Michigan Health Benefits Program — Video
Public Employee Health Care Reform Committee hearings
Hearing 6 — October 29, 2009
Don Wotruba, director of legislative affairs for Michigan Association of School Boards, testified in support of the proposal. He told the committee that his organization views the health care debate to be: how much to pay for health care versus pay raises.
When asked about high administrative salaries, Wotruba defended high administrative salaries in order to meet the demands of the job and the high level of education required by school boards for such positions.
Wotruba urged lawmakers to support a mandatory pool that allows groups to opt out only if their health care plan is better and more cost effective.
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Michael Shibler, superintendent of the Rockford Schools, testified that he opposes the bill because it would just create a health care bureaucracy with a 13-member board.
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Lori Spotts, president of the Tecumseh Education Association, testified before the House panel dealing with the Dillon health care plan (HB 5345) yesterday afternoon. Her message was that government shouldn’t be in the room when decisions are made about her health care. That is a discussion between her and her doctor only.
Spotts spoke of her situation and experience when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008.
She told the committee that she had read HB 5345 and said, “To be honest, it scares the hell out of me. My doctor and I made the best decisions about my recovery. There was no place for government.”
Spotts tried to dispel the perception that school employees have “gold standard” benefits. As a negotiator for her local association, she shared how Tecumseh EA members have taken cuts in salary and cuts in benefits. She noted that she was grateful for the benefits she has—benefits that were negotiated at the local level rather than being dictated by a panel of political appointees.
Evan Falchuk, President and CEO, Best Doctors, testified before the panel regarding his company's experience as patient advocates.
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Updated: November 2, 2009 10:52 AM