Dear Colleagues,
As most of you are doubtless aware, the recent breakdown in talks between Blue Shield and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (Sutter) could have enormous and negative consequences for UC employees, many of whom will lose coverage or be forced to change medical providers. This impasse is only the latest in a series of changes to UC health insurance, and we are very concerned about the overall downward trend. We believe it is important for UC faculty to register their concerns and so are sponsoring the following petition, urging President Napolitano to make improvements to health insurance a top administrative priority.
We invite ALL UC faculty and staff – at ALL campuses to sign the petition, forward the link widely, and encourage your colleagues to sign as well.
To sign the petition, please go to the petition page at http://ucscfa.org/blue-shield-sutter-petition/
In solidarity,
The SCFA
Dear President Napolitano,
I am an Assistant Professor at UCSF. I recently required a follow-up visit after an outpatient surgery to ensure that my issues had been properly resolved. It took me four hours of many phone calls and negotiations to get an appointment within the following month that would be covered under Tier 1 of UC Select. This is four hours of time not dedicated to providing clinical services to patients or bringing in grant funding to the University. It is not time well-spent, and makes me feel as though I cannot get even my most fundamental health care needs met here at UCSF.
I find it unacceptable that I am practically unable to get a covered follow-up visit to an emergency outpatient surgery, especially after paying over $100 a month for a healthcare plan, and bringing in grant funding at a rate of 42% FB on my own salary and 38% on my employees. When my health and capacity to do my job are compromised by a dysfunctional system, I do consider whether I should seek employment elsewhere, but I would hate to leave the productive research collaborations I have invested time to build here at UCSF. I strongly urge you to resolve the issues that have created such a dysfunctional system, which are degrading the productivity and health of your employees.
Sincerely,
Kirstin Aschbacher