IL workers get more time for insurance change

ROCKFORD (WREX) -

Illinois workers get a weekend reprieve before they have to change their health insurance. State employees now face a Monday deadline instead of Friday.

This has all been pretty confusing basically because Illinois' trying to switch from HMO plans to self-funded plans.  But that process is now in court and it leaves everyone from road workers to retired teachers, who all use state healthcare, to figure what to do.

"Retired teachers have been extremely frustrated over the entire situation.  It's something that's changed practically on a daily basis and we've had to problem of trying to get the latest information to teachers and one day it's X and the next day it's Y and then it's back to X," says Dave Urbanek, Public Information Officer for the Teachers' Retirement System.

"We have heard from hundreds of different individuals that are very frustrated and I clearly understand because they have received literally in 3 months 3 different notices telling them to do totally different things," says State Senator Dave Syverson.

He is on the Commission of Government Forecasting and Accountability, which approves state contracts, like this insurance change. He says 15-thousand people in just the Rockford area will be affected by it. The biggest change, Humana will no longer be offered as a provider.  Those customers now have to pick between four other insurers.  At the same time, Syverson says this is an open enrollment period. So people who want to make changes in their current plans can do that now.

"If you aren't making any changes and it's not Humana then you don't have to do anything at all.  You can just stay on your plan," says Syverson.

But even these changes are temporary since the state only signed a 90-day emergency contract with the insurers.  With a court battle ongoing, the Teachers' Retirement System, says it's prepared for more continuations.

"If they don't come to an agreement than they'll have another 90 day period where if you want to keep your insurance you can or there will be another choice period where you'll be able to switch back and forth.  This is not something that we anticipate that's going to get solved anytime soon and it's going to be a very confusing year for people," says Dave Urbanek.

The state says it will default any Humana customer who does not make a change by the end of day Monday into a CIGNA plan. If you have questions or want to see your insurance options you can go to Illinois' Central Management Services webpage