ART - NASPE Whitepaper - Challenges and Current Practices in State Employee Healthcare 2010

The document titled "Challenges & Current Practices in State Employee Healthcare" provides an overview of the current environment and practices in state employee healthcare. It aims to serve as a resource for state officials in proposing and implementing changes to state employee healthcare plans. The document is an update to a 2006 white paper and includes interviews with state benefits administrators in 24 states conducted between January and June 2010. The key challenges identified in the document include disease and chronic care management, plan design, and wellness and prevention. States are examining these issues to reduce costs while ensuring effective and affordable coverage for state employees. The document highlights successful approaches and programs implemented by states such as New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Other issues impacting state employee healthcare mentioned in the document include unfunded liabilities associated with retiree health plans, cooperative purchasing, rural healthcare challenges, the role of unions in plan procurement and design, and uncertainty about the impact of federal healthcare reform. To address these challenges, the document suggests steps that agencies can take, such as developing standardized metrics to measure the return on investment (ROI) of health and wellness programs. This would help quantify program impact, identify areas for improvement, and make a compelling case for program funding. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of engaging employees and union representatives in the process of change to overcome resistance and ensure successful implementation. Overall, the document provides valuable insights into the challenges and current practices in state employee healthcare and offers recommendations for addressing these issues effectively.