Editor,
Well, another year has come and gone, and in the most sarcastic way I can muster, I would like to thank those people at UNM who were responsible for our new health care plan. For the first time in my life, I will probably be able to itemize my medical deductions this year because of the terrible insurance plan UNM has provided for its employees.
While a tax deduction might sound like a positive thing on the surface, it doesn't come remotely close to covering my additional premium and co-pay expenses. What is even sadder is that six years ago, when I was fighting cancer and had medical bills close to $1 million, our health care was good enough that I could not claim a medical deduction that year.
Now, however, just the ongoing costs of testing to see if I am still in remission appear to be enough out-of-pocket expenses to make a medical tax deduction worth itemizing.
And so, my fellow employees, it's time for us to ask the administration why our health care is so poor. It's much worse than other state agencies - on whose policies we could ride - and much worse than numerous small private businesses with which I have checked. Most plans of private businesses I have compared to our plan are 20 percent to 30 percent less and still provide HMO-type coverage.
What in the world possesses UNM to turn its back on health maintenance? Is it not obvious to everyone on the planet that it is less expensive to maintain your health than to let it deteriorate to the point that timely and expensive measures are required to reverse something that could have been prevented? Basically, what that says to the employees is that instead of being concerned that employees stay healthy, UNM is willing to play those odds - with your health - in order to save a buck. Not maintaining your health and just treating ailments after they are big enough to become a major issue is what drives up health care costs.
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Following this train of thought will, in the future, cost UNM employees their health, and UNM some great - and experienced - employees. The time for UNM to review our health care plan - it will be on us before you know it.
Let the administration know that they have taken the "M" out of HMO and left us with just an "HO."
Larry Crum
UNM staff
