In June 2005, the Ohio State Legislature slipped language into the general budget bill that would strip K-12 public school district employees of their right to bargain health care.  Instead, all K-12 public school employees would be forced into a state-run health care plan by September 2006. The legislation also created the School Employees Health Care Board to design and run that plan.  The Board has, at its sole discretion, the right to decide when and whether all Ohio higher education employees would be brought in.  A consultant is being hired now to perform a feasibility study on the question of moving higher education institutions into the system. 

A more measured approach?
The current Board has worked very hard to investigate the feasibility of a mandatory health care plan for all Ohio public education employees.  After a year of research and testimony, the Board sent a report to the Legislature on January 31st suggesting a far more moderate approach.

How legislative leaders will react to the Board’s suggestions remains to be seen.

In the wake of "Coingate," do we really want political appointees to control our health care plan? The current members of the School Employees Health Care Board have been excellent stewards and have worked hard to carefully investigate the very complex question of a state-wide health care plan. But a system that gives politicians free reign to appoint members to this Board is structurally flawed.  It invites mischief and risks turning the Board into a political patronage system. If the Board is to continue, changes must be made in the way its future members are selected.

Under the original language of HB 66, there would be: 

• NO RIGHT to bargain the cost and type of benefits you will receive
• HIGHER COSTS and less coverage
• A $2 BILLION TRANSFER OF MONEY to a system under which political appointees can hand out no-bid contracts

This terrible plan can be stopped -- a second vote of the legislature is required to implement it. 

What Can You Do? 

The General Assembly is required to vote again before this plan can be fully enacted.  You can help stop it!

1.      Write to your state representative and senator, and tell them to vote "NO" on a mandatory health plan for public school and higher education employees!

 

o        Click here to send a pre-written letter to your state representative and senator.  It's easy and quick! 

o        Prefer to write your own letter?  Click here for some important talking points and a sample letter. 
 

2.      Call and tell your state representative and senator to either vote "NO" on the original language and stop the process entirely or, at minimum, support the more moderated approach being suggested by the current Board.

 

3.      Talk to your colleagues -- encourage them to join the fight!

 

4.      Check back here for more information on how to get involved.