health care premiums.....yikes!
09-01-2015, 09:05 AM
#11
Part Time Employee
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: Dispersing Green House Gasses on a Global Basis
Posts: 1,918
If all the "old guys" are chasing their pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow - they won't be sick and health care usage will decrease. So, we should all see a decrease in our premiums under this plan. Where do I sign up?
09-01-2015, 09:07 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: 767 FO
Posts: 8,047
I am not sure what you guys were expecting. Obamacare was intended to drive up the cost of healthcare until it drove 3rd party payers out of the system. It is working. Collectively we helped bring Obamacare about. Elections have consequences. Personally I don't want my compensation tied up in paying for your kids runny nose. Nothing personal, just business.
09-01-2015, 09:39 AM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2006
Position: DA-40
Posts: 290
Health Premiums Unknown
27 G. 6. The company will provide the Association with the initial monthly contributions/premiums for all Group Health Benefits at DOS[Date of Signing], or as soon as practicable [sic] thereafter. Beginning in 2017, ...., those monthly contributions/premiums for each tier shall be.... "
Pilot Cost Share 18% of the unknown premium, for 2017, 19% of unknown premium for 2018 and 20% of unknown premium for 2019 and thereafter (this is for Buy Up, and the others have similar percentages, ALL with unknown premiums)
So WE HAVE TO PASS THE TA TO FIND OUT WHAT'S IN IT !!!!
How much of a give-back or give-up or concession is this? We don't know.
And there is more, since if you read further, premiums are determined on how much they spend on health care the prior year etc. There are so so many unknowns---
Additionally, if the health plan is projected to generate an excise tax, the benefits will be cut to pilot's health care plans until it doesn't generate any tax. This is another unknown. Retirees, on the other hand, will have the tax passed on to them without cuts--the way I read it. Another unknown.
Pilot Cost Share 18% of the unknown premium, for 2017, 19% of unknown premium for 2018 and 20% of unknown premium for 2019 and thereafter (this is for Buy Up, and the others have similar percentages, ALL with unknown premiums)
So WE HAVE TO PASS THE TA TO FIND OUT WHAT'S IN IT !!!!
How much of a give-back or give-up or concession is this? We don't know.
And there is more, since if you read further, premiums are determined on how much they spend on health care the prior year etc. There are so so many unknowns---
Additionally, if the health plan is projected to generate an excise tax, the benefits will be cut to pilot's health care plans until it doesn't generate any tax. This is another unknown. Retirees, on the other hand, will have the tax passed on to them without cuts--the way I read it. Another unknown.
09-01-2015, 09:44 AM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2012
Posts: 711
From the ALPA Q&A, they say we pay approximately 13% cost share at the moment.
If this jumps to 18/19/20% over the first three years of the TA with 10% max Year over Year rises, it's still a jump of about 40% the first year. And, with the cost of health care rising much faster than the rate of inflation by year three, we'd potentially be up nearly 70% over what we are paying today. Over the life of the contract, expect the costs to go up each year at the 10% max, so by 2021 your current day cost will double!
Did your pay double..no it only went up by a quarter. So, we're memorializing a decreasing value to our pay within the TA let alone by external forces of inflation.
Not only will your premiums rise significantly, the cost of prescriptions will rise dramatically.
If this jumps to 18/19/20% over the first three years of the TA with 10% max Year over Year rises, it's still a jump of about 40% the first year. And, with the cost of health care rising much faster than the rate of inflation by year three, we'd potentially be up nearly 70% over what we are paying today. Over the life of the contract, expect the costs to go up each year at the 10% max, so by 2021 your current day cost will double!
Did your pay double..no it only went up by a quarter. So, we're memorializing a decreasing value to our pay within the TA let alone by external forces of inflation.
Not only will your premiums rise significantly, the cost of prescriptions will rise dramatically.
09-01-2015, 09:48 AM
#15
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Joined APC: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,820
Originally Posted by mailman
T.....(example: "Folks, this year our actuary has determined that your health care plan cost will be $XXXX times 18% and therefore your new buy up plan premiums will be $1175 per month....don't like it? Too bad!)
Considering that the Obamacare Cadillac tax kicks in at $27,500 for families and the TA says that the plan cost will stay below the Cadillac Tax threshold (the company doesn't want to pay it), your example of the plan costing $78,333 in 2017 is quite an exaggeration. While I am not sure whether I hate the new medical plan or simply dislike it, we should at least try to keep the arguments in the real world.
09-01-2015, 09:56 AM
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Position: MD-11 Captain
Posts: 4,304
Originally Posted by FoxHunter
I was told 20+ years ago that FedEx was self insured. You can't tell the difference from the typical health insurance policy on the front side.
I really don't know the inner workings of how the self insured plan works. My guess is FedEx pays a fee to Anthem plus possibly a percentage with some kind of financial incentive to keep the cost down.
I really don't know the inner workings of how the self insured plan works. My guess is FedEx pays a fee to Anthem plus possibly a percentage with some kind of financial incentive to keep the cost down.
I can't believe I'm saying it but I think FH is correct on this one ...
That said, my significant personal experience has been that Anthem basically approves EVERYTHING because it doesn't cost them anything. I haven't been able to see that Anthem has ANY incentive to keep costs to a minimum?
In the past that has been good for us but with the latest Corporate-wide cost cutting measures, this "could" certainly be a target cost center!
On a different but related subject ... the Healthcare cost FedEx reported on my 2014 W2 is ABOVE the Cadillac tax threshold. Some have said the tax "might" get repealed before we have to pay it but ...
09-01-2015, 10:28 AM
#18
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Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: MD-11
Posts: 395
Originally Posted by Raptor
S
So....... a decreasing value A plan (because the 260k cap remains while inflation rises), our health care premiums potentially (likely) rising dramatically, destruction of $thousands in travel perks for the FDA folks (elimination of the international hotel in lieu of DH for their intra-European DHs), sick notes not fixed, most of the CRS shenanigans not fixed, giving up first class international DH in most cases, permitting 767 crew rest sitting bolt upright in the flight deck Jumpseat simply by getting 36 hours off, giving the company free reign to use 6-week bid periods with no restrictions which could destroy some vacation tactics over the holidays and gets extra productivity out of us, permitting the company to Jumpseat us back to Memphis so we don't miss our next outbound trip when they can't get us on a commercial flight, permitting the company to use sleep rooms instead of hotel rooms in some cases (would make it difficult to get a sleep room when J/S in/out like you can now on a space available basis), some bonuses applying to only 54 year olds and older, retirement bonus that keeps encourages pilots to fly sick for half pay, etc, etc.
All this for measley raises and a long contract. We, as pilots, take on the inflation risk with such low raises when the contract extends through 2021. We will be leap frogged by other pay rates in short order and stuck for years.
So....... a decreasing value A plan (because the 260k cap remains while inflation rises), our health care premiums potentially (likely) rising dramatically, destruction of $thousands in travel perks for the FDA folks (elimination of the international hotel in lieu of DH for their intra-European DHs), sick notes not fixed, most of the CRS shenanigans not fixed, giving up first class international DH in most cases, permitting 767 crew rest sitting bolt upright in the flight deck Jumpseat simply by getting 36 hours off, giving the company free reign to use 6-week bid periods with no restrictions which could destroy some vacation tactics over the holidays and gets extra productivity out of us, permitting the company to Jumpseat us back to Memphis so we don't miss our next outbound trip when they can't get us on a commercial flight, permitting the company to use sleep rooms instead of hotel rooms in some cases (would make it difficult to get a sleep room when J/S in/out like you can now on a space available basis), some bonuses applying to only 54 year olds and older, retirement bonus that keeps encourages pilots to fly sick for half pay, etc, etc.
All this for measley raises and a long contract. We, as pilots, take on the inflation risk with such low raises when the contract extends through 2021. We will be leap frogged by other pay rates in short order and stuck for years.
09-01-2015, 10:35 AM
#19
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Aug 2015
Position: B757 FO
Posts: 5
Originally Posted by pinseeker
Considering that the Obamacare Cadillac tax kicks in at $27,500 for families and the TA says that the plan cost will stay below the Cadillac Tax threshold (the company doesn't want to pay it), your example of the plan costing $78,333 in 2017 is quite an exaggeration. While I am not sure whether I hate the new medical plan or simply dislike it, we should at least try to keep the arguments in the real world.
09-01-2015, 10:48 AM
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,820
Originally Posted by mailman
I'm not sure where you came up with $78333...my example was merely demonstrating that the new rules allow the company to do whatever they want with regards to our costs because the number by which they base the 18% premium is unknown to us and derived by the company. We or the union have no imput. I guess you can decide how much you trust the company to keep that number "reasonable".
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