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Health Benefits May Be Killed - Article
- Thread starter Justme
- Start date
Dilligas
Veteran
Yes, to take advantage of that premium first class "service".BoeingBoy said:
Most expensive bag of chips you'll ever buy.
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
- Banned
- #33
On the thread topic - health benefits.....
From US Airways Today, August 2, 2004"
3/NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON HEALTH BENEFITS ERRONEOUS
An article in the Saturday edition of the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review stating that US Airways wants to "wipe
out" medical and prescription drug coverage for
airport and reservations employees is erroneous, said
Jerry Glass, senior vice president of employee
relations. "The article is flat out wrong. The company
has not made a proposal to eliminate such benefits for
active employees," he said. The newspaper has since
corrected the inaccuracy.
Notice the "for active employees" in there.
Jim
From US Airways Today, August 2, 2004"
3/NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ON HEALTH BENEFITS ERRONEOUS
An article in the Saturday edition of the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review stating that US Airways wants to "wipe
out" medical and prescription drug coverage for
airport and reservations employees is erroneous, said
Jerry Glass, senior vice president of employee
relations. "The article is flat out wrong. The company
has not made a proposal to eliminate such benefits for
active employees," he said. The newspaper has since
corrected the inaccuracy.
Notice the "for active employees" in there.
Jim
Notice the term ACTIVE, instead Doctor Jerry wants to go after the men and women who put in their entire life in at U and wipe out their healthcare coverage with one swipe of his bloody pen.BoeingBoy said:
I wonder if he needs sleeping pills or does it come natural.
While I feel for retirees possibly losing their health care payments by the company, it could be worse. There are two options the company can go with if this is necessary:
(1) Wipe out the retiree health care altogther and make retirees find their own. This would be very expensive for retirees, plus some may not be able to get coverage if they have pre-existing conditions.
(2) Allow the retirees to stay part of the group plan, but it comes on their own dime. This would be less expensive as they would maintain a group rate, and could maintain coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Most retirees are collecting some sort of retirement from US, plus if they are not yet of Social Security age, I am sure most are in other employment. If they are in Social Security, they are eligible for MediCaid. Not sure what the numbers are or if any of this is possible, but option 2 would seem to lessen the impact.
(1) Wipe out the retiree health care altogther and make retirees find their own. This would be very expensive for retirees, plus some may not be able to get coverage if they have pre-existing conditions.
(2) Allow the retirees to stay part of the group plan, but it comes on their own dime. This would be less expensive as they would maintain a group rate, and could maintain coverage for pre-existing conditions.
Most retirees are collecting some sort of retirement from US, plus if they are not yet of Social Security age, I am sure most are in other employment. If they are in Social Security, they are eligible for MediCaid. Not sure what the numbers are or if any of this is possible, but option 2 would seem to lessen the impact.
Dark Cloud
Member
- Aug 20, 2002
- 54
- 0
N628AU,
Good post. I think if the Co. does drop medical for the employees, doesn't COBRA fall into the process? Believe me , I know from experience how costly insurance can be. I retired from U 2 years ago at age 56 and my wife retired from her job 2 years ago. Her company allowed her to keep her insurance, as long as she picked up the tab. Which we did, because I had a feeling that U would do this some day. It's now costing us $1300. a mo. to keep hers. Which I don't dare to drop. It's a shame the way U is now going after the employees especially the retirees. Especially when you hear about the way the "higher ups" get all the benefits. No reason for them and their families to fly pos. space etc. Should be interesting if all the retirees from higher managment loose their insurance. Which I doubt. And one other thing about the retirees. Doubt if the unions going to fight hard for us. We seem to be out of the picture now. And will become the sacrificial lambs.
Good post. I think if the Co. does drop medical for the employees, doesn't COBRA fall into the process? Believe me , I know from experience how costly insurance can be. I retired from U 2 years ago at age 56 and my wife retired from her job 2 years ago. Her company allowed her to keep her insurance, as long as she picked up the tab. Which we did, because I had a feeling that U would do this some day. It's now costing us $1300. a mo. to keep hers. Which I don't dare to drop. It's a shame the way U is now going after the employees especially the retirees. Especially when you hear about the way the "higher ups" get all the benefits. No reason for them and their families to fly pos. space etc. Should be interesting if all the retirees from higher managment loose their insurance. Which I doubt. And one other thing about the retirees. Doubt if the unions going to fight hard for us. We seem to be out of the picture now. And will become the sacrificial lambs.
BoeingBoy
Veteran
- Nov 9, 2003
- 16,512
- 5,865
- Banned
- #38
"Doubt if the unions going to fight hard for us. We seem to be out of the picture now. And will become the sacrificial lambs."
You could very well be right about that. However, many of us active employees are looking at retirement not that far down the road and take an interest in this too.
Jim
You could very well be right about that. However, many of us active employees are looking at retirement not that far down the road and take an interest in this too.
Jim
N628AU
For a member of the CWA who was even covered under the old retirement plan the option of paying it all or COBRA just about eats up our whole retirement. We could have insurance but not much else or we could have a little something and no insurance. For pre medicare people not very good options.
BoeingBoy
Jim you are right and for a pilot its a long time from 60 until 65. Some people might not get hit this time but noone is safe from it. A few years ago i would have never though pilots would lose their DB pension plan.
For a member of the CWA who was even covered under the old retirement plan the option of paying it all or COBRA just about eats up our whole retirement. We could have insurance but not much else or we could have a little something and no insurance. For pre medicare people not very good options.
BoeingBoy
Jim you are right and for a pilot its a long time from 60 until 65. Some people might not get hit this time but noone is safe from it. A few years ago i would have never though pilots would lose their DB pension plan.
Seatacus
Veteran
When is there going to be law against these bait and switch retirement programs. People leave after years of giving their life's energy to a company and have no say of what happens to their benefits. They are at the whim of the company and "active" employees who may not even be thinking about retirement. :down:
28yrsnojob
Senior
- Jan 2, 2004
- 411
- 4
:down: 
How does it feel to be treated like this . I was this is what you voted
for.
How does it feel to be treated like this . I was this is what you votedfor.
Keep in mind I am not talking about COBRA rates here. The problem with COBRA is you are paying an additional "service charge" figured into your monthly premium for program oversight and administration. The fact that my 80/20 BCBS plan was a little over $100 month compared to $280 for BCBS from the company (still an 80/20) plan under COBRA.
Under the scenario I described, the company would continue to pay the the retiree premium and and the retiree would pay the company whatever the premium was. Is it going to be cheap? No, but probably less expensive than someone going and getting their own insurance at age 60 for them and a spouse, considering by age 60 even the best of us have some health issues.
I wonder if the company would look at going to an HSA (Heathcare Savings Account) for all employees. Passed with the MediCare restructuring passed recently, it is a hidden gem whose benefits for the enitre healthcare system would not be seen for some time down the road. Here is how it works:
The company puts a very high deuctible plan into place (i.e. $3500 annually). As an employee, you can put up to that amount annually tax free into an HSA to pay off any deductibles. Differently from an FSA, the money does not go poof into smoke at the end of the year if not used. Your insurance pays nothing on claims until you hit the deductible annually, then 100% of everything thereafter upto a lifetime limit of something in the neighborhood of $8 million. You can pay out of your HSA to cover your out-of-pocket expenses tax free (which would equate to a real dollar savings somewhere in the 25% range.
The purpose is to get people to stop filing claims on piddly stuff like routine office visits and the sniffles, which help to drive up cost by piling on all the administrative work with claims that insurance companies burden on these small claims. In turn, it would result in lower premiums to cover the stuff you truly need the insurance for, catastrophic illness, hospitalization, and surgery.
Under the scenario I described, the company would continue to pay the the retiree premium and and the retiree would pay the company whatever the premium was. Is it going to be cheap? No, but probably less expensive than someone going and getting their own insurance at age 60 for them and a spouse, considering by age 60 even the best of us have some health issues.
I wonder if the company would look at going to an HSA (Heathcare Savings Account) for all employees. Passed with the MediCare restructuring passed recently, it is a hidden gem whose benefits for the enitre healthcare system would not be seen for some time down the road. Here is how it works:
The company puts a very high deuctible plan into place (i.e. $3500 annually). As an employee, you can put up to that amount annually tax free into an HSA to pay off any deductibles. Differently from an FSA, the money does not go poof into smoke at the end of the year if not used. Your insurance pays nothing on claims until you hit the deductible annually, then 100% of everything thereafter upto a lifetime limit of something in the neighborhood of $8 million. You can pay out of your HSA to cover your out-of-pocket expenses tax free (which would equate to a real dollar savings somewhere in the 25% range.
The purpose is to get people to stop filing claims on piddly stuff like routine office visits and the sniffles, which help to drive up cost by piling on all the administrative work with claims that insurance companies burden on these small claims. In turn, it would result in lower premiums to cover the stuff you truly need the insurance for, catastrophic illness, hospitalization, and surgery.
Boy does that hit home for the people who put their trust in this wicked bunch.AP Tech said:
I bet they are sitting home now thinking, " If I only knew I would never have caved". Well boys and girls I sure won't be singing that song!
I think it’s a damn shame we have government leaders who were bought off by corporate America via lobbyists taking away a man's lifelong work to secure healthcare and pension benefits.
If a company needs to go the those extremes then it shouldn't be allowed to stay in business but assets sold so those obligations are met.
For people with money to tell companies like UAL they must sacrifice the employees pensions before they get any more money should simply be illegal because it sure in hell is not moral in any stretch no matter how you try to justify it!
They should get every dime back from the golden parachutes in the last 15 years, pensions and promised health care benefits should be sacred!
Dark Cloud
Member
- Aug 20, 2002
- 54
- 0
Boeing Boy
Since you are not that far down the road to retirement, just watch. I had 34 years and it seemed like the last several contracts, the younger generation really didn't care about fighting for retirement benefits. And now thinking back to it, maybe they were somewhat right. I know they wanted the money then and not later. All that fighting for those later benefits, and the Co. can change it at their wish. . Seems like it was all for nothing. Good luck in your battle. Looks like it's going to be the worst ever.
Since you are not that far down the road to retirement, just watch. I had 34 years and it seemed like the last several contracts, the younger generation really didn't care about fighting for retirement benefits. And now thinking back to it, maybe they were somewhat right. I know they wanted the money then and not later. All that fighting for those later benefits, and the Co. can change it at their wish. . Seems like it was all for nothing. Good luck in your battle. Looks like it's going to be the worst ever.
