Q. Is the District considering changes to the current Benefits Plan?
A. The Collegewide Benefits Committee was recently formed to review the current health benefit plan and recommend whether changes to the program would bring cost containment while maintaining quality of services.

Q. Which groups are represented on this committee?
A. The committee is composed of nine voting members and one or more resource people (non-voting). Three members have been selected from each group/segment. For more information on the Collegewide Benefits Committee, go to the About Us section.

Q. What is the role of consultants/brokers in helping us contain the escalating costs of healthcare?
A. Make recommendations regarding various benefit and insurance plans, insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, administrators and benefit service providers.

Q. Are other public institutions experiencing similar healthcare budget problems?
A. Yes. Almost every school district in California is experiencing the same problem. Double digit increases in healthcare, in this decade, have caused many schools to seek methods of cost reduction and containment. State budget allocations simply do not keep pace with the increases in healthcare premium costs.

Q. How much of an increase in actual expenditures are we talking about?
A. On average, there has been a 13% annual increase in benefit costs from 2000-2004.
In FY ’01-’02, our college paid approximately six million dollars for benefits. In FY ’04-’05, it is estimated the college will pay as much as ten million dollars for comparable services.

Q. When will the committee make its’ recommendations?
A. The committee is meeting weekly to do its’ work so that a May 31st timeline can be met. This deadline will allow our bargaining agents enough time to present recommendations to their members before the required deadline to re-enlist in CalPERS (tentatively Aug. 15th deadline).

Q. How can employees assist the Benefits Committee?
A. We need you to give us your feedback via the survey. Your experiences, likes and dislikes about the existing benefits plan will help guide us in determining what we need to have in any future health program.