By
La Monica Everett-Haynes
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Intergroup raises its premium for state employees by 41 percent
Dressed in a blue uniform with dark grease spots, University of Arizona mechanic Michael Robinson spoke about his concerns over the percentage hike in his medical plan.
His thick fingers - all smothered in black gunk - swept through the brochure that revealed the information that has him concerned about money matters: Intergroup of Arizona has raised its monthly premiums about 41 percent.
The change means Robinson must pay $19.18 a month instead of the $7.90 he paid last year. And while it may not seem like much to some, he said it is a big cost to him.
"I think they're hurting the working poor," Robinson said. "If you take a look at the average pay scale of the workers, they're not that low but they're not that high - every penny counts."
Intergroup is one of six health insurance providers contracted with the state that provides health care benefits to state employees. Medical and dental plans are separate.
The others are CIGNA, Pacificare, United Health Care, Standard Insurance Company and Application Software Inc.
Numerous calls were made to three Intergroup officials, none were returned.
At last week's open enrollment fair in the College of Nursing, CIGNA officials said the single coverage increased by about $1.06 while Pacificare and United Health Care officials said there was no change in cost to their plans.
UA employees who have been hired to work a minimum of six months at 20 hours a week are eligible for such health insurance, said Joann Salazar, UA benefits administrator.
Nationwide the cost of health care plans rose 10 percent this year, Salazar said.
The state pays about 75 percent of the total cost, but there are many reasons a provider would increase its premiums, like higher costs for developing prescription medicine, participant usage and an increase in medical fee from the carrier provider, Salazar said.
Regardless of such factors, employees still have the choice to change to a provider that has a lower monthly premium, Salazar said.
This is one suggestion Robinson said he probably will not take. Each provider divides the total cost of their plan depending on where the recipient lives.
Robinson said he lives in Pinal County, so if he chose CIGNA he would have to pay more. Considering he does not know much about Pacificare, he is willing to stay with Intergroup.
Shou-Wu Ma, research associate in family studies, said that he, too, is willing to stay with Intergroup despite objections from his friends.
"I have two friends who are switching to CIGNA, but they are younger and don't have to see doctors as much as I do," he said.
Ma, who recently had a heart attack and has diabetes, said Intergroup's plan is the most convenient.
"The increase doesn't matter because my doctors are at (University Medical Center) so I can just go there and not far away," he said.
