| Guerren Solbach loves his job — and
the employees and retirees he meets.
He is the Health Care Facilitator at UC Davis. He almost didn't apply
for the position, but now he is so glad that he did.
Each UC campus and laboratory has a health care facilitator (HCF).
The HCFs, who work out of the Benefits Offices, are knowledgeable counselors
who provide employees, retirees, survivors, and their family members
with free, confidential one-on-one assistance in resolving health plan
issues. They also present programs on health related topics and are
some of the most knowledgeable people at UC regarding the UC medical
plans.
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Solbach says that because HCFs spend
much of their time trouble shooting, they become experts on the health
plans. "The HCFs know what medical groups are available locally, and
they have contacts and information that other people don't have," Solbach
says. "In the HMO world, you can get things resolved if you know who
to call."
As one might imagine, Solbach receives a variety
of inquiries from employees and retirees. One common question from
employees is what to do about medical insurance for their college-age
children. He says most employees are enrolled in HMOs, and when a child
goes to school out of their plan's service area, the HMO provides only
emergency coverage. Employees must decide whether to purchase student
insurance and/or change to another type of medical plan during Open
Enrollment, which makes the HCF perspective helpful.
To
find the
Health Care Facilitator on your campus, see the Directory on
At Your Service. |
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Solbach enjoys
problem-solving and troubleshooting, and isn't afraid to
go to bat for his UC Davis employees. "I like to take all these complicated things — Social
Security, Medicare, pension income, medical plans — and
smooth out all the curves so it's a nice straight line for
people."
Solbach says the people he deals with are very grateful for
his help because they can't get it anywhere else.
Twice a year, Solbach takes his expertise on the road,
offering different programs to faculty and staff at UC Davis
and UC Davis Medical Center. The programs provide insight
into the similarities and differences among UC's many plans,
give tips on how to save money on medical costs; and explain
eligibility for UC-sponsored retiree medical and how Medicare
works with the various UC-sponsored plans.
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One
of Solbach's tips is how to save money on prescriptions.
Besides the obvious tip to use generic drugs whenever possible,
he suggests bringing a copy of the medical plan's drug formulary
with you to your doctor's office. "Doctors don't know which
drugs each plan prefers. My doctor once prescribed a drug
that wasn't on my plan's list. When I showed him the formulary,
he found a very similar drug that was listed, which saved
me at least $25."
Solbach has a long history at UC Davis.
He has been the Health Care Facilitator for the past five
years. Before that, he was a Davis Benefits Representative
for six years. And before that, he was a UC Davis student!
When the HCF position was announced in
2002, Guerren was at first reluctant to apply. Although he
knew the job change would be a promotion for him, he was
afraid the job would be mostly negative, since it dealt mainly
with problems and complaints. But it has turned out to be
a very positive experience. "This
job is never the same. When I pick up the phone, there is
no telling what the issue will be," says Solbach. "UC Davis
has been very kind to me. I'm the luckiest guy you know." |
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Home < Human
Resources and Benefits Briefing < June
2007
