The political maneuvering over locating a California Obamacare enrollment Call Center in Contra Costa County has completely missed the point. What played out clearly illustrates that advocacy and assistance for healthcare consumers under the Affordable Healthcare Act (ACA) is not even on the agenda. Rather, it has become clear that implementation of the ACA in California has already devolved into a three ring circus of rent seeking, entrenched, political, bureaucratic, and union interests squabbling for their piece of the action.
In a late night meeting Friday, Contra Costa County Supervisors (BOS) voted to place the Health Exchange Call Center and its 205 (new) jobs in Concord. The hurried vote, originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 20, was most likely a move to present the State of California with a fait accompli, before embarassed State and Federal bureaucrats could cancel the contract with the County given the public spectacle that took place. This, after ten days of on-again off-again negotiations featuring the fitful graspings of State Senator DeSaulnier, the County Supervisors, and the cities of Concord and Richmond; not to mention outlandish demands from a (typically) ham-fisted AFSCME.
Not once during the open warfare over who would get what did the public hear any discussion concerning any serious plans to mitigate how badly the call center will be totally overwhelmed come January 1, 2014. You can take it to the bank that Call Center employees and its systems will be completely overrun by Charlie on opening day. Citizens, required to seek eligibility and then search for a plan they can afford, will be on the short end of the customer service stick without any recourse.
Not once did we hear about how the Call Center will implement best practices as recommended by Enroll America, a national clearing house for methods to make Obamacare enrollment easy for consumers.
Not once did we hear about ensuring quality service for 16 languages, the frail elderly, or literacy challenged callers; not to mention dropped calls, plus any combination of desperate, misinformed, and testy callers. The job description is far beyond the capacity of what will prove to be an inexperienced, ill-trained, and unprepared workforce and management guided by a sense of entitlement, who-cares job security, and “Sorry, I’m on my break,” union work rules.
What we witnessed instead was acceptance, rejection, and acceptance again for a contract by the BOS; during which both Concord and Richmond openly strutted their beauty, with the latter last seen searching high and low for a co-signor. And not only did AFSCME demand deal-killing increased wages beyond what the State was willing to pay for certain positions, it insisted that the 205 jobs be new hires, not just existing employees moved from existing County jobs; all the better to cushion union coffers thanks to the ACA. Then came the unproperly noticed, Brown-Act avoiding late night deal by the BOS, that, according to sources, could be reneged upon by the State of California at any time.
If the debate over the contract teaches us anything, the common Concord Call Center experience will be the DMV on steroids; paid by the State, operated by unionized county employees, with payment for underfunded pensions forced upon Contra Costa taxpayers.
Signing up for Obamacare will be sheer hell for millions of Americans as long as local politicians and unions look out for themselves instead of creating quality service for healthcare consumers.
Bill Gram-Reefer is Editor & Publisher of Halfway To Concord, founded in 2004. Halfway To Concord is the leading online source for community-driven political news, events, and opinion for Contra Costa County and the San Francisco East Bay.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I love the idea from what I have read. Would not mind volunteering my time there for 100 percent dental care to be done the right way. Thank you to everyone who made this job possible, and opening up new doors for a better future.
Can’t wait to see how a call center is going to unravel a mess like this: http://bit.ly/16QsLTh
Heaven help us.
It’s spelled: D-U-E D-I-L-I-G-E-N-C-E.
*Sigh*
http://bit.ly/106Eec7
Richmond Resident says: “I don’t quite see how a state health exchange could be run by a private company. If you are aware of that being a possibility, I’d love to hear it. ” Richmond Resident, you are now going to hear the truth. My company runs a call center. Using high-technology (comptuers, voice mail, recorded music, and more), my call center can do triple what a conventional call center can do. I pay better wages than the government and pay 100% of my employees’ health benefits. Never underestimate what an entrepreneur can do. Where was the government (the U.S. Postal Service) when it came to creating e-mail?
Richard Colman
Orinda, CA
Ed Ring’s recent column, “The Special Privileges And Exemptions of Public Sector Unions” is a timely reminder of the damaging effects of public sector union power taxpayers and our economy.
Here’s an excerpt:
“One of the biggest misconceptions held by many American voters – relentlessly reinforced by union propaganda – is that if you want to reform unions, you must be a tool of corporate interests. The truth is more subtle. Monopolies tend to collude.
“One of the biggest, dirtiest secrets of our time is the collusion between public sector unions and the most parasitical elements of America’s financial sector. When public sector unions ‘negotiate’ unsustainable pay and benefits, governments suffer spending deficits that must be papered over with hundreds of billions in debt underwritten on dubious terms by Wall Street financial firms.
“When unions ‘negotiate’ unsustainable pension benefits, taxpayer money is shoveled into Wall Street pension investment firms by the hundreds of billions each year – and when they fail to hit their targets, taxes go up even more.”
Read it all here: http://bit.ly/ZVtLEU
A huge boondoggle: that’s what the Contra Costa County call center is. The call center, to be placed in Concord, is supposed to handle inquiries about the Health Affordability Act (Obamacare). The starting wage at the call center will be $56,000 per year. The top wage will be $72,000 per year. These numbers do not include benefits. A private sector call center in Contra Costa County can be run for 30% to 40% less. The cost of running a call center would be even lower if the call center were in India or Sri Lanka.
Richard Colman
Orinda, CA
In response to Mr. Colman: India or Sri Lanka? So you’d rather capitalize on disadvantaged third world countries than provide jobs for your struggling community? If you’ve ever supported a family of four, you would know that $56,000 is hardly enough to cover the costs. If the state and county are to invest in a call center to support the needs of a very poor community when it comes to health care, it would be best to also invest in the community that struggles the most when it comes to job security. It was clear beyond a doubt that the call center should have been in Richmond. Ugly politics and favoritism are clearly at play with Contra Costa County and Concord.
Richmond Resident
Your sour grapes over Richmond losig the beauty contest of where the Call Center would be located aside, you miss the point. While Colman did use hyperbole, his point stands…why does the State or County government in particular, have to operate the Call Center? Why do the jobs have to be government jobs and not privately run even within Richmond? Would you bellyache about those jobs too? Why are government jobs the only acceptable ones for you? Do you enjoy gouging your neighbors to make something cost twice as much as it should? If Chevron did that you’d be barricading the gates.
I don’t quite see how a state health exchange could be run by a private company. If you are aware of that being a possibility, I’d love to hear it.
Also, Richmond presented a much more reasonable bid. The cost of opening the call center in Concord is gauging their community far more.
Richmond Resident
Back at you. What makes you think county unionistas can run a health exchange call center. Name one.
The reality is there are no health exchanges yet so your criticism is unfounded
But in reality land where you obviously don’t live, any insurance company has a call center that could service health exchange calls. Kaiser runs its call center which is far more demanding. Imagine what Apples customer service would be like if they licensed it to County employees…HA.
And I am sorry Richmond couldnt find a cosignor as the location would have been great for the taxi business being so far away from anything, including BART. Maybe you missed your entrepreneurial big break to open a local rickshaw business.
The City of Richmond offered a free shuttle to the site, not a rickshaw. Your insults show lack of character.
The health exchange was appointed to the state by Obamacare. It was the state that appointed the county, which may have been a mistake. I’m actually not criticizing your comment about a private company as an alternative, I would just like to know whether that would be an option, and whether the state had done so in the past.
Also, I think the union was far too demanding.
Not directed at RR, but of course saving money by letting the private sector compete for such work is against the law in Obamacare. But think about it, rickshaws will be huge and offer alternative transportation. Some entrpreneur should create a rickshaw business for Richmond, especially for that route.
Rickshaws are green and labor intensive, just like life will be without fossil fuels. Think of the Carbon Credits Richmond could snap up. The city will be rich like the one-percenters, and at the top of the steaming heap of satraps Gayle McLaughlin could wave her little red book as she rides around town waving to the impoverished peasants while she sings The Internationale.