Health Benefits
 

Is everyone getting screwed, or just SkyWest?

I'm getting my HMO, Pacificare (which I actually like), cancelled for next year. By 2012 there will be no HMOs or PPOs, just a glorified health savings account with a high deductible. The deductible is $1,200 for singles, $2,400 for a family plan. Everything, including prescriptions, must be paid for out of pocket until the deductible is reached, and then we still have to pay for 20% of everything - major procedures, hospitalizations, and all.

Supposedly this is being done to save us money.

ouch :eek:

Yea, and no healthcare reform is needed at all!

Running to the Govt every time is not the answer. Health care here is not the problem. This guy is getting Health care, just not one that is any good. This is more a issue of SkyWest trying to save money by changing their health care to a plan where they pay less. If SkyWest wanted to help their employees more they would find better health care.

Yea, and companies will continue doing that. But wouldn't it be nice to have a plan you can get that's cheap AND decent? Be it a *GASP* private, or a government plan?

This might be the start of another union drive. A lot of the LDS folks at SKW tend to toe the company line, but they also have lots of kids...the new plan could cost them a bundle.

Is this going to spill over to ASA?

Do you guys negotiate health benefits in your contract? I hope so, or I'd imagine you'll get the screwing as well.

I think you might be right about that.

I hope not, our contract talks about a group medical plan that must be maintained. I assume that is talking about our PPO medical and dental plan. Another reason why it is nice to have a union with a contract instead of a student council.

I assume you are being sarcastic.

Please tell me the name of one person that says that no reform of healthcare/health insurance is needed. They don't have to be famous, just give me a name.

I thought so. If you are going to use the "straw man" tactic to make your point, be prepared to be called upon to explain "who."

Welcome to what small business has been doing for the last couple years. Like it or not, high-deductible health plans & HSAs are the wave of the future because they have lower premiums (for both employers & employees) and actually do serve to lower health care costs. HSAs also have tax benefits for employees.

Because you pay out of pocket up to the deductible with a HDHP, people think twice about going to the doctor for minor stuff that they normally wouldn't think twice about under a copay PPO. When one needs to have a procedure done, they shop around and (likely) take their business to the lowest-cost option. This creates competition between healthcare providers (MD offices, hospitals, etc) which lowers the overall cost of care.

Once you hit the deductible, you're done with out-of-pocket expenses for the rest of the calendar year.

HDHPs are a fair deal if you have very little or a lot of medical expenses, but really suck if you're in between (like many folks tend to be).

Just so you know how you stack up, my company (100 employees) only offers a HDHP with a 2500 individual/5000 family deductible...but they also contribute $50/mo to each employee's HSA.

Wow, sounds like a great deal..... I know a guy that almost switched to an HSA last year. About a week after enrollment closed he found out his wife was pregnant. Wouldn't that have been a b****. And according to someone above, they are not done once you hit your deductible, you still have to pay 20%. No thanks.

I missed that in the original post.

That little caveat sucks.

Yes it does.

Now I can pay to "non-rev" to a ski resort, and then when I hurt myself, I can pay for the E.R. admission and the MRI out of pocket.

Or I could stay home and look for another job.

I work for a company that made $750 million dollars last quarter, with an $80 Billion dollar order backlog, and we are getting a similar thing for 2010.

Not quite as bad. The deductible is $600, and after that we pay 15% up to a yearly out of pocket max of $1,500 (after the deductible is paid). Still crappy IMO.

This is not just a Skywest issue. This is happening everywhere. Health care needs reform. I don't know the best answer, but at this point, I am willing to try just about anything!

I don't think people should have to think twice about going to a doctor. You never know when that something you think is minor might be something major.

Indeed, if people pass up routine exams then small and cheap problems can quickly turn into big and expensive. One of the biggest problems with our current health care system is un-insured waiting until its dire and then run into the ER. They obviously can't pay the extravagant ER bills and so it falls on the tax payer.

Exactly! It's akin to skipping out on routine car maintenance and before you know it you need you a new engine. I noticed something was slightly wrong with my car a while back but I didn't have the money to get it looked at, now it's gotten to the point where I can't even drive it. Once I bring it into the shop it'll probably be twice as expensive as it would've been. (and I still dont have funds to get it fixed, but that's a diff story.)
Having to think twice about going to the doc due to high cost of insurance is NEVER a good thing. It's not like maintaining your health is a waste, or a luxury or some stupid thing. It's not like people constantly visit doctors for minor stuff for fun and to waste their time, in fact don't most people avoid docs and put that kind of stuff off? That's how they dont detect cancers, etc. until it's too late.

Fellow SkyWestr's......look at the bright side; at least our financial reward checks will increase a few dollars.....LOL! (Note sarcasm)

This new program is about the worst I’ve ever seen an employer offer. I’m so thankful that my wife’s company has awesome Health Insurance.

Especially an employer making 10's of millions of dollars every quarter!!! It's not like they needed to do this to stay solvent...very sad!...:(

I always said that SkyWest pilots will never be unionized. However, for the first time, I'm seeing (well reading in SAPA) anger from all sides of the spectrum here. I believe that www.skywestalpa.org needs to be brought back up and running with this as a pressing issue. A little premature for a drive but it's time to really turn the light back on (might turn a light on in SGU as well).
Questions, comments?

PS: I would appreciate anyone on the SkyWest ALAP organizing committee to contact me here.

While at ASA, I chose the HSA plan for family because it ran about $165 per month less than the PPO plan. So, if you actually use the entire $2300 deductible it comes out to a loss of $320 per year. We were on track to spend far less so we actually saved. Plus they offered a $500 incentive first year to switch so we were in the positive either way.

After you hit the deductible it does switch to acting like a regular PPO for the rest of the year.

Now, if you're not generally healthy or have to have surgery, your right, it's not a savings at all! :D

I'm not sure it's a bad system over all either - I became far more educated in actual costs. For example, our kid's doctor costs $90 per visit while the nurse practitioner (who is just as competent) costs $55 per visit. Don't even get me started on drug costs! I'm now a huge fan of generics.

Prescription for SKW pilots;

1. Mount union organizing drive.

2. Receive union dollars from national office and unionized pilot groups to help organizing effort.

3. Engage in serious discussion with newly motivated management.

4. Breathe sigh of relief when management improves health plan to prevent SKW from going union.

5. Choose not to certify a union.

6. Go to APC and make posts about how awesome it is flying for a company that treats pilots so fine they do not need a union.

They still treat us a whole lot better than JO would...

How would they treat you if unions did not exist?

I think we all know the answer to that. I am on record as voting yes for the damn thing, despite all of my misgivings about alpa at the regional level.

At ASA, with the HSA, ASA will contribute $1000 to your account, I believe it is yearly. If you dont have that many doctor visits its not that bad of a deal. But eh $2400 deductible for families is BS if you ask me.

I wish it was that good! ;) It's only $500 and only the first time you enroll. Still, it's a good deal for a year and you can always switch back!

ASA will put $1000 into your HSA for 2010 and 2011, but not 2012 when the PPO will no longer be offered.