MSU Administrative Professional Association

APA bargains your annual wage increases and health care coverage collectively with the other labor organizations on campus (Coalition of Labor Organizations (CLO)) through the Joint Health Care Committee.

Historically, the University and the unions have collectively worked together to protect the quality of health care coverage while keeping costs down. The health insurance increases for the University have been below the national trend for many years. This has been accomplished by problem-solving together.

The mission of the Joint Health Care Committee (JHCC) is as follows:
We commit to work together to support and promote the health and well-being of Michigan State University, its employees and their families through cost effective, accessible, quality driven health care in an effort to ensure a productive workforce.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Michigan State University and the CLO expires on December 31, 2013. This agreement is referred to in Article 44 Health Care Coverage of the MSU-APA Master Agreement. Over the life of the current agreement, the cost of health care has been held well below the 5% increase threshold. In the last plan year, there was no health care cost increase except for legally mandated tax under Public Act 142, the Health Insurance Claims Assessment Act, which assessed a one percent tax on the cost of each paid health care claim.

As we approach bargaining wages and health care this year, it is important that APA knows what your health care experience has been and what challenges you have faced with dealing with the current third party administrator, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Blue Care Network. If you have any concerns of which the bargaining team should be aware, please contact APA  at msuapa@msu.edu or (517) 353-4898.

If you have questions regarding coverage or claims issues, representatives from both the Community Blue and BCN MSU health plans maintain office hours in the Human Resources office each week. Krystal Williams from Community Blue is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursdays in Suite 30 of the Nisbet Building. Jasmine Henry from BCN is available on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the same location. You can call 517-884-0128 to make an appointment with Krystal or Jasmine. Both also see walk-ins during their office hours, but those with appointments are seen first.