Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

College Professors Feeling the ObamaCare Pinch
Accuracy in Academia ^ | September 9, 2014 | Spencer Irvine

Posted on 09/10/2014 12:07:20 PM PDT by Academiadotorg

Ironically, liberal college professors are now feeling the increasing weight and burden that is from ObamaCare, or its official name “The Affordable Care Act.” A study released by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources found that an increasing number of college and university professors are paying more for their health insurance. obamacare forum

The study, “2014 Employee Healthcare and Other Benefits in Higher Education Survey,” covered health benefits, four types of healthcare plans (HMO, PPO, POS and high deductible plans), “formal wellness programs,” dental plans and other healthcare basics. The questionnaire itself can be viewed here.

The survey covered 601 respondents, including 370 institutions and 29 college systems There were 237 private institutions which made up 64% of the survey and 133 public institutions which made up 36% of the survey 29% of the institutions were devoted to master’s programs, 24% were bachelor’s programs, and 23% were doctorate programs.

The impact of ObamaCare was the following:

26% have increased in-network deductibles 27% have raised their out-of-pocket limits 41% increased professor’s share of rising premium costs 20% raised professor’s share of rising prescription drug costs 24% of institutions increased professor’s share of dependent coverage costs

Additionally, as a part of the law, colleges and universities also adopted and/or expanded wellness programs and/or initiatives or financial incentives to “encourage healthy behaviors.” 36% had done the former and 21% implemented the latter.

The majority of colleges and universities (82 %) have PPO plans. Next is the HDHP (high deductible health plan), which has risen from 17% five years ago to 44% today. 60% of college institutions offer benefits to gay partners or spouses, which was up from 40% in 2006.

However, no college or university surveyed offered healthcare benefits for part-time employees, even if they enrolled in the ObamaCare healthcare exchanges. Among those surveyed, only 2% said they would consider offering some benefits to part-time employees enrolled in these exchanges.

Non-healthcare basic such as basic life insurance, long-term disability, and paid time-off are provided by nearly all institutions. But, only 64% cover short-term disability.

Some other interesting points:

“14% of respondents have a formal paid-time-Off (PTO) plan that combines vacation, sick leave and/or other benefits. For institutions with a PTO, the median number of days off the first year is 20 for exempt staff and 15 for non-exempt. For institutions with vacation leave, the medians are 15 and 10, respectively. Twenty-four percent (24%) of institutions have paid leave for new parents up to a maximum of six weeks (median).”

Referring to tuition benefits, the study found, “Almost all institutions offer tuition benefits for full-time employees and their dependents” and nearly half “limit the number of credit hours that can be taken in a calendar year.” Who takes advantage of tuition benefits? “Exempt employees and their dependents” more than non-exempt employees and their dependents.

This data was collected from the survey’s fact sheet, which can be found here.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: colleges; obamacare; uninsured; universities
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-32 last
To: Academiadotorg

Poetic justice for commie acadumbia.


21 posted on 09/10/2014 1:08:22 PM PDT by Amagi (Lenin: "Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Academiadotorg

http://lincolnparishnewsonline.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/obamacare-chickens-come-home-to-roost-lpsb/

Obamacare Chickens Come Home to Roost @ LPSB
By Walter Abbott

Ruston, Louisiana - A provision of Obamacare that requires employees that work 30 or more hours a week to be “full-time” and eligible for medical coverage caused somewhat of a stir at last night’s meeting of the Lincoln Parish School Board (LPSB). It seems that in addition to the 828 or so full-time employees (teachers, staff, and support), the district has between 200 and 300 part-time employees – substitute teachers, para-professionals, cafeteria, maintenance, and other contract employees that are paid by the hour.

Effective January 1, 2015, any of those employees that work more than 30 hours/week will have to be offered medical coverage. That would cost the district about $2 million/year if all the part-time employees are enrolled, said David Charpentier, of Brown & Brown Insurance, a consultant who has advised the board in the past.

Said Charpentier, “You can offer coverage to these individuals on the same basis that you offer it to everybody else, and you would have to find another approximately $2 million per year in your budget to do that.” He added, “Or you could ignore the issue, and the government would, after you sent your reporting package in where you self report in January 2016, the government would send you a bill for a fine of about $2.7 million, for not having offered coverage to a sufficient number of your full-time employees, as defined by them.”

When the discussion centered around reducing the hours of the employees to less than 30 hours/week, and possibly increasing their hourly pay to compensate, District Eleven’s George Mack, Jr. sharply questioned that plan.

Said Mack, “Here in Lincoln, it’s a question of equity and fairness. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is the law of the land, is it not? So our objective is not to circumvent the law. That’s not what you’re trying to do, is it?” Mack went on, “How do we mitigate, how do we balance, taking care of people that we’re responsible for?”

Business Manager George Murphy noted that last year the board staff had begun to make plans to implement the reduced hours, but the Obamacare decree was delayed for a year.

Murphy said the plan was not an attempt to circumvent the law, but was in fact compliance.

Said Murphy, “Every time that we’ve talked about this, the words that we’ve used is were doing this is to comply with the law.” He added, “To me, circumventing the law is we know about the law, but we’re not going to do anything about it.”

Murphy noted that several years ago when sales tax receipts declined, several dozen full-time employee positions were eliminated and replaced with part-timers in order to stay solvent.

Charpentier noted that many companies in the private sector are going out of business, because the can’t afford to pay for the coverage.

As the discussion ebbed and flowed, it appeared that most all the board members were resigned to the reduced hours plan.

We’ll have more reporting later on the rest of the meeting.


22 posted on 09/10/2014 1:12:39 PM PDT by abb ("News reporting is too important to be left to the journalists." Walter Abbott (1950 -))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: abb

The cognitive dissonance occurring these days in Bammy lovers must make their eyes bulge.


23 posted on 09/10/2014 1:29:38 PM PDT by polymuser ( Enough is enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: polymuser

The schadenfreude I felt at that meeting was almost palpable. And I’ve been going to those school board meetings and reporting on them for over five years.


24 posted on 09/10/2014 1:33:58 PM PDT by abb ("News reporting is too important to be left to the journalists." Walter Abbott (1950 -))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: MrB

That’s exactly what they are thinking. No amount of sanity and reality penetrates thru to those ivory towers.


25 posted on 09/10/2014 1:37:25 PM PDT by vpintheak (Keep calm and Fire for Effect!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MrB
...they believe they are more righteous for supporting Obamacare even though it costs them more personally.

I believe that, moneywise. But, their hits from losses in support staffing will affect their daily work load. And THAT they won't like.

26 posted on 09/10/2014 2:09:46 PM PDT by polymuser ( Enough is enough.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Academiadotorg

27 posted on 09/10/2014 2:20:19 PM PDT by JPG ("So sue me". OK, we will.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #28 Removed by Moderator

To: abb

If you like your health care you can keep your health care.

If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.

The average family will save $2500 per year.

There will be more jobs. (16,000 new IRS agents).

Progress!! Forward!!


29 posted on 09/10/2014 3:10:46 PM PDT by Rockpile
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: Academiadotorg
Hoist With Their Own Petard


30 posted on 09/10/2014 4:33:06 PM PDT by Iron Munro ("If you want to test a man's character, give him power." -- Abraham Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

31 posted on 09/10/2014 5:49:55 PM PDT by Rodamala
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: abb

yeah this happened in Connecticut too, and these are the two we know about


32 posted on 09/11/2014 6:27:04 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-32 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson