UT officials announced the open enrollment calendar originally slated to end in October would be extended to Friday, Nov. 14, to give employees and their families additional time to consider their options.
The University continues to deal with high health-care costs. For fiscal year 2014, UT’s health-care costs are more than $50 million, about $6.3 million higher than the previous year. Given this reality, effective Jan. 1, 2015, health-care premiums will change to 20 percent for all full-time employees, officials announced Sept. 30.
“This change is consistent with our efforts to achieve uniform health-care premiums for all of our employees on all campuses,” said Jovita Thomas-Williams, associate vice president for human resources and talent development. “These changes are a step in that direction.”
The new rate of 20 percent will apply to all full-time non-union faculty and professional staff.
Thomas-Williams said UT is also committed to developing wellness initiatives, such as health and diagnostic screenings, fitness and dietary recommendations, and other measures to support and encourage healthy lifestyles for employees and their families.
She noted that the recently approved three-year contracts with Communication Workers of America Local 4319 and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Ohio Council 8 and AFSCME Local 2415 each brought members to the 20 percent premium mark. The University of Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association members also have 20 percent health-care premiums. The University is currently in negotiations with the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors representing tenured and tenure-track faculty and lecturers.
For more information on open enrollment, click here.
