Whereas information regarding a possible VIVA health insurance option, which would operate as an alternative to our current Blue Cross-Blue Shield health care plan, was presented to the UA Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee on August 27^th, 2003, and to the UA Faculty Senate Steering Committee on August 28^th, 2003, and

Whereas changes in health benefits must be made during the annual period of open enrollment, which is in November, meaning employees must be notified of possible options in October, and

Whereas there has so far been insufficient time to consider all the information and to gather additional information, especially that regarding the possible risks involved, most importantly, the risk of adverse selection, which might lead to the loss of our excellent Blue Cross-Blue Shield coverage, and

Whereas normal committee process should be followed, so that other health care providers (including Blue Cross Blue Shield) should be allowed to bid on an optional health insurance plan if one is to be adopted, and

Whereas the Faculty Senate upholds the value that all UA employees should have the same high-quality, non-market driven health care plan, and

Whereas the Faculty Senate believes that faculty and staff governance over health care coverage has been a longstanding positive value at The University of Alabama, exercised through careful yearlong regular processes adopted and used by the Faculty and Staff Benefits Advisory Committee, a value which has yielded what all consider to be excellent health care coverage, and

Whereas VIVA is 99% owned by the University of Alabama Board of Trustees thus interjecting into the crucial issue of our health care concerns about the University System’s attempting to achieve cost reductions at the expense of our health care;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Faculty Senate of The University of Alabama expresses its strong support for the resolution passed by the UA Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee, with no dissent heard, which recommends against the addition of the proposed VIVA plan to our health care benefits program at this time, but recommends to the administration of The University of Alabama that the Faculty and Staff Benefits Advisory Committee investigate VIVA and other possible options through its normal yearlong process.

Adopted by Faculty Senate

The University of Alabama

September 16, 2003