Employee Insurance Committee

Purpose:

This policy recognizes the legislative requirement to competitively select insurance products paid for by employees through payroll deduction. The related procedures define the function, duties and responsibilities of the Employee Insurance Committee.

Scope:

The Employee Insurance Committee is responsible for determining employees’ needs and desires for supplemental insurance products and to competitively select the best insurance products to meet those needs and desires. Insurance products selected by the Employee Insurance Committee are available through payroll deduction to all permanent employees working at least half-time.

Policy:

The University of North Carolina at Asheville will competitively select insurance products paid for by employees via payroll deduction slots in adherence with General Statute 58-31-60.

Appointment of Committee Members – The Chancellor shall appoint the rotating members of the Employee Insurance Committee. The University Benefits Administrator shall be a permanent member of the Committee. The Committee shall consist of no less that five or more than nine members. The committee members shall, except where necessary initially to establish the rotation herein described, serve three-year terms with approximately one-third of the terms expiring annually. Members of the Committee will be subject to reappointment.

Committee membership make-up shall fairly represent the work force at UNCA. It shall be the duty of the Chancellor to assure that the Employee Insurance Committee is completely autonomous in its selection of insurance products and insurance companies and that no member of the Employee Insurance Committee has any conflict of interest in serving on the Committee.

No one who has supervisory authority over any member of the Committee shall attempt to influence the autonomy of the Insurance Committee in the operation of the Committee or to open or disclose a sealed insurance product proposal (see Procedures for Selection of Insurance Products Proposals for these procedures).

Payroll Deduction Slots – UNCA is entitled to not less than four payroll deduction slots to be used for payment of insurance premiums for products selected by the Employee Insurance Committee and offered to employees.

Companies selected by the Employee Insurance Committee shall be permitted to sell through payroll deduction only the products specifically approved by the Employee Insurance Committee. Only representatives from insurance companies approved by the Employee Insurance Committee will be allowed to conduct business on campus.

The assignment by the Employee Insurance Committee of a payroll deduction slot shall be for the period of the contract (not less than two years) unless the insurance company shall be in violation of the terms of the written agreement setting out the rights and duties of the insurance company.

Insurance companies that are awarded contracts must solicit at least ten (10) participants for payroll deduction within 90 days of the effective date of the contract in order to maintain a payroll deduction slot. The insurance company awarded a payroll deduction slot shall be afforded an opportunity to solicit employees by making such employees aware that a representative of the company will be available at a specified time and location convenient to the employee. Other than these specified periods, insurance representatives may meet with employees by individual appointment only.

Once an employee has selected an insurance product for payroll deduction, that product may not be removed from payroll deduction without his or her specific written consent. The only exception is cases in which the insurance company does not solicit ten (10) participants for payroll deduction within 90 days of the effective date of the contract.

Procedures for Selection of Insurance Products Proposals –All insurance products proposals shall be sealed. The Committee shall open all proposals in public and record them in the minutes of the Committee, at which time the proposals become public records open to public inspection.

After the public opening, the Committee shall review proposals, examining the cost and quality of the products, the reputation and capabilities of the companies, and other pertinent criteria. The Committee shall determine which, if any, would meet the needs and desires of University employees and award the payroll slot. The Committee may reject any or all proposals.

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