A note from Executive Director J.N. Musto:

After a series of meetings (Click here to view the MOA, and Exhibit A with the premium payment amounts.  These increases take effect on March 1, 2011, and correspond to the new premium rates for the HMA, HMSA, and Kaiser plans, and the other health insurance coverage options.

I am extremely pleased with Governor Abercrombie’s immediate response to the crisis that developed over the last two years when the State administration refused any contributed increase funding in the face of double digit premium increases that ended up being borne completely by all public employees.  The Governor deserves our collective recognition for his taking this decisive action.

The EUTF has begun an open enrollment period for all public employees to change their selection of health insurance coverage.  A schedule of informational briefings has been posted on the EUTF website http://www.eutf.hawaii.gov/ under 2011 Open Enrollment Information.  These changes will take effect March 1, 2011.

Despite the Hawaii State Teachers’ Association filing a law suit against the EUTF to prevent the DOE teachers from having to participate in the EUTF, as provided by law, the EUTF Trustees on December 23rd extended the Open Enrollment for current active and retired public employees to those teachers wishing to participate in a EUTF health insurance benefit plan.  The EUTF has sent a memo to all teachers describing the EUTF’s response to the law suit and the judge’s order.  The Attorney General is appealing the judge’s order, despite his refusal to grant an injunction to prevent the teachers from having to return to the EUTF.

Click to view the EUTF Employee/Employer Contribution worksheet with rates effective March 1, 2011.

Click to view the unofficial comparison of the current BU07 employee contributions and the 2011 BU07 employee contributions worksheet.