Authored by North Memorial MNA Stewards
Since January 2024, North Memorial nurses and other frontline employees have been trying to adjust to a new medical insurance plan changed by hospital mismanagement before the new year. In another cost cutting measure, employees across the hospital were switched from Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance to a plan managed by United Medical Resources. For months, many of our colleagues experienced lapses in coverage for providers, medications, various treatments and ongoing denied claims. While an MNA actuarial review of the policies indicated that they are similar on paper, many MNA nurses found in practice that the time spent contesting denials, finding new providers, and negotiating health care for them and their families proved difficult and, at times, exhausting.
The employee insurance change is only one of the many cuts to our working conditions and healthcare services that executives of North Memorial are implementing in 2024. It was announced in March that outpatient mental health services affecting 3,400 people would be terminated. The hospital has also implemented a full closure of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. To push back on these changes, we hosted a press conference on May 6 in response to the patient care cuts and continue to organize through monthly hospital steward meetings.
On Wednesday, August 7, a general membership meeting was called where discussion centered around the health insurance change. Under North Memorial’s MNA Bargaining Unit Guidelines, members can call meetings, conduct union business, and draw decisions if a quorum of members attend. The result of the meeting was the adoption of a resolution condemning the new health insurance and placing demands on hospital management for a reversal of their decision to abandon the prior Blue Cross policy. Copies of the resolution were sent to hospital management and all North Memorial MNA nurses. The resolution states the official position of our North membership, articulates a demand for improved insurance, and gives members the basis for additional organizing and campaigning. Because the insurance changes affect nearly all frontline employees of North, we are also taking the resolution to SEIU Healthcare (the union representing Emergency Medical Technicians and other medical workers through North Memorial Health) for endorsement.
We will continue to organize around multiple issues heading into the 2025 contract negotiations and may begin holding regular membership meetings to address ongoing hospital issues and developments, hold discussions, and to build member leadership across North Memorial hospital.
Resolution follows:
Health Insurance Resolution
Adopted by North Memorial Bargaining Unit Membership on 8/7/24
A resolution to address cuts and dysfunction to healthcare benefits at North Memorial Health for Minnesota Nurses Association RNs and essential employees.
WHEREAS: The frontline nurses and other essential employees of North Memorial Health are the most important element in providing healthcare to thousands of patients across the North Metro area; and
WHEREAS As of January, 2024, the healthcare insurance of these nurses and other essential employees was changed from Blue Cross Blue Shield to UMR, a third-party administrator under United Healthcare; and
WHEREAS: This change in crucial healthcare benefits and access for the frontline nurses and other employees has resulted in ongoing and unpredictable additional costs, loss of care providers, changes to medication regimens and access, and alterations to the general healthcare of our frontline nurses and employees; and
WHEREAS: These changes have created an undue burden to the nurses and essential employees causing escalating stress and uncertainty across the frontline employees of North Memorial Health, and to the families we support and who rely upon us; and
WHEREAS: This decision was made without any substantive consulting, collaboration, or significant knowledge of the essential workers of North Memorial Health; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED by the nurses of North Memorial Health that we oppose the preceding decision to unilaterally alter our health insurance and thereby degrade our access to reliable and affordable health care for our members and their families.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the nurses of North Memorial Health submit that executive management of North Memorial Health return us our prior insurance policies at no additional cost or inconvenience to our members.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this restoration of our prior healthcare benefits take place no later than January 1, 2025.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any future considerations that could reasonably alter the benefits, access, and affordability of our members to the quality healthcare we have earned, be approved by the nurses and other frontline staff essential to the functioning and survival of North Memorial Health.