"My daughter lives in California, and when she got sick, I thought my group health would cover her. No sir," he says. "I was shocked to find out my daughter wasn't covered. I was very disappointed in it. [Harvard's] health plan is 100 years old, even though it's revised."

Rising Costs

Since 1988, Harvard's benefits costs have risen 15 percent, according to the task force report. Much of that increase may have been due to the generous 85 percent contribution to premiums.

"The University created this problem. In 1989, the University increased its contribution very liberally," says Mallinckrodt Professor of Applied Physics Professor William Paul. "Between 1988 and 1993, 800 new families joined the plan, at a cost of $4.8 million."

"In effect, Harvard is subsidizing other large employers in Massachusetts because of the disproportionate enrollment in our plans instead of theirs," says a source close to the task force. "The benefits changes adopted do not address this serious problem at all."

One factor the task force didn't have during their evaluation was the 1995 health care premiums, which for Bay State, HCHP, HUGHP, Pilgrim and Tufts have gone down by two to $12.

"It leaves a real big question in our minds, 'Well, why would we be interested in that then?'" says Williams. "We're not taking the set of changes, and our rates are going down."

According to the report, Harvard's costs rose an average of 21 percent between 1988 and 1993. It is not clear how much the task force expected premiums to change this year.

Another goal of the task force may have been to encourage employees to switch to their spouse's plan.

But according to some employees, Harvard's benefits program is still more generous than other employers.

"I was a chef at Johnson and Wales. This is much better," says James Taylor, a food production manager in Eliot-Kirkland who came to Harvard in September. "I'm a diabetic, and all my stuff will be covered."

Taylor says he spent $300 a month on a blood testing machine while working at Johnson and Wales. HCHP will cover that cost.

Taylor's family is covered by his wife's health plan at the Inn at Harvard. He says, though, that he will probably consider putting the whole family on the HCHP family plan.

The University currently offers its employees the choice of eight health plans.

"Harvard has very good choice. I feel that's pretty good," says one security guard whose wife and four children are covered under his Bay State family plan. "I didn't even have to fill out the form [this year]. I kept everything."