The meeting was called to order by Kelly Shepherd at 4:01 p.m. The Trustees introduced themselves to the representatives of United Health Care (UHC).

 

A motion was made by Greg Elder and seconded by Jeff Moore to adopt the agenda as written. The motion passed unanimously.

 

A motion was made by Gregg Elder and seconded by Molly Ringo to approve the minutes from the April 20, 2016 meeting and the May 2, 2016 special meeting as written. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sean welcomed UHC representatives Jim Schirmer, Senior Strategic Account Executive and Kristen Kneeland, Senior Field Account Manager. He said their attendance at the meeting was to share district performance data and to talk about and address customer service issues. A handout was provided and reviewed with the group.

 

They shared basic benchmarking statistics including cost management, financial performance, and inpatient/outpatient utilization. The Trustees asked about the different types of data they could receive. They said that more specific data would help to align the Wellness Program and help them determine strategy. UHC will provide specific data.

 

Jeff asked about the conversation UHC had with the human resources team and what was gleaned from that conversation. Kristen said many of the district’s components were fairly standard compared to market norms. She said emergency room utilization was good and preventive care utilization in 2015 was above the norms which was also good. The group talked about the norms which are nationwide but also can be broken down by category (i.e., school districts). They can also look at specific norms, such as the northwest, but that will make the norms smaller.

 

Kristen and Jim talked about UHC innovations for member’s use. These include Health4Me which is an app that provides easy access to a member’s health information and decision support, and the myHealthcare Cost Estimator app which helps consumers find quality care and estimate the cost for common medical services. Kristen and Jim said they wanted to remind members that this technology was available for their use. The group discussed the technology and the best way to promote this information to members. It was determined that the most effective way would be to meet with members face to face (i.e., during lunch in the teacher’s lounge, etc.) Sean said some employers have also conducted incentive programs to drive initial adoption (i.e., iPad give away). The group discussed this possibility.

Kristen and Jim said member website usage is good. Members are also utilizing the UHC Virtual Visits. The group discussed the Virtual Visit option where doctors can diagnose and treat a wide range of non-emergency medical conditions fairly instantaneously. While there is a co-pay for this option it is less than the traditional doctor visit and if necessary, prescriptions can be issued using this option. This option is becoming more and more popular and is worth promoting to members.

 

Kristen talked about Everett Public Schools and UHC customer service. She said the most calls received from our members (January 2015 to present) were regarding eligibility. She noted a survey option is offered to callers; however, the majority of callers do not participate. UHC would like to encourage members to complete the survey. The group discussed data that could be provided from the survey. Another option for service with UHC is Advocate4Me which is designed to help members find the clear path to the right care. UHC is receiving good feedback from this model and would like to provide information regarding the option to members.

 

Jim talked about UHC offering the Trust a potential opportunity to move Everett’s current call center to one that is designated for clients with unique or customized plans. It is a public sector team in San Antonio, Texas that is built for specialized clients. This team has in-depth insight into the workings of customized, unique and public sector cases. They are familiar with special plans and are able to provide more enhanced service to members. The move to this call center would require changing the phone number on member’s cards but otherwise would be a seamless switch. The group discussed this option and agreed it would provide a potential solution for staff who are frustrated. The Trust will provide information regarding this change to members. The Trustees agreed to move forward with switching the call center. Jim will provide a draft letter. The Trustees thanked Jim and Kirsten for their responsiveness to member’s concerns.

 

Darla reviewed the highlights of the April 2016 financials with the group.

 

Darla provided the annual audit engagement letter from Toyer, Dietrich and Associates. She also provided a list of audit information from 1986 to present and reviewed the information with the group. The estimated proposal for this year’s audit is $9,500. Darla said she feels that Toyer, Dietrich and Associates are a good representative of the Trust’s financials. A motion was made by Gregg Elder and seconded by Jeff Moore to approve the audit proposal provided by Toyer, Dietrich and Associates. The motion passed unanimously.

 

Sean provided the annual Statement of Work (SOW) from Mercer and reviewed it with the group. He said they are tracking pretty close to the budget. They are proposing an overall change in how the fees are split but this does not change the overall budget proposal; a change in fees vs. commissions. The group discussed past consultant costs and the importance of continuing to monitor their fiduciary responsibility. They noted it might be worthwhile to review what some of the costs looked like to determine if they are being fiscally prudent. Sean said they track costs internally as well. He can send the information to Darla for comparison. The SOW will be presented for approval at the June meeting.

 

 

 

 

Sean provided a medical market update report and reviewed the information with the group. This was the result of a request from the Trustees for Mercer to solicit information from the carrier market to gauge their level of experience working with school districts in Washington state. Carriers included Aetna, CIGNA, Group Health and Regence. The requested information included current and former school district clients within the last three years. The intended use for this information, as discussed at the April meeting, was for a member of the benefits team to reach out to several districts to ask about their carrier experience. Cris said she contacted a number of school districts in the state who are using or have used Aetna, Regence and Group Health. She shared their responses with the group. The group discussed the information provided including whether to reach out to other districts of similar size.

 

Sean shared information regarding the impact of the Kaiser acquisition to Group Health. The Kaiser acquisition isn’t expected to be approved until after the November 2016 election. After that time, it will be a 12-18-month transition. There are no anticipated changes to current member experiences. The group discussed the information provided. Aanya shared experiences with clients in Oregon who have Kaiser.

 

Sean reviewed timing and next steps with the group. He talked about possible market increases including what possibly could be from UHC. The Trustees asked Sean for his recommendation of the carriers provided. He noted Regence and Group Health have a longer history of working with school districts, while Aetna is relatively new to school districts.

 

The Trustees discussed the possibility of moving to Group Health but felt this may not be the right time due to the perceived stigma of Group Health, the changes in pharmacy and the upcoming acquisition by Kaiser. They said they may discuss this option in a few years but the timing is not right at this time. For the June meeting, the Trustees asked Sean to include Aetna, Regence, WEA and United Health Care in the plan designs for 2017. Sean noted that the WEA plans will not come out until after the June meeting but he will provide the information at the August meeting.

 

Rickie Lee shared a brief overview of the monthly Wellness Program report. She also provided background on the mindfulness workshops and shared an evaluation and summary of the spring 2016 Mindfulness Techniques to Create Stress Free Zone. Rickie Lee talked about the positive feedback received from staff and recommends that this workshop be continued in a series of courses over the school year. She suggested that these techniques be included in an administrative meeting such as a cabinet meeting or retreat. Rickie Lee also shared the proposed end of the year survey. The Trustees provided suggestions for questions. Also reviewed were the Wellness Program KPIs.

 

Rickie Lee reviewed the proposed 2016-17 Wellness Program budget with the group. She explained how she arrived at the numbers provided. The Trustees discussed following up on the UHC claims data to help target Wellness offerings and to support staff. The proposed 2016-17 Wellness Program budget will be presented for approval at the June meeting.

 

Randi noted that the Wellness Coordinator posting should be coming out soon. Gail will also help with recruiting potential candidates.

 

The group reviewed and discussed the upcoming June agenda items.

 

The trustees adjourned to executive session at 6:32 p.m. The purpose of the executive session was to review performance of the investment consultant. They returned to open session and immediately adjourned the regular meeting at 6:38 p.m.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Kelly Shepherd

Chair

 

kn

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