I am a long-time lurker who now seeks the help of my colleagues.  My
institution is presently engaged in its annual health insurance review
ritual.  This ritual begins when we discover that our current insurance
carrier plans to raise our rates.  In response, our administrators begin
shopping for other carriers, seeking lower rates (often achieved through
reduced benefits) and, ideally, capitation of future rate increases.  All of
this leads me to seek the following information to see where our health
insurance stands vis-a-vis other, similar institutions.  So, if you're
employed by a mid-sized or larger museum in the U.S., I would love to hear
from you (by the way, the Nelson-Atkins is a general art museum with about
160 full time and 250 part time employees).  Please respond off-list; if
there is enough interest, I will certainly try to provide a summary of
responses to the entire list.

My questions are as follows:

1. What type of coverage is available to you?  A Preferred Provider
Organization (PPO), a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), or a choice of
one or the other?  If you belong to an HMO is it an open panel (you pick
your own doctor from a list of participants) or a closed panel (you may only
use doctors employed by the insurance carrier)?

2. What is the cost to you per month for your coverage?  Who is covered
(just you, you and your partner/spouse, you and your entire family, etc.)?
If the information is available, I would also be very interested in your
institution's overall cost schedule for employees (i.e. what employees pay
for individual PPO coverage, family PPO coverage, individual HMO coverage,
family HMO coverage etc.).

3. What is your co-pay for doctor visits and for prescriptions?  What is
your yearly deductible per individual?  What is the maximum yearly out of
pocket cost before the insurance pays 100%?  Is there a lifetime coverage
cap (an amount above which your insurance ceases to pay)?

4. Has your employer changed your insurance carrier at any time during the
past several years?  What was the effect on you?

5. Any general comments, horror stories, happy stories, free-floating
resentment, etc.?

I know this seems tedious, but for me, health insurance is the only
substantial benefit I receive apart from my paycheck--I have learned that it
pays to be informed and to be vigilant.  Thanks in advance for your help and
partial information is certainly welcome.

NOTE:  The opinons expressed are mine and not those of my employer (who
might be happier if I didn't have opinions).

Scott Erbes
Associate Curator of Decorative Arts
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
4525 Oak Street
Kansas City, Missouri  64111-1873
U.S.A
816.751.1332
Fax 816.561.7154
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