MESSA: 'Here's The Data'

The Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA) is complying with the new state law requiring it to release group health insurance data to school districts. But so far that data isn't all that those who supported the new law hoped it would be.

"MESSA is complying with the law," Senate Education Committee Chair Wayne KUIPERS (R-Holland) told MIRS today. "Are they going back as far as I had hoped - no, they're not. But they are giving the information to the school districts and we'll have to wait and see how it can be used."

Kuipers, who is widely credited with making sure "MESSA reform" was part of last fall's budget agreement, said that if the data proves to not be sufficient, further legislation might be needed. But at this time the word is "wait and see."

The MESSA reforms the legislature passed required the education insurance group to turn over data for the groups (of 100 or more members) that it covers. Other insurance companies are required to reveal such data, which allows competing insurance companies to gauge whether or not they can offer competitive policies.

Obviously, the more information that rival insurance companies can get, the better they'd be able gauge costs and figure out what sort of coverage they might offer But MESSA claims that, until the new legislation was passed last year, it had never complied data in the form that the legislation requires. Therefore MESSA has no data to offer that precedes the Dec. 1, 2007 date the legislation required - and actually the legislation wouldn't have required MESSA to turn over such data even if it had it.

"I think it's a pretty clear interpretation of the law," MESSA spokesman Gary FRALICK told MIRS today. "As we've analyzed it, we were required to start compiling the data in December and that's what we did. We haven't compiled it that way in the past."

MESSA was accused of dragging its feet on making the data available, (See "MESSA Compliance, A Timing Issue?" 04/04/08). However, it appears now that those who supported the reform agree that MESSA is complying with the letter of the law, while perhaps skirting the intent.

"Sure we're hearing from the districts that they are receiving the data," said Brad BILADEAU of the Michigan Association of School Administrators. But it doesn't go back very far. For instance, Delta Dental provides data going back three years."

Under the law, MESSA will be turning over the data each April, so this year school districts will have turned in three months worth of data (Dec, Jan, and Feb); next April they will have turn in 15 months worth, and by April 2010, they will have provided 27 months worth of information, etc.

"Now that may not be what some people thought the law was," Fralick added. "But we're following the law."

Kuipers told MIRS that the initial information has come in lower than were expected.

"That may mean that we're already saving money," Kuipers said.