At Issue
MESSA scores high with MEA members
Quality health care coverage for employees linked to academic success of students in classroom.
MESSA coverage is an important factor in school employees’ job satisfaction, according to MESSA’s most recent poll of members conducted last June.
About 90 percent of the members say having MESSA coverage is an important factor in their job satisfaction, with 46 percent saying it was a “major” factor.
Ann Arbor EA President Linda Carter, who also serves as president of the MESSA Board of Trustees, believes that employee job satisfaction ultimately benefits student performance in the classroom.
“It’s important to the academic success of our students that school employees have good benefits, like MESSA,” Carter said. “The peace of mind and sense of security that MESSA provides helps members focus on doing what they love, which is helping kids learn.
“Teacher working conditions—and that includes having a quality health care plan—are our students’ learning conditions. I believe there is a direct link between our working conditions and achieving better learning environments for our students.”
Outstanding service lauded
Consistent with past polls, 98 percent of MESSA members lauded the outstanding service, quality benefits and sense of financial security they receive. They especially liked that when they call MESSA, they can talk to a real person who is dedicated to helping them get answers and solve their problems.
The loyalty that members have for MESSA has remained strong. The poll showed that member satisfaction with MESSA was at 98 percent, and a phenomenal 83 percent of members said they were “very satisfied” with their MESSA plan.
Other survey findings:
• 99 percent agreed that MESSA coverage provides them with “peace of mind.”
• 84 percent said they would take a job offer from an employer with MESSA over an offer from an employer that had a health plan from another carrier.