To: All Faculty & All Academic Professionals & All Civil Service Staff
           <everybody@illinois.edu> 
    From: "uipres@uillinois.edu" <uipres@uillinois.edu>

Reply-To: uipres@uillinois.edu
 Subject: MASSMAIL - A Letter from the President


May 1, 2004




Dear Colleagues:


	As if this year hasn't thrown enough challenges at us, the 
University of Illinois became aware of a new one this week with an 
unexpected announcement that the state of Illinois plans to end the long-
standing participation of the Health Alliance HMO in the state's health 
insurance program.

	We have communicated to the state's Department of Central 
Management Services (CMS) that this decision is a concern for many of our 
employees and for the University of Illinois, and we have encouraged a 
review by CMS of the decision to drop Health Alliance. Also, on Monday, 
May 3, a hearing on this matter will be held by the Illinois House State 
Government Committee and U. of I. staff will be on hand to provide 
information and respond to questions about the impact of this action on 
our employees.

	If the decision stands and Health Alliance HMO is discontinued 
from the health insurance program, human resource advisers will be 
available to work with employees to weigh their options during the 
upcoming benefit choice period of May and June.

	Nearly 7,000 active University of Illinois employees at our 
campuses in Chicago, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign currently receive 
their health care insurance coverage through the Health Alliance program. 
Sixty percent of those employees also insure at least one dependent, and 
countless U. of I. retirees and dependents are Health Alliance members. 
Moreover, Carle Clinic and Carle Foundation Hospital are major health 
care institutions in the Urbana-Champaign community, and employees might 
have deep and long-standing relationships with Carle physicians and 
medical facilities through Health Alliance.

	As I have communicated on several occasions in recent years, the 
U. of I. understands the constrained fiscal circumstances confronting the 
state and understands the need to make state-provided benefit programs 
cost-effective. At the same time, we are asking those making decisions 
about health care coverage for all state employees to look carefully at 
the full-cost picture and the impact of each prospective program.


James J. Stukel
President

	 

	

	

	  
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