ISU health insurance costs increase

Oct. 24--Indiana State University employees will pay about 4.9 percent more next year for health benefits, the first increase in three years, officials say.

The ISU board of trustees approved the increases during a meeting Friday.

Health insurance increases for participating employees range from $8 to $31 per month, depending on the plan chosen.

The total plan cost for active employees is about $20 million annually, said Diann McKee, senior vice president for finance and administration. That cost is covered by both employees and the university.

The increase is necessary due to increased usage and higher actual claim costs, particularly with specialty drugs, she said.

Someone on the employee-only PPO plan would pay $12 more per month, or $253 per month, in 2021; someone on the employee/dependents PPO plan would pay $31 more per month, or $668 per month, next year.

The high deductible plan would cost less, and employees who make below 200% of federal poverty level also pay less.

Trustee chairman Jeff Taylor described the increase as "modest" and pointed out it's the first in three years. "I think the university has done a good job managing these costs, but I'm afraid increases to some degree are inevitable."

Pathway to Blue

Also at the meeting, ISU provost Mike Licari told trustees that the university's partnership with Ivy Tech, called Pathway to Blue, is off to a successful start.

The one-year program allows students to live on ISU's campus and have full access to dining centers, facilities, and events while taking classes at Ivy Tech's Terre Haute campus. Those students will have a seamless transfer process into ISU.

"As part of our strategic enrollment management pivot, we recognize that some students are best served by starting their college careers at Ivy Tech in order to get the academic support they need before transferring smoothly to ISU," Licari said in an ISU news release.

"The initial cohort is off to a great start, and the demand for Pathway to Blue actually exceeded program capacity. We are grateful to our colleagues and partners at the Terre Haute Ivy Tech campus, and we look forward to expanding this program."

More information is available at: www.indstate.edu/apply/pathway-to-blue.

Other business

In other parts of the meeting, the board:

--Expanded membership on the President's Council on Inclusive Excellence.

--Heard an introduction of Terry Daugherty, new dean of the Scott College of Business.

--Recognized Andrea Angel, vice president for university advancement and CEO of the ISU Foundation, for being honored among Terre Haute's "12 Under 40" leaders of the year by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce and the Tribune-Star.

--Recognized Ardell Sanders, director of residential education, for being honored by the Association of College and University Housing Officers for his work during the pandemic.

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