Harvey Watt Insurance
 

Just cutting them another check to make sure my home team is taken care of, just in case they serve me Fugu instead of tuna sushi on a layover in Japan. They send out a very sparse bill, with no information other than the bill due each year. It is one expensive piece of paper...

Anyone heard of a pilot's (I know it is not a good thing) family getting the big payout? Sometimes I wonder if I'm subsidizing Madoff's cigarette allowance in prison.

If the un"Friendly cab driver goes nuts some night on the drive to the Oakland airport, I hope the $$$ make it home.

Since you didn't specify exactly which insurance product you have with Harvey Watt, it's sort of hard to answer your question. That said, it seems like you're not convinced that you're spending your money wisely, and also wondering if companies like Harvey Watt actually pay off their claims. Rest assured that if you pass away (if it's life insurance you're talking about), and you're current with your premiums, then your beneficiaries will be paid.

It might also interest you to know that when you get home, you'll probably find a letter from ALPA, telling you that they've taken over the administration of both the Harvey Watt sponsored Life plan as well as the Long Term Disability plan. Personally, now that's something I wish would have never happened, as I'd much rather deal with Harvey Watt than ALPA, if for no other reason than every time I've called HW, someone actually answers the phone and attends to my needs, whereas I've almost never gotten the person I was trying to reach at ALPA National, without multiple call-backs and phone tag. Hopefully your experiences have been better, but somehow I doubt it.

JJ

That is bad news. Seriously.

PIPE

Sorry, life insurance is what I was referring to.

I agree with you regarding the ALPA takeover of the other product. That is what prompted me to post this. I agree with your comments vis a vis Watt vs ALPA.

While ALPA Life Insurance has gotten better, I'm not sure they are the best rates.

Back in late 2006, I did a pretty detailed comparison of USAA, FEDEX and ALPA life insurance plans/premiums.

I found that if you are in good health, and don't smoke the USAA and FEDEX insurance plans were better than ALPA.

I often think the ALPA insurance is geared towards guys that don't have a competitive option with their own company (smaller regional maybe) or don't want to take a physical.

Bottom line --- shop around --- especially if you are younger, not overweight and don't smoke --- there are better deals out there.

I agree with JJ here,

....but please confirm, with regards to the disability insurance, that ALPA is just taking over the administration of the plan benefits and that the underwriter, the benefits themselves, and the rates are not changing...??? :confused:

The Harvey Watt disability plan is/was something special that was written specifically to complement our FDX company provided disability benefits.

The ALPA Loss of License plans appear to be written for all ALPA pilots.

Affirmative. From what I read, ALPA is taking over administrative duties, but we are still underwritten by UNUM.

LTD still ends at 60 doesn't it?

I just got off the phone with ALPA. Yes, I was actually able to get the right person, in the right department, to discuss their taking over of the administration of both the HW LTD as well as the Life products. I was told that nothing in either contract has changed. That includes premiums (what we pay for the policy), face amounts, when a policy terminates, ie, at a given age, etc. As well, the person I talked to said that ALPA was currently putting together a document that will be mailed to all policy holders, explaining everything to us. She didn't say when it would be done, just that it was being worked on right now.

JJ

I believe in the past that FDX deducted your premiums from your paycheck --- sent them to ALPA --- who sent them to Harvey Watt --- who ultimately sent a portion to the underwriter.

It appears the new process will merely cut out one of these steps.

Hopefully, there is a true "cost efficiency" here, and our premiums will not rise in the future due to ALPAs new administration of these policies.