New medical plan unclear

By Nicole LaPrade

Bon Appetit workers are confused and upset over their new contract agreement, citing a lack of thorough communication from their union representative.

The contract, which was signed in January, changed the way workers pay for their medical care.

Union steward Ramond Volis said that the main concern with the new contract among workers is the confusion about the new system for medical coverage, reimbursement for co-payments for prescriptions and doctor visits.

Under the former Kaiser HMO, there was no co-pay charge for doctor visits and all workers paid $5 for generic prescriptions that were covered. Under the new Kaiser HMO plan, workers must pay a co-payment of $20 at each doctor visit and $10 for generic prescriptions the insurance company is willing to cover.

According to Straub, it is stated in the new contract that the difference between what workers used to pay and now pay will be reimbursed in their next paycheck if they turn in a receipt. The reimbursement amount is listed on a separate line on their pay stub and is not counted as taxable income.

The reimbursement process caused a great deal of confusion and anxiety among workers who claim to have been unaware of the new co-payments and the reimbursement process.

"People feel like they can't get sick unless they have that $20 to go see the doctor. They don't always have $20," Cain said.

Straub, who has the same insurance plan, said that in addition to Bon Appetit reimbursing employees, there is also the option at Kaiser of having the co-payment billed, with an additional $13 billing charge. That option is open to employees and Bon Appetit also pays for the additional charge.

Cashier Edy Madsen has run into some difficulties refilling her prescriptions at the drug store. One prescription, that only would cost her $5, now costs her $79 because it is not covered by the insurance plan. Also, the complete difference was not reimbursed to her because the drug was no longer covered by Kaiser.

She remembers being told by Leah Berlanga, the workers' union representative, that the insurance plan would be better than before, but says no one explained the details to her. Now she is unsure of which of her prescriptions are covered and which are not.

Volis said that another reason people are anxious about their new contract is because they have not yet received a copy of a contract booklet that is offered the contract both in English and Spanish.

"I want to know my rights right now," Volis said.

According to Cain, there was a disagreement between Bon Appetit and the union as to whose responsibility it was to pay for these bound, bilingual booklets.

Straub said it was the union's responsibility, but in a phone interview, Berlanga disagreeed, saying Bon Appetit should print and distribute contract copies.

Cain said that he was informed last Tuesday that a compromise of sorts has been reached and therefore printing of the booklets could begin, though he wasn't sure when they would be sent out. Bon Appetit agreed to pay for the English copies of the contract booklets and the union will pay for the Spanish copies.

Volis also said that he was unhappy with the way that the negotiations team was selected. Instead of union members electing a team, the union stewards were presented as the team.

Cain said that in talking to other employees he found there was a consensus among the workers that they had been "herded like cattle" in agreeing to the new contract. He said that there was a lack of understanding and communication between the negotiation team and the rest of the workers as to what was being agreed upon.

* Contact Nicole LaPrade at (408) 554-4546 or at nlprade@scu.edu..