UCOP Needs to Make the Call to Protect Survivor Health Insurance - Part 4 (the default is not in our stars)

Don't be afraid, UCOP. Make the call.

In past blog posts in this series, we have noted that survivors under UC retiree health insurance are frequently being dropped from benefits to which they are eligible under the plan.* We have also noted that this problem seems to be one just for UC; other comparable entities that provide similar survivor coverage don't have this problem. So, why does it arise at UC? 

Getting a straight answer from RASC/UCOP has been an issue. As a result, we will have to surmise what the problem is. 

Below you will find an official UC video explaining the eligibility rules for survivor benefits. Note that there are some categories of survivors who are not eligible. But also note that which survivors are not eligible is known before the death of the retiree. In a well-run system, these non-eligible individuals would be pre-identified and their coverage would drop after the death of the retiree. The other eligible survivors would not be dropped.

At UC apparently, what happens is that the non-eligible individuals are not identified in the system in advance. So, upon the death of the retiree, the default is to drop everyone and wait for complaints. Then there are delayed efforts to restore what should not have been dropped.

Again, we are working with surmises here because a clear, straight explanation from UCOP is not forthcoming. But we do know that the insurance carriers cut off eligible dependents when they cancel the policies of deceased retirees. They would only be doing that cutting off because they are being told to do it by UCOP. So - again - UCOP needs to pick up the phone, call the carriers, and instruct them that the default is not to cancel. Then the onus will be on RASC/UCOP to do whatever the folks there have to do to identify the non-eligibles and do the cancelling after the fact. (Or - even better - they could pre-identify who is eligible and who is not so that the problem is eliminated before the retiree dies.)

UCOP...pick...up...the...phone. Change the default from cancelling to not cancelling.

You can see the official UC video at the link below:

Or direct to https://ia902709.us.archive.org/12/items/regents-health-services-committee-6-14-2023/UC%20survivor%20benefits%202023.mp4; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IAlGMHSXtA (beginning around minute 35)

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*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2023/06/ucop-needs-to-make-call-to-protect_17.html; https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2023/06/ucop-needs-to-make-call-to-protect.html; http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2023/04/ucop-needs-to-make-call-to-protect.html. Be sure to listen to the audio recording at the third link if you haven't already done so.