Life is funny. [Skies are sunny. Bees make honey. Tell me, where is Paradise? I'd love to change the world, but I don't know what to do. So I leave it all to you...]
Ten Years After, for those of you too young to recognize the lyrics.
It's just after 7 am here in Wisconsin, and I am pondering life, the Universe, and everything [with apologies to Douglas Adams].
My classes are going well--my students seem much more engaged than the batch last year, and that makes my job much easier and more enjoyable.
But other things are, shall we say, a bit of a mess. After news back in August that not only were our healthcare premiums going up, but that we're also going to responsible for $1,000 out-of-pocket, we got word yesterday that the governor has proposed (and will likely get) a wage freeze for all state employees for the next two years. This is on the heels of a wage freeze in 2009, which was followed by furloughs. I guess the silver lining in this plan is that our wages aren't being frozen at the furlough level.
A dear friend is going through a very rough patch, and I can't even hug her because she lives too far away. As I was thinking about her this morning, lines from TS Eliot's poem "Ash Wednesday" popped into my head:
Lady of silences
Calm and distressed
Torn and most whole
Rose of memory
Rose of forgetfulness
Exhausted and life-giving
Worried reposeful
The single Rose
Is now the Garden
Where all loves end
Terminate torment
Of love unsatisfied
The greater torment
Of love satisfied
End of the endless
Journey to no end
Conclusion of all that
Is inconclusible
Speech without word and
Word of no speech
Grace to the Mother
For the Garden
Where all love ends.
I feel so badly for her, and I want to help her. All I can do is sit still, though, and just be here.
I also thought of this portion of the poem, relative to my own situation:
Because these wings are no longer wings to fly
But merely vans to beat the air
The air which is now thoroughly small and dry
Smaller and dryer than the will
Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still.
I do hope to turn again--but because the hope rests on squarely in the category "IF," I am confronted with the notion that I must both care (about my students) (about my friend) and not care (about all of the things I cannot control). This has been the most difficult lesson of my adult life, and I am still learning it.
Read the full poem here.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
It's August Already?
August.
It's a Miyazaki morning here on this misty Wisconsin morning. So far, it's been Kiki's Delivery Service followed by Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.
The countdown for back-to-school has begun. My contract year (for which I still do not have a contract outlining my salary) begins August 26th.
As a newly-tenured professor, I will get a pay bump. One that will be completely wiped out by the new insurance co-pays and premium increases. Really happy about that.
OK I am not going to complain in this post. I am going to write about what I am looking forward to in this upcoming academic year, namely my SF lit/film course.
ENG 28(4): Science Fiction Literature and Film. Here's the course description from my 2009 syllabus:
“Commerce is our goal here at Tyrell. ‘More human than human’ is our motto.” –Dr. Eldon Tyrell Blade Runner (1982)
I could do an entire course devoted to cyberpunk, and I think that the next time I teach SF lit (Fall 2013) that's what the course is going to have as its prime focus. There are so many stories (Bruce Sterling, Lester del Rey, Neal Stephenson, etc.) and films (Akira, Terminator / Terminator 2, etc) that I simply don't have time but would love to teach that I think it's time to re-jigger the course again. As I'm teaching it this semester, I'm going to plan for the next time instead of leaving it go.
And don't get me started on steampunk...I know, I know, I'm way behind on my book reviews. Stay tuned...
It's a Miyazaki morning here on this misty Wisconsin morning. So far, it's been Kiki's Delivery Service followed by Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea.
The countdown for back-to-school has begun. My contract year (for which I still do not have a contract outlining my salary) begins August 26th.
As a newly-tenured professor, I will get a pay bump. One that will be completely wiped out by the new insurance co-pays and premium increases. Really happy about that.
OK I am not going to complain in this post. I am going to write about what I am looking forward to in this upcoming academic year, namely my SF lit/film course.
ENG 28(4): Science Fiction Literature and Film. Here's the course description from my 2009 syllabus:
“Commerce is our goal here at Tyrell. ‘More human than human’ is our motto.” –Dr. Eldon Tyrell Blade Runner (1982)
For almost two centuries, science fiction (or speculative fiction) has existed as a genre that explores, more than any other, the question “What if?” This course will examine what it means to be human in an engineered age—what responsibilities do we have, if any? How far will we go to push the limits of science? Is there such a thing as ‘too far’?
The consensus among SF writers and filmmakers seems to be…yes. We will spend considerable time in and out of class pondering the impact of technology on our lives—the moral, political, and social ramifications of our dependence on machines—a dependence as old as civilization itself. Some of our themes will deal with the idea of progress; industrialization (and its ancillaries: capitalism and globalization); the corporatization of society; feminism; and we will wrestle with the question of postmodernism.
The consensus among SF writers and filmmakers seems to be…yes. We will spend considerable time in and out of class pondering the impact of technology on our lives—the moral, political, and social ramifications of our dependence on machines—a dependence as old as civilization itself. Some of our themes will deal with the idea of progress; industrialization (and its ancillaries: capitalism and globalization); the corporatization of society; feminism; and we will wrestle with the question of postmodernism.
I absolutely adore this course. The whole thing is centered around what it means to be human in a technological age, and it's long been my opinion is that this is the central motif in all SF lit and film. All other questions are ancillary to question "What does it mean to be human?" (I'd argue that this is the prime question for all creative human endeavors--that those who create are seeking answers to this question.)
The course starts with Frankenstein (the novel, then James Whale's 1931 adaptation), progresses to Metropolis (1927, Fritz Lang), Asimov's I, Robot stories ("Robbie" "Escape!" and "Evidence"), watch I, Robot (2004, Alex Proyas) and round out the first half of the semester with Vonnegut's Player Piano. I love that I get to mess around with critiquing capitalism. It's one of the things that makes this class so much fun.
The second half of the semester is devoted to the development of cyberpunk, starting with Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) which is one of my favorite films of all time. We read C.L. Moore's 1944 novella No Woman Born, which slots in really well with Frankenstein and the Prometheus idea. We do James Tiptree, Jr.'s "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" and I wish to heaven I had time to show and discuss Avatar (2009). I have them read three stories out of William Gibson's only short story collection Burning Chrome ("Johnny Mnemonic" "The New Rose Hotel" and "Burning Chrome") because I found in 2007 that we didn't have time to properly examine Neuromancer (1984). We finish out the semester with Ghost in the Shell (1995) and The Matrix (1999).
And don't get me started on steampunk...I know, I know, I'm way behind on my book reviews. Stay tuned...
Friday, July 29, 2011
More Fool Me
I haven't posted in a while, partly because I've begun working on myown Happiness Project, and partly because I haven't wanted to think much about the coming school year and what it's going to mean for me in terms of my morale.
Well, I checked a post today put up by a UW-Madison grad student on one of the Facebook message boards I belong to. I'm going to post the announcement from 10 days ago (which I hadn't read until today because I thought I knew what was in it--such a trusting fool) in its entirety. The parts that directly affect my family are highlighted.
Changes Coming to State Group Health Insurance
And Union-Related Deductions
July 19, 2011
A number of changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System, the state health insurance program and unionrelated deductions are taking effect due to the implementation of Wisconsin Act 10 (2011 Budget Repair
Bill) and Wisconsin Act 32 (Biennial Budget for 2011-2013). In addition to this summary of changes to the
State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance program, please see the Impact of Act 10 on UW System
Employee Benefits Frequently Asked Questions.
Changes to Health Insurance Program
Employee Premium Contributions
Effective with the biweekly payroll ending August 13 (pay date of August 25) and monthly payroll ending
August 31 (pay date of September 1):
Health insurance premiums will increase as specified in WI Act 10 as amended by WI Act 32 (see below for new premium contributions).
Employees working less than 50% of full-time will continue to pay the less-than-half-time rates.
LTEs must have at least two concurrent appointments to be eligible for the full employer premium
contributions.
New Employee Health Insurance
Monthly Premium Contributions for WRS-Participants
Single Family
Tier 1 (all plans, except the Standard Plan) $84 $208
Tier 2 (Standard Plan – required to work outside WI) $122 $307
Tier 3 (Standard Plan – work in WI) $226 $567
Less-than-half –time rates 50% of premium
New Employee Health Insurance
Monthly Premium Contributions for
Graduate Assistants, Post Docs and Short-Term Academic
Single Family
Tier 1 (all plans, except the Standard Plan) $42 $104
Tier 2 (Standard Plan – required to work outside WI) $61 $153.50
Tier 3 (Standard Plan – work in WI) $113 $283.50
Special Opportunity to Cancel or Change Level of Coverage
Treasury regulations governing IRS Code Section 125 restricts mid-year changes to health insurance coverage for employees who pay their premium contribution on a pre-tax basis. However, a significant cost change is a circumstance that allows for mid-year changes. Due to the increase in the employee’s premium cost, you may cancel your coverage entirely or change from family to single coverage provided a Health Application/Change Form is submitted to your payroll and benefits office within 30 days of the date of the first paycheck from which the increased premium is deducted.
Coverage changes will be effective on the later of the end of the month on or following your employer’s receipt of the application to cancel coverage or the end of the month after the date of the premium increase.
For more specific details, please see the Detailed FAQ on Impact of Act 10 and Act 32, questions 8 – 14.
Uniform Benefits
Section 9115 of WI Act 10 requires that the Group Insurance Board (GIB) design health care coverage plans for the 2012 calendar year that, after adjusting for inflation, reduces the average premium cost of tier 1 plans by at least 5% from the cost of the plan during the 2011 calendar year.
The GIB considered various options of achieving the cost reduction, such as the implementation of office visit and inpatient copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, adjusting the prescription drug benefit and eliminating the optional dental benefits offered by most plans.
After due deliberation, the GIB approved the following changes to Uniform Benefits, effective January 1,2012, resulting from WI Act 10 implementation:
Apply coinsurance to medical services. Benefits will be payable at 90% up to an annual outof-pocket maximum of $500 for an individual/$1,000 for a family.
Coinsurance is based on a set percentage of the cost. For example, if the discounted medical charges are $200, the member will be responsible for $20, which is 10% of the charge.
Once a member has paid $500 in coinsurance for an individual, or $1000 for family coverage, in a calendar year, the 10% coinsurance will not be applied for the remainder of the year. The $1000 out-of-pocket maximum for families is cumulative, so once any combination of family members has paid $1000 in coinsurance, the coinsurance ends for the rest of that calendar year. It is not required that two family members each incur $500 in coinsurance in order to satisfy the $1000 coinsurance requirement.
Preventive care, such as physicals and well-baby care, is not subject to coinsurance.
Examples of preventive care will be provided by the Department of Employee Trust Funds this fall.
Coinsurance will be applied to the discounted fee negotiated by the plan and the
provider (as opposed the actual amount charged).
Members will be billed for the coinsurance. Payment will not be due at the time of service.
Increase the emergency room copayment from $60 per occurrence to $75 (waived if admitted). This does not get applied to the out-of-pocket maximum.
If eligible to participate in the Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA) program, out-of-pocket costs for coinsurance and copays are eligible for reimbursement under the ERA
Medical Expense Reimbursement Account.
Standard Plan
Act 10 does not apply to the Standard Plan; however, the GIB also chose to modify the Standard Health Plan for the 2012 calendar year. The GIB’s intent was to enact a similar benefit cut and modernize the Standard Plan to facilitate the long-term sustainability of the program. The GIB approved the following changes to the Standard Plan, effective January 1, 2012:
In network:
Deductible will increase from $100 for an individual/$200 for a family to $200 for
an individual/$400 for a family.
Apply coinsurance to medical services. Benefits will be payable at 90% up to an
annual out-of-pocket maximum of $800 for an individual/$1,600 for a family.
Coinsurance is based on a set percentage of the cost. For example, if the
discounted medical charges are $200, the member will be responsible for $20,
which is 10% of the charge.
Once a member has paid $800 in coinsurance for an individual, or $1,600 for a
family, in a calendar year, the 10% coinsurance will not be applied for the remainder of the year. The $1,600 out-of-pocket maximum for families is cumulative, so once any combination of family members has paid $1,600 in coinsurance, the coinsurance ends for the rest of that calendar year. It is not required that two family members each incur $800 in coinsurance in order to satisfy the $1,6000 coinsurance requirement.
This does not apply to preventive care, such as physicals and well-baby care.
Coinsurance will be applied to the discounted fee negotiated by the plan and the
provider (as opposed the actual amount charged).
Members will be billed for the coinsurance. It will not be due at the time of service.
Out of network:
Deductible will remain $500 per individual and $1,000 per family.
The annual out-of-pocket maximum will remain $2,000 per individual and $4,000
per family.
Coinsurance will change from 80/20 to 70/30. Coinsurance is based on a set
percentage of the cost. For example, if the discounted medical charges are $200,
the member will be responsible for $60 for coinsurance, which is 30% of the
charge. Currently with the 20% coinsurance, the member is responsible for $40 of
a $200 charge.
Emergency Room Copayment
Add an emergency room copayment of $75 per occurrence (waived if admitted).
This does not get applied to the out-of-pocket maximum. It applies to emergency
room services received in network or out of network.
If eligible to participate in the Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA) program, out-of-pocket costs for coinsurance and copays are eligible for reimbursement under the ERA
Medical Expense Reimbursement Account.4
Prescription Drug Benefits
There will be no changes to the prescription drug program for 2012. The annual out-of-pocket maximum of $410 for an individual or $820 for a family will remain and is separate from the out-of-pocket maximum for medical services.
Employee Eligibility
Most employees hired on or after July 1, 2011 will need to work 2/3 of full-time to be eligible for health insurance. Any service with a WRS-employer prior to July 1, 2011 will be sufficient for the employee to be eligible under the old eligibility rules, which required that the employee work 1/3 of full-time. This applies even if the prior position was not eligible for participation in the WRS.
WRS-eligible classified employees will need to work 2/3 of full-time to be eligible to enroll. This is equivalent to working 1200 hours per year, which is 58% of full-time.
Faculty, academic staff and limited employees who work 9 months per year, will need to work at least 880 hours in a year, which is 56% of full-time.
Faculty, academic staff and limited employees who work 12 months per year, will need to work at least 880 hours in a year, which is 42% of full-time.
Eligibility for graduate assistants, post-docs and limited employees is not changing.
Adult Dependent Child Eligibility
Beginning January 1, 2012, adult children will be eligible to be covered under a parent’s health plan only until the end of the month in which they turn age 26. In 2011, unmarried children remain eligible until the end of the month in which they turn age 27. The change to age 26 as the limiting age is consistent with federal law.
Termination of Coverage
For termination of employment that occurs on or after January 1, 2012, the employer contribution towards health insurance coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the employee terminates.
COBRA Continuation
For terminations of employment that occurs on or after January 1, 2012, former employees will be
permitted to continue their health insurance coverage for 18 months instead of the current 36-months.
Family members who lose eligibility for coverage will still be allowed to continue coverage for 36 months.
COBRA periods will be administered in accordance with federal law, which only requires 18 months of COBRA continuation for former employees.
This does not affect employees who are retiring with an immediate or lump sum annuity or have escrowed sick leave credits as they may still maintain coverage for life. 5
Union-Related Deductions
Effective with the biweekly payroll ending July 16 (pay date of July 28) and monthly payroll ending July 31
(pay date of August 1):
Deductions for union-sponsored dental plans will cease. The unions are responsible for informing their members of their options to maintain the union-sponsored dental plans going forward.
Employees will need to pay premium directly to the union (post-tax).
If an employee chooses to cancel coverage under a union-sponsored dental plan, it does not constitute a qualifying event for enrolling in Dental Wisconsin or Anthem DentalBlue.
There will be an open enrollment for Dental Wisconsin this fall for coverage effective on January 1, 2012. If the person has other dental coverage in force immediately prior to the effective date of the Dental Wisconsin coverage, the waiting periods will be waived. Proof of other coverage, such as an ID card, must accompany the application.
It is not yet known if an open enrollment period will be offered this fall for employees
eligible to enroll in Anthem DentalBlue.
Questions?
Much more information will be provided as we get closer to the fall It’s Your Choice enrollment period. If you have questions that need response prior to that time, please contact your payroll/benefits office. In addition, ETF has posted an FAQ on their website (http://etf.wi.gov/).
Well, I checked a post today put up by a UW-Madison grad student on one of the Facebook message boards I belong to. I'm going to post the announcement from 10 days ago (which I hadn't read until today because I thought I knew what was in it--such a trusting fool) in its entirety. The parts that directly affect my family are highlighted.
Changes Coming to State Group Health Insurance
And Union-Related Deductions
July 19, 2011
A number of changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System, the state health insurance program and unionrelated deductions are taking effect due to the implementation of Wisconsin Act 10 (2011 Budget Repair
Bill) and Wisconsin Act 32 (Biennial Budget for 2011-2013). In addition to this summary of changes to the
State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance program, please see the Impact of Act 10 on UW System
Employee Benefits Frequently Asked Questions.
Changes to Health Insurance Program
Employee Premium Contributions
Effective with the biweekly payroll ending August 13 (pay date of August 25) and monthly payroll ending
August 31 (pay date of September 1):
Health insurance premiums will increase as specified in WI Act 10 as amended by WI Act 32 (see below for new premium contributions).
Employees working less than 50% of full-time will continue to pay the less-than-half-time rates.
LTEs must have at least two concurrent appointments to be eligible for the full employer premium
contributions.
New Employee Health Insurance
Monthly Premium Contributions for WRS-Participants
Single Family
Tier 1 (all plans, except the Standard Plan) $84 $208
Tier 2 (Standard Plan – required to work outside WI) $122 $307
Tier 3 (Standard Plan – work in WI) $226 $567
Less-than-half –time rates 50% of premium
New Employee Health Insurance
Monthly Premium Contributions for
Graduate Assistants, Post Docs and Short-Term Academic
Single Family
Tier 1 (all plans, except the Standard Plan) $42 $104
Tier 2 (Standard Plan – required to work outside WI) $61 $153.50
Tier 3 (Standard Plan – work in WI) $113 $283.50
Special Opportunity to Cancel or Change Level of Coverage
Treasury regulations governing IRS Code Section 125 restricts mid-year changes to health insurance coverage for employees who pay their premium contribution on a pre-tax basis. However, a significant cost change is a circumstance that allows for mid-year changes. Due to the increase in the employee’s premium cost, you may cancel your coverage entirely or change from family to single coverage provided a Health Application/Change Form is submitted to your payroll and benefits office within 30 days of the date of the first paycheck from which the increased premium is deducted.
Coverage changes will be effective on the later of the end of the month on or following your employer’s receipt of the application to cancel coverage or the end of the month after the date of the premium increase.
For more specific details, please see the Detailed FAQ on Impact of Act 10 and Act 32, questions 8 – 14.
Uniform Benefits
Section 9115 of WI Act 10 requires that the Group Insurance Board (GIB) design health care coverage plans for the 2012 calendar year that, after adjusting for inflation, reduces the average premium cost of tier 1 plans by at least 5% from the cost of the plan during the 2011 calendar year.
The GIB considered various options of achieving the cost reduction, such as the implementation of office visit and inpatient copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, adjusting the prescription drug benefit and eliminating the optional dental benefits offered by most plans.
After due deliberation, the GIB approved the following changes to Uniform Benefits, effective January 1,2012, resulting from WI Act 10 implementation:
Apply coinsurance to medical services. Benefits will be payable at 90% up to an annual outof-pocket maximum of $500 for an individual/$1,000 for a family.
Coinsurance is based on a set percentage of the cost. For example, if the discounted medical charges are $200, the member will be responsible for $20, which is 10% of the charge.
Once a member has paid $500 in coinsurance for an individual, or $1000 for family coverage, in a calendar year, the 10% coinsurance will not be applied for the remainder of the year. The $1000 out-of-pocket maximum for families is cumulative, so once any combination of family members has paid $1000 in coinsurance, the coinsurance ends for the rest of that calendar year. It is not required that two family members each incur $500 in coinsurance in order to satisfy the $1000 coinsurance requirement.
Preventive care, such as physicals and well-baby care, is not subject to coinsurance.
Examples of preventive care will be provided by the Department of Employee Trust Funds this fall.
Coinsurance will be applied to the discounted fee negotiated by the plan and the
provider (as opposed the actual amount charged).
Members will be billed for the coinsurance. Payment will not be due at the time of service.
Increase the emergency room copayment from $60 per occurrence to $75 (waived if admitted). This does not get applied to the out-of-pocket maximum.
If eligible to participate in the Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA) program, out-of-pocket costs for coinsurance and copays are eligible for reimbursement under the ERA
Medical Expense Reimbursement Account.
Standard Plan
Act 10 does not apply to the Standard Plan; however, the GIB also chose to modify the Standard Health Plan for the 2012 calendar year. The GIB’s intent was to enact a similar benefit cut and modernize the Standard Plan to facilitate the long-term sustainability of the program. The GIB approved the following changes to the Standard Plan, effective January 1, 2012:
In network:
Deductible will increase from $100 for an individual/$200 for a family to $200 for
an individual/$400 for a family.
Apply coinsurance to medical services. Benefits will be payable at 90% up to an
annual out-of-pocket maximum of $800 for an individual/$1,600 for a family.
Coinsurance is based on a set percentage of the cost. For example, if the
discounted medical charges are $200, the member will be responsible for $20,
which is 10% of the charge.
Once a member has paid $800 in coinsurance for an individual, or $1,600 for a
family, in a calendar year, the 10% coinsurance will not be applied for the remainder of the year. The $1,600 out-of-pocket maximum for families is cumulative, so once any combination of family members has paid $1,600 in coinsurance, the coinsurance ends for the rest of that calendar year. It is not required that two family members each incur $800 in coinsurance in order to satisfy the $1,6000 coinsurance requirement.
This does not apply to preventive care, such as physicals and well-baby care.
Coinsurance will be applied to the discounted fee negotiated by the plan and the
provider (as opposed the actual amount charged).
Members will be billed for the coinsurance. It will not be due at the time of service.
Out of network:
Deductible will remain $500 per individual and $1,000 per family.
The annual out-of-pocket maximum will remain $2,000 per individual and $4,000
per family.
Coinsurance will change from 80/20 to 70/30. Coinsurance is based on a set
percentage of the cost. For example, if the discounted medical charges are $200,
the member will be responsible for $60 for coinsurance, which is 30% of the
charge. Currently with the 20% coinsurance, the member is responsible for $40 of
a $200 charge.
Emergency Room Copayment
Add an emergency room copayment of $75 per occurrence (waived if admitted).
This does not get applied to the out-of-pocket maximum. It applies to emergency
room services received in network or out of network.
If eligible to participate in the Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA) program, out-of-pocket costs for coinsurance and copays are eligible for reimbursement under the ERA
Medical Expense Reimbursement Account.4
Prescription Drug Benefits
There will be no changes to the prescription drug program for 2012. The annual out-of-pocket maximum of $410 for an individual or $820 for a family will remain and is separate from the out-of-pocket maximum for medical services.
Employee Eligibility
Most employees hired on or after July 1, 2011 will need to work 2/3 of full-time to be eligible for health insurance. Any service with a WRS-employer prior to July 1, 2011 will be sufficient for the employee to be eligible under the old eligibility rules, which required that the employee work 1/3 of full-time. This applies even if the prior position was not eligible for participation in the WRS.
WRS-eligible classified employees will need to work 2/3 of full-time to be eligible to enroll. This is equivalent to working 1200 hours per year, which is 58% of full-time.
Faculty, academic staff and limited employees who work 9 months per year, will need to work at least 880 hours in a year, which is 56% of full-time.
Faculty, academic staff and limited employees who work 12 months per year, will need to work at least 880 hours in a year, which is 42% of full-time.
Eligibility for graduate assistants, post-docs and limited employees is not changing.
Adult Dependent Child Eligibility
Beginning January 1, 2012, adult children will be eligible to be covered under a parent’s health plan only until the end of the month in which they turn age 26. In 2011, unmarried children remain eligible until the end of the month in which they turn age 27. The change to age 26 as the limiting age is consistent with federal law.
Termination of Coverage
For termination of employment that occurs on or after January 1, 2012, the employer contribution towards health insurance coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the employee terminates.
COBRA Continuation
For terminations of employment that occurs on or after January 1, 2012, former employees will be
permitted to continue their health insurance coverage for 18 months instead of the current 36-months.
Family members who lose eligibility for coverage will still be allowed to continue coverage for 36 months.
COBRA periods will be administered in accordance with federal law, which only requires 18 months of COBRA continuation for former employees.
This does not affect employees who are retiring with an immediate or lump sum annuity or have escrowed sick leave credits as they may still maintain coverage for life. 5
Union-Related Deductions
Effective with the biweekly payroll ending July 16 (pay date of July 28) and monthly payroll ending July 31
(pay date of August 1):
Deductions for union-sponsored dental plans will cease. The unions are responsible for informing their members of their options to maintain the union-sponsored dental plans going forward.
Employees will need to pay premium directly to the union (post-tax).
If an employee chooses to cancel coverage under a union-sponsored dental plan, it does not constitute a qualifying event for enrolling in Dental Wisconsin or Anthem DentalBlue.
There will be an open enrollment for Dental Wisconsin this fall for coverage effective on January 1, 2012. If the person has other dental coverage in force immediately prior to the effective date of the Dental Wisconsin coverage, the waiting periods will be waived. Proof of other coverage, such as an ID card, must accompany the application.
It is not yet known if an open enrollment period will be offered this fall for employees
eligible to enroll in Anthem DentalBlue.
Questions?
Much more information will be provided as we get closer to the fall It’s Your Choice enrollment period. If you have questions that need response prior to that time, please contact your payroll/benefits office. In addition, ETF has posted an FAQ on their website (http://etf.wi.gov/).
So basically, in addition to my monthly premium going to $208 from $84, I can deduct another $1000 out of my already abysmally low salary to pay for my family's medical care. I can't even console myself with the knowledge that at least I'm in Tier 1 and I'm not getting fucked as hard as other people, because we're all pretty much fucked. Thank you, Republican assholes, douchebags, and fucktards. You have effectively fucked me and my fellow public employees out of huge chunk of our shitty salaries, and we will now be looking even harder for a job outside of this benighted goddamned state.
I had better benefits and pay when I worked in the private sector 10 years ago, but I chose the life of a public servant because I wanted to be a teacher. Always. Since I was a kid playing "School" in my bedroom with my younger sister.
I knew I would never be rich working as a teacher, even as a college professor. I just wanted to have a decent middle-class life. It's not happening. I ran up $70K in student loan debt to get the education that would enable me to get a TT position. I live in a rented house, my newest car is a 2007 with over 70K miles on it, my husband's car (2002) is starting to fall apart and we can't afford to fix it until I get paid again in October, and on and on and on. I can't take it anymore. My salary is lower than a car mechanic's. My plumber makes more than I do, and I have 17 years of experience and two Master's degrees.
I knew I would never be rich working as a teacher, even as a college professor. I just wanted to have a decent middle-class life. It's not happening. I ran up $70K in student loan debt to get the education that would enable me to get a TT position. I live in a rented house, my newest car is a 2007 with over 70K miles on it, my husband's car (2002) is starting to fall apart and we can't afford to fix it until I get paid again in October, and on and on and on. I can't take it anymore. My salary is lower than a car mechanic's. My plumber makes more than I do, and I have 17 years of experience and two Master's degrees.
So I'm back to being heartsick and angry. I feel like a fool. So much for happiness.
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