Health Care 2008

[SKY HIGH]

LINK: http://www.afausairways.org/Eline/sep14_07.htm

BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR EAST EMPLOYEES IN 2008

The Company's unilateral decision last year to switch medical plan administrators from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBS) to United Health Care (UHC) caused numerous problems for East employees enrolled in the Company's health plan. Coverage and provider issues caused varied problems for East Employees. The Unions did a very good job documenting the problems and working with the Company to sort through the many issues. As 2007 progressed, it became clear UHC was not a strong enough network on the East and no amount of monitoring or discussion with UHC and the Company was going to fix that. The Unions made it clear to the Company returning to BCBS was a necessary step to provide our members with the health care they deserve and had grown accustomed to. The Company has therefore decided to offer UHC and BCBS in 2008 to East employees. The following information is being provided to employees by the Company:


Who's going with whom, and why?


only stating opinions

 

[BajaBabe]

It took a former MEC President to rant and rave before the Union acknowleged that there was a problem with the insurance .USBH does not have coverage in sone places within 100 miles of where some folks live. In the 2000 agreement we heard these horror stories, there were instances were families were having to struggle with dying children and did not have a provider that did not require them to drive for hours. It was decided then that if the given provider was unreachable the employee would be provided with equal healh benefits or revert to the latter insurance e.g. Blue Cross. This came before the fact not after. This is no pun to Paul Frishkorn who is worth his weight in gold

 

[Travelpro72]

Being in PA I'll go with BCBS. If for no other reason just simply to have a carrier with Competence and convenience. My partner works in the health care industry and NOBODY likes UHC. They are well the USairways of the health care industry. I don't think you'll hear many on here with wonderful stories concerning UHC.

 

[BluePacific]

The east request for Blue Cross came after the US Airways inflight mag listed Pittsburgh University hospital as the one of the very best and lauded the great care folks could get there but U employees couldn't use United Healthcare there. It was a huge embarrassment for U. (Or maybe not, as U does not embarrass very easily given the poor press it keeps getting)

Here, our local hospital, a very large hospital, refused to use Blue Cross for a while.
I've found Blue Cross very slow at paying bills and this time, United has been super fast for us.
We'll probably stay with United.

 

[konaparadise]

Being in PA I'll go with BCBS. If for no other reason just simply to have a carrier with Competence and convenience. My partner works in the health care industry and NOBODY likes UHC. They are well the USairways of the health care industry. I don't think you'll hear many on here with wonderful stories concerning UHC.

Well, I for one like UHC and so do my doctors....when I had BCBS there was always a billing problem and delayed payments, some doctor would not accept BCBS, they would give the patient the forms to fill out after you paid up front. So it's a matter of where you live. BCBS might be good in the East, but in my part of the country they are not. If I had a choice I would choose Kaiser since I live in their home base, they are great. But I m thankful to have what I have and so should everyone else.

 

[PlaneDoe]

Man I hope we get BCBS back- I had to switch chiropractors this year due to UHS- my old one refused to deal with them, and as this year has come and gone I now know why. My new chiropractor has filed claim after claim, and UHS denies every one of them, except , of course, for my $40 co- pay. Seems to be a master plan of UHS in Florida-- any claim for or from chiropractic is denied except for the copay amount. From what I have heard talking to my chiropractor, the FL Chiropractic Assn is doing a class action suit against UHS due to this -- give me some health preventative care and keep me working-- but make it a real benefit, not a smoke and mirror trick

 

[PHX-F/A]

In my 20+ years, AWA has had three insurance carriers. Cigna, Mayo, and UHC. Mayo was hands down the best, and Cigna hands down the worst. I've never had any problems with UHC, but they basically administer the same plan as Mayo because West is self insured.

 

[WCT]

In my 20+ years, AWA has had three insurance carriers. Cigna, Mayo, and UHC. Mayo was hands down the best, and Cigna hands down the worst. I've never had any problems with UHC, but they basically administer the same plan as Mayo because West is self insured.

The only reason UHC is great for the West flight attendants is because we have not seen increased costs in the last few years. We also have the high Premium plan with has less co-pays then other plans for prescription drugs, doc visits. Our contract has kept the company into forcing us to what the East has. :down:

 

[Travelpro72]

I can only speak for Pennsylvania as that's that state I'm located in. UHC's is basically useless in PA and CERTAINLY in Western PA where UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) dominates since they are hands down one of the top hospital organizations in the country. Try using UHC. In eastern PA it's pretty much the same thing along with much of the east coast since the company is seeing that it doesn't work using only UHC. I'm so glad they have chose to offer both.

 

[hula-flyguy]

Gotta agree with travelpro....hands down BCBS if you're in western PA. UHC SUCKED! I paid more out of pocket in the first 8 months of this year than I've ever paid before. UHC may be good where they have a presence, but that is not WPA.

 

[NevadaHP]

out west UHC will be chosen hands down. BCBS is only covered in one hospital in LAS and soon UHC will own all quick cares in the vegas valley and BCBS will be run outta town no way will BCBS ever be chosen in LAS.