Followup on the report of the UNICEF / CIGNA meeting between Souleymane Diabate and Bandjougou Magassa, Director of Human Resources
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Very best. Souleymane
Reply from Bandjougou Magassa, Director of Human Resources, UNICEF
Dear Souleymane,
Greetings and hope this message finds you well.
I would suggest that you share your feedback with Ronald with copy to Abhijit. They will review and revert to you.
As I mentioned during the workshop, policy related matters are beyond the scope of our discussions. Reimbursement rate is a policy matter. For IPs, this is handled by the UN Secretariat Health and Life Insurance Section and involves the entire UN Common System, as well as ICSC and the General Assembly. For national staff, MIP is managed by UNICEF. We could therefore have some room for maneuver for MIP, although we need to be mindful of implications on other agencies.
Best regards
Magassa
Email from Souleymane Diabate to Bandjougou Magassa, Director DHR, UNICEF
Dear Bandjougou - I pray this meets you fine.
I have received the attached report from Ronald.
Must admit, after such rich discussion and agreed recommendation, the report is heavily redacted/sanitized. To illustrate my point here are a few examples:
1. The need to review reimbursement rates as health care costs have globally increased.
2. Review reimbursement for dental care as technology has changed, increasing dental care including implants, etc.
3. Role and access to Cigna focal points, the issues was their role, and access regionally.
4. Mobility of staff /retirees that travel and get sick away from home/duty station… asked for a policy review
5. While UNICEF has the largest number of staff, we asked that unicef look at other services rendered to other UN agencies Cost to staff/reimbursement rates.
6. Strengthen relationship with Service providers
7. Role/consultation with the UN doctor aimed at strengthening relationships with service providers and Cigna.
8. Review of optical service, currently reimbursement for optical service is every two years as an example. ( prevention service)
9. Prevention campaign but we discussed based on global changing recommendations review reimbursement for preventive screening.
I have reluctantly shared the report to the retiree but I am concerned that the report falls short of addressing most of the concerns.
May I respectfully urge you to review this draft.
Very Best. Souleymane
Reply from Bandjougou Magassa, Director of Human Resources, UNICEF
Dear Souleymane,
Greetings and hope this message finds you well.
I would suggest that you share your feedback with Ronald with copy to Abhijit. They will review and revert to you.
As I mentioned during the workshop, policy related matters are beyond the scope of our discussions. Reimbursement rate is a policy matter. For IPs, this is handled by the UN Secretariat Health and Life Insurance Section and involves the entire UN Common System, as well as ICSC and the General Assembly. For national staff, MIP is managed by UNICEF. We could therefore have some room for maneuver for MIP, although we need to be mindful of implications on other agencies.
Best regards
Magassa
Email from Souleymane Diabate to Bandjougou Magassa, Director DHR, UNICEF
Dear Bandjougou - I pray this meets you fine.
I have received the attached report from Ronald.
Must admit, after such rich discussion and agreed recommendation, the report is heavily redacted/sanitized. To illustrate my point here are a few examples:
1. The need to review reimbursement rates as health care costs have globally increased.
2. Review reimbursement for dental care as technology has changed, increasing dental care including implants, etc.
3. Role and access to Cigna focal points, the issues was their role, and access regionally.
4. Mobility of staff /retirees that travel and get sick away from home/duty station… asked for a policy review
5. While UNICEF has the largest number of staff, we asked that unicef look at other services rendered to other UN agencies Cost to staff/reimbursement rates.
6. Strengthen relationship with Service providers
7. Role/consultation with the UN doctor aimed at strengthening relationships with service providers and Cigna.
8. Review of optical service, currently reimbursement for optical service is every two years as an example. ( prevention service)
9. Prevention campaign but we discussed based on global changing recommendations review reimbursement for preventive screening.
I have reluctantly shared the report to the retiree but I am concerned that the report falls short of addressing most of the concerns.
May I respectfully urge you to review this draft.
Very Best. Souleymane
This discussion brings to mind the death benefit I stood to qualify when working as a consultant to UNICEF in Jenin (Palestine) in 2002 - which is lifted from a message to my wife at the time:
ReplyDeleteI really cannot remember whether I told you – my UNICEF consultants’ insurance is a little better than it was when I was a UNICEF staff member. Because the area in which I am working is considered high-risk, the maximum value of my insurance is now $500,000.
This is what it means:
Our present pension income is $30,000/yr
If I pre-decease you, it becomes $15,000/yr
Investing $500,000 in Bonds at 5% gives: $25,000/yr
Thus Pension + Insurance gives you: $40,000/yr
This means that you will be rather better off without me if the worst were to happen. . . . .