper(s)
·         Tell your stories to your local television news stations
·         Speak up about your current premiums, benefits, and out-of-pocket costs


TRS Retirees, under and over 65:
Look at the last question and response.  This is our chance to provide feedback before our plans are set in stone.

I am submitting a second ORR to TRS this evening with a few other questions that have arisen.  This is how to file one.  I always go the email route.  Stay tuned for the responses I receive.

In the meantime, LET’S GET TO WORK!

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 Chris Ardis retired in May of 2013 following a 29-year teaching career. She now helps companies with business communications and social media and works as a sales coordinator for Tony Roma's and Macaroni Grill. Chris can be reached at cardis1022@aol.com. (Photo by Linda Blackwell, McAllen)