HR0346 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0346 LRB097 11855 GRL 55231 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State Employees Group Insurance Program provides medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage to State employees, retirees, and their dependents; and

WHEREAS, Medical coverage is provided to members through a choice of coverage, including the Quality Care Health Plan (QCHP), HMO managed care plans, and the Open Access Plan (OAP); and

WHEREAS, In April of 2011, the State announced the intent to award contracts to offer HMO coverage through two HMO plans operated by BlueCross Blue Shield and for the Open Access Plan to be administered by Health Link OAP and Personal Care OAP; and

WHEREAS, 115,000 state employees, their dependents, and retirees enrolled in other plans, including Health Alliance and Humana, will have to select another insurance plan during the benefit choice period, which usually occurs from May 1st through May 31st; and

WHEREAS, The procurement for vendors to administer health benefits is the subject of an official protest; the State's chief procurement officer was quoted on May 4, 2011 that decisions on the protests are "still weeks away"; and

WHEREAS, Concerns have been raised in the protest that the procurement process used to select new vendors did not adequately examine the extent to which vendors selected will be able to provide prompt and comprehensive care to all current enrollees or the true cost savings of the new contracts; and

WHEREAS, The chief executive officer of Health Alliance has indicated that Health Alliance hopes that the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) will require all of the managed care contracts to be rebid and that Health Alliance plans to challenge any denial of its protest in Circuit Court; and

WHEREAS, The timeline for the final selection of vendors to administer the State Employee Group Insurance Program will be extended by the pending protest, COGFA review, and legal action; and

WHEREAS, Until a final selection of vendors is made, enrollees will not be able to choose a plan based on maintaining access to providers; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Department of Central Management Services to extend the benefit choice period to allow open enrollment in a health plan until a date no earlier than September 1, 2011 that occurs after the resolution of all pending protests, COGFA action, legal proceedings, or audits of the procurement process used to select plan administrators; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge the Department of Central Management Services to extend current HMO and OAP contracts until the end of the extended benefit choice period to ensure continuity of care for current enrollees; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Director of Central Management Services.