During the Regents Finance and Facilities meeting on Tuesday, the committee did not give recommendation to the full board for certain changes in employee benefits.
Two presenters from the UNM Benefits Department requested regent approval of an expanded Wellness Incentive for employees, a cap on contributions to post-retirement medical expense accounts, and a change in insurance rates for active employees and pre-65 retirees.
The two regents on the committee, Marron Lee and Tom Clifford, decided to postpone a vote on the measures until the next full Board meeting next week.
“I’m uncomfortable approving this outside of a full budget meeting,” Clifford said, noting the rate changes for employees would alter the budget.
The push will cause further problems in beginning open enrollment at the Benefits Department, which, according to officials, are already a month behind schedule.
Last week, the Board of Regents Budget Summit was canceled, further delaying the process to determine employee benefits for next year.
The request for approval will have to be made by the full Board of Regents at its meeting early next week.
Among the proposed changes was a decrease in rate hikes for those who retired from UNM before the age 65 for the 2018 fiscal year. The changes would move to equalize the premiums of active employees and pre-65 retirees, and would be in line with a 2014 committee review that found blending the rates should be considered by UNM.
According to the Benefits Department representatives, the UNM Staff Council, Faculty Senate and other employee entities prefered the blending option over other increases.
Acting President Chaouki Abdallah said that at this time, “the University is being hit and the employees are being hit,” by rate increases.
A total increase of 5.1 percent is predicted by the presenters’ figures.
Increases in employee benefit programs was also pushed to the full Regents meeting for a vote. The proposal would add a $100 available discount for spouses and partners of employees under the Wellness Incentive.
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A lower cap on required contributions to UNM Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association Plan, an expense account funded by tax-free contributions from an employee’s unused sick leave, was also pushed to the full meeting.
Brendon Gray is a news reporter for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @notgraybrendon.
