A public hearing on a bill that would bring choice back to GovGuam employees and retirees health insurance is set for Monday.

Bill 255 looks to bring back the choice for government employees and retirees. Sen. Jose Pedo Terlaje and Speaker Tina Muna Barnes' measure would allow GovGuam's negotiating team to select the top two health insurance provider bids instead of allowing one company to win the bid.

Sen. Terlaje has said he experienced issues with sole-provider Aetna, and he's not alone. Speaker Barnes also sais she's gotten a litany of complaints from Aetna subscribers.

Mae Duarte is one of several Aetna subscribers who have had issues with their coverage in the Philippines. Even Sen. Terlaje said he had problems with a Letter of Authorization. They were told everything would be taken care of in the PI - but Duarte says that was far from the truth.

"When we got to the PI they needed the LOA (letter of authorization) from Guam, so I was very adamant as far as not leaving the office," she told KUAM News. "I was insistent that the get a hold of Guam and the LOA from Guam because we're here and I have a procedure that needs to be done. There were some patients there who were not as fortunate as I was. Previous healthcare providers, once you get the LOA from Guam, you just go to the clinic. You just show up with your LOA - they have everything there."

An informational hearing with Aetna fell a little short on the information end when representatives from the company told senators they couldn't answer questions since any questions would have to be run by the stateside-based company's bosses.

"You have premiums already being paid to Aetna, so why is it there's a delay in services or even information," Duarte questioned.

Things have been so bad that even the Mayors' Council of Guam passed a resolution asking senators to allow more than one health insurance provider to service GovGuam retirees and employees.
And while many have had their unfair share of problems with Aetna, Duarte, like the mayors and Sen. Terlaje, say they just want the freedom to have a choice.

"I like choice and that's just my personal preference," Duarte said. "I like choice," Duarte said. "I'm an active GovGuam employee. We've always had that option."

The public hearing for Bill 255 is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. The bill has been referred to Speaker Barnes' committee, so if you'd like to submit testimony, you can email it to speakerbarnes@guamlegislature.org