UNM health insurance costs more than it should

Editor,

To all UNM employees: Have you thought about your insurance coverage at UNM? Why is the premium so high?

I am a single person with no family --- I pity those with families who have to deal with this. My coverage is going to cost me $164 per month. UNM must be paying $246 per month, according to the 40 percent to 60 percent split. So the premium, just for me, is $410 every month.

Is insurance really that high? I decided to get some quotes to see.

After talking to two brokers and checking with UnitedHealthcare for quotes, I found that UNM is paying much higher premiums than the norm for the coverage offered.

How can I get better coverage for approximately $220 per month? That is just me as an individual, and groups always get better rates, as I was told by the brokers. Why can't UNM get the same policy from Blue Cross and Blue Shield?

Look at the difference: If the premium is $220, my 40 percent payment would be only $88, and UNM's contribution would be $132.

I can only deduce that either UNM employees are paying close to 100 percent of their health insurance benefits, or the benefits office is in need of training in negotiating.

I would like to see UNM put the portion they pay on my behalf on my paycheck and let me go out and find my own insurance.

The brokers told me that for $410 a month, I should be able to obtain a policy that pays all of my medical, with no co-pays, no deductibles and no other payments needed from me.

Judith Davis

UNM staff