GSA Health Plan Referendum Winter 2021
The GSA Board of Directors passed a Motion at the December 9, 2020 Board Meeting, approving the Health Plan Referendum question and timeline for Winter 2021.
Only full-time graduate students are covered under the Health Plan, therefore only full-time graduate students may run a Yes/No campaign and vote on this question.
Full-time graduate students have the opportunity to run a 'yes' or 'no' campaign. Please contact the GSA CRO (Chief Returning Officer), gsacro@uoguelph.ca to register a Campaign.
Deadline to register a campaign: January 25, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Campaign Period: January 26 to February 9, 2021, 4:30 p.m.
Voting Period: February 10 - 11 (up to 11:59 p.m.), 2021
Electronic ballots will be sent on February 10, 2021 to full-time graduate student’s U of G email address.
The Health Plan Referendum is being held in conjunction with the CSA.
Preamble
The University of Guelph Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) has operated a Universal Group Health Insurance Program offering affordable care for full time students for more than 30 years. The current premium for the mandatory student health plan is $140 per policy year and may increase annually by the Consumer Price Index as recognized by the University of Guelph (2.1% in 2020-21). The plan started as a universal plan and therefore did not provide an opt-out option.
In the interest of ensuring students are receiving the best combination of services at an affordable cost, the GSA is considering changing the plan design, effective September 2021, to one that provides an opt-out option for students who have comparable health coverage. The cost for the same benefit plan, with an opt-out option is $186 per policy year. To cover premium and administrative adjustments, this fee may increase up to 4% per policy year. The cost will continue to be reviewed annually by the CSA /GSA Health and Dental Plan Committee.
Students who opt-out and subsequently lose their comparable coverage will be permitted to re-enroll on the student health plan.
In the event the majority of full time students do not support replacing the universal health plan with one that offers an opt-out option, the current plan will remain in place.
Question
Are you in favour of replacing the current plan which has the following features:
Group Health Insurance Program, which DOES NOT have an opt-out option, is priced at an annual cost of $140 per policy year for full time students and has the potential to increase annually by the Consumer Price Index.
With the following modified plan effective September 2021:
Group Health Insurance Program which DOES have an opt-out option for full time students with alternative coverage, is priced at an annual cost of $186 per policy year, and has the potential to increase annually by a maximum of 4%?
Yes / No