Possibility of strikes delays SCHA implementation

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 13, 2001

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Thursday, September 13, 2001

An anticipated union strike by Minnesota state employees will put off the launch of the South Country Health Alliance, a new community-based health care system that is expected to cover about 1,700 Freeborn County residents.

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SCHA consists of nine counties, including Freeborn, in the state. Replacing Medicaid run by the state, it will serve as the managed-care provider for about 10,000 eligible residents.

The program will allow the counties to better integrate those residents’ health care services with other related services already provided through the counties. Most Medicare beneficiaries are to be transferred into the SCHA system.

Originally SCHA was scheduled to start its service Oct. 1. But due to the anticipated strike, it became difficult for the Minnesota Department of Human Service to alter its computer data for the SCHA eligible. Thus, the SCHA officials decided to postpone the program to Nov. 1.

The union, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, could go on strike Oct. 1, if the mediation efforts by the Bureau of Mediation Services and the Department of Employee Relations fail. 29,500 employees, 60 percent of Minnesota’s government work force, would walk off from their jobs.

The SCHA would not be the only program the strike affects.

The Freeborn County Department of Human Service is unsettled since four state employees are incorporated in some county programs such as nursing, therapy and recreation. According to the department, two of them belong to the union.

Even the other two would have to go other work places outside the county to fill up the shortage if the strike would occur, said director Darryl Meyer.

The union also has members at Riverland Community College and Myre-Big Island State Park in the Albert Lea area.