Governor signs health insurance contracts

by Mindy Aguon

Guam - Thousands of Government of Guam retirees and employees will have health insurance coverage come Friday, October 1.  Even though he's in Lake Tahoe, California, Governor Felix Camacho signed the government's Healthcare Insurance Program for Fiscal Year 2011.

Camacho stated, "The contract is in compliance with the recently signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act by President Barack Obama and is for the first time done prior to when contract coverage is scheduled to begin.  I want to thank the negotiating team, the Department of Administration, the Office of the Attorney General, and consultant Aon Insurance for their due diligence in seeing this contract through from start to finish."

Governor Camacho meanwhile also signed the Fiscal Year 2010 healthcare insurance program contract that had been at the Attorney General's Office.  The AG expressed concerns about a dispute resolution clause that it believed was contrary to Guam law.  That particular provision was amended in the FY2011 healthcare plan.  The governor added that the signing "should put to rest the anxieties of the active employees and GovGuam retirees." 

Acting Governor Mike Cruz meanwhile had sought for the parties to return to the negotiating table as he believed the rates were too high.