Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Member Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Members urge clearer billing help, infertility coverage fixes and specialty‑drug transparency
Summary
Multiple public commenters asked the board for a dental billing helpline, broader infertility benefit changes, clearer disclosure of negotiated specialty‑drug rates, and expanded meal delivery coverage after discharge; staff said some issues would be investigated and follow up provided.
During the general public comment period, retirees and city employees raised benefit access and medication safety concerns and urged HSS follow‑up.
Rudy Faltus, representing retired educators, thanked Diane Ehrlich for long service and introduced Gail Au as incoming retiree health committee chair. Gail Au (AFT retired teachers) requested a UHC/UHC dental helpline to resolve billing disputes, reported anecdotal concerns about a diabetes medication she identified as "Medforma" and urged consideration of discharge meal delivery for Kaiser members analogous to UnitedHealthcare benefits. Executive Director Abby Yant said staff would investigate and follow up on the drug question and the meal delivery request.
Erica Maybaum, a city employee, criticized a November memo on infertility benefits that she said “makes no measurable impact to lesbian couples or single moms by choice” and urged further action or clarification; she described wide price variation for specialty drugs and proposed that staff collect negotiated rates and sample out‑of‑pocket costs for the 75–100 most prescribed specialty medicines to identify potential cost savings and improved member notice. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about how negotiated rates and member liability are calculated; Mitchell Griggs (COO) said the trust absorbs FSA administrative costs and noted FSA uptake grows gradually.
Board staff committed to investigate the pharmacy/drug concern and to follow up about billing and paratransit handling; no formal policy changes were adopted during public comment.
