Gary Albrecht This is Me

 View all 26 references Web References

1. 1. Teachers weigh health care options | The Janesville Gazette | Janesville, Wisconsin, USA

   www.gazetteextra.com/teacherhe - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/17/2005   Last Visited: 7/17/2005

   "Because the WEA plan is so closely related to teachers unions, teachers assume it's the best deal, and nonteaching staff get pulled into the plan, too-often, for no good reason," said Gary Albrecht, administrator of Cooperative Educational Services Agency 2.
   
   CESA is in the business of contracting with school districts to provide such services as special education and technological expertise.
   
   Albrecht is working with the Associated Financial Group/Jabas Benefit Consultants in Madison to educate schools on alternatives to WEA plans.
   
   AFG/Jabas works with more than 50 school districts statewide.
   ...
   The annual cost for family coverage under WEA health plans is about $17,080 per year, Albrecht said.
   
   By switching health care providers, districts could free up more than $7,000 per employee per year, Albrecht said.
   
   "We now know there are alternatives that work," Albrecht said."By taking a wider view, some school districts now provide a health plan that competes favorably with the WEA plan."
   
   Employees still retain quality coverage with alternative plans.The decrease in premium costs has allowed districts to offer higher wages or increase staff, Albrecht said.
   
   Teachers, however, aren't jumping on the bandwagon to switch plans, he added.
   
   WEA still provides health care benefits for 79 percent of school district employees in South Central Wisconsin, Albrecht said.
   ...
   Albrecht believes that another reason teachers refuse to switch is they have a bad image of HMOs.
   
   "In the beginning, the image was well-deserved," Albrecht said.
   
   But that's changed.HMOs are more feasible now compared to the past, he added.
   
   Also, some teacher contracts prohibit changing insurance providers unless the change is for an equal or better plan, Albrecht said.
   
   He knows firsthand about the financial challenges facing Wisconsin school districts.Before becoming the CESA 2 administrator, Albrecht was employed 32 years as the superintendent of the Evansville School District.Before that, he worked five years as the elementary school principal for the district.

2. 2. www.cesa4.org

   www.cesa4.org/welcome/cesaadm. - [Cached]

   Published on: 6/24/2008   Last Visited: 6/24/2008

   Gary Albrecht 448 E. High StreetMilton, WI 53563 (608) 758-6232 (608) 868-4864

3. 3. newglarus.wi.schoolwebpages.com

   newglarus.wi.schoolwebpages.co - [Cached]

   Published on: 1/23/2008   Last Visited: 4/26/2008

   CESA 2 Agency Administrator Gary Albrecht appeared before the Board to provide