UPS Health Benefits Shock for Retired Union Employees

[rod]

I doubt that but I would not want to have to pay to replace my concrete driveway.
The first owner was a builder and supposedly had it paved with "leftover" concrete from houses he was building.
Its 10 ft wide and 650 feet long - about $45,000 ... I have a feeling your house cost more than that.

I don't own any UPS stock BTW.

Thank God I learned quick when I had my house built a few years ago (the only new house we have ever had) that contractors and their subs are among the most untrustworthy and cheating people on Earth. A carpenter friend of mind warned me what to look out for. My "excess" concrete was spread out on my dirt road and used for fill when it dried.

 

[tomgirl]

Same here. Talked with a union rep. today. He said they are blowing smoke. Contract talks are coming up. He said it will go up. But not as much as they said. I hope he is right.

 

[upsgrunt]

Does that mean they will raise it only 500% and then we will feel "lucky"?

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

They are not going to raisehow much you are going to pay for healthcare..They will just work everyone to death!!! Then there will be no need for any future benefits!!!thats the plan. How many hours are you working?

 

[Catatonic]

Same here. Talked with a union rep. today. He said they are blowing smoke. Contract talks are coming up. He said it will go up. But not as much as they said. I hope he is right.

That's why they have contract negotiations.

 

[PT Stewie]

It is called posturing with the appropriate reply "screw you"

 

[kumet]

ask your union business agent if the union ever really negotiated any specific retiree health care benefits , maybe I misunderstood mine. I remember every time the contract was expiring they would ask us what our priorities were. didnt we say retirement? didnt we mean health care?

 

[What'dyabringmetoday???]

That's why they have contract negotiations.

i (lol) thought they had those to get UPS to put more money into various pension scams, i mean funds.

 

[island1fox]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

If you've paid ANY attention to current events in the last 15 years, you would know that the most expensive costs in this country, BY FAR, are health care costs. Now, if you want to blame spiraling health care costs at Obama's feet, fine. That's never stopped conservatives yet, but you might want a reality check while you're at it. Whether you like it or not, Obama is not the reason that health care costs are so prohibitive. High health costs didn't begin in 2088, son.

Dracula,

Pay attention !! Give all the facts. Healthcare costs have always been expensive and rising even with emergency care for the poor.

When you ADD over 30 million NON CONTRIBUTORS you take a very made BAD problem and make it worse.

Thank you Mr. President ---The retireees and working class are now starting to realize that Obama is not just "REDISTRIBUTING" the wealth of the rich ---WE all will pay.

But feel good about it --everything for takers will be "free" it is the Liberal thing to do --be happy and Gay !!

When "CHILDREN" are now forced to be covered till 26 --who pays --you do-children or not.

When all pre-condition people who did not buy insurance must be covered --who pays --You

With extended unemployment benefits,food stamps, nrg assistance, housing assistance, free healthcare,education etc,etc, WHO PAYS ??

Their is not enough "rich " people to foot this bill --YOU pay.

Welcome to Obama and "Redistribution." America will and has been FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED !!!

 

[Just Numbers]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

Be careful what you wish for! Looks like not enough people were careful!

 

[Ms.PacMan]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

When "CHILDREN" are now forced to be covered till 26 --who pays --you do-children or not.

This statement is wrong - to offset the cost of covering children until they are 26 our insurance only pays for a school age child's physical exam every other year now instead of annually.

The increase in cost to cover older children is paid for by those participants with children.

UPS tried raising retiree rates in local 705 in 2008 - it was not then, and is not now, a reflection on legislative changes.

 

[beentheredonethat]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

This statement is wrong - to offset the cost of covering children until they are 26 our insurance only pays for a school age child's physical exam every other year now instead of annually.

The increase in cost to cover older children is paid for by those participants with children.

UPS tried raising retiree rates in local 705 in 2008 - it was not then, and is not now, a reflection on legislative changes.

Ms Pac Man;

I don't think you get the whole idea of insurance and who pays. If a "child" who is 24 and covered by their parents insurance (which is provided by UPS). If they get hurt and have to go to the hospital and get a 200K bill. The insurance company pays that bill. However, the insurance company doesn't just abosorb that cost and move on. It looks at all it's cost and basically increases rates it charges to the employer for those rates. When UPS has to take money out and pay for higher rates, their is an offset, that offset may be in higher copays for "ALL" employees. It may be in less pay raises for employees. It may be something else. But anyone covered by insurance that has bills is paid in one way or another by all UPS'ers.

It's way more then just a physical exam.

 

[Bagels]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

Pay attention !! Give all the facts. Healthcare costs have always been expensive and rising even with emergency care for the poor...When "CHILDREN" are now forced to be covered till 26 --who pays --you do-children or not...When all pre-condition people who did not buy insurance must be covered --who pays --You

When uninsured 20-year-olds experience ill health, who's paying? You. When Laquita decides to have her sixth baby, who's paying? You. When cancer & HIV patients are unable to purchase health insurance, who's paying for their care? You.

When you ADD over 30 million NON CONTRIBUTORS you take a very made BAD problem and make it worse.

As I just mentioned, people without health insurance are already seeking access to health care -- but only have few, limited options. Hopefully with full access, they'll seek treatment sooner, and use conventional, less expensive options.

BTW, I would consider "retirees" to be non contributors. Very few companies offer retirees health insurance -- and the ones that do generally have incredibly high premiums.

With extended unemployment benefits,food stamps, nrg assistance, housing assistance, free healthcare,education etc,etc, WHO PAYS ??

Maybe what's wrong with America is headlines like "Local Walmart fires employees making more than $9/hour, gives Management millions in bonuses for doing so." (BTW, this actually happened several years ago at a location near me.) We need to stop accepting $7.20 as fair, living wage standards and the millions of dollars paid in executive bonuses as OK. It doesn't happen in many other developed countries around the world.

 

[Bagels]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

I don't think you get the whole idea of insurance and who pays. If a "child" who is 24 and covered by their parents insurance (which is provided by UPS). If they get hurt and have to go to the hospital and get a 200K bill. The insurance company pays that bill. However, the insurance company doesn't just abosorb that cost and move on. It looks at all it's cost and basically increases rates it charges to the employer for those rates. When UPS has to take money out and pay for higher rates, their is an offset, that offset may be in higher copays for "ALL" employees. It may be in less pay raises for employees. It may be something else. But anyone covered by insurance that has bills is paid in one way or another by all UPS'ers.

It's way more then just a physical exam.

When a 24-year-old goes a hospital, gets a 200K bill, and skips payment, who pays for it? Taxpayers. Oh, and by that time the 200K has morphed into 400K because it includes interest, penalties, collection costs, etc.

The reality is that most young adults continue to live with their parents (something that was unheard of just 20 years ago), and the parents continue to accept responsibility of their kids. Usually, this isn't by choice but rather the costs of forming a household vs. the wages available. It amazes me how many older folks will say "when I was 18, I had a job at UPS and moved out of my parents house." Yes, you were making $11/hour during a time period in which a new, midsize car cost $5K, a decent home in the suburbs cost $20K-$50K (depending on your location), and a BigMac was less than $1. Today, you'd be starting at $8.50 in an era when a new, midsize car costs over $22K, a decent home (well, we know what those cost) and BigMac retails over $4. Wages simply haven't kept up with inflation.

 

[Ms.PacMan]

Not to be rude beentheredonethat but it's you who is not getting it....

That annual physical exam had a cost and every child needs one before school each year. Not paying for that exam every other year, for every child, saved X amount of dollars which they determined would be enough to offset the cost of insuring the older children. This is not a suggestion I'm throwing out there. This is what UPS actually did. One savings cancelled the cost of the other.

I'm not sure how else to explain it. Participants without children were not effected by the up to 26 age change. If your rates increased it was for other reasons.

 

[Dracula]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

When uninsured 20-year-olds experience ill health, who's paying? You. When Laquita decides to have her sixth baby, who's paying? You. When cancer & HIV patients are unable to purchase health insurance, who's paying for their care? You.



As I just mentioned, people without health insurance are already seeking access to health care -- but only have few, limited options. Hopefully with full access, they'll seek treatment sooner, and use conventional, less expensive options.

BTW, I would consider "retirees" to be non contributors. Very few companies offer retirees health insurance -- and the ones that do generally have incredibly high premiums.



Maybe what's wrong with America is headlines like "Local Walmart fires employees making more than $9/hour, gives Management millions in bonuses for doing so." (BTW, this actually happened several years ago at a location near me.) We need to stop accepting $7.20 as fair, living wage standards and the millions of dollars paid in executive bonuses as OK. It doesn't happen in many other developed countries around the world.

Why argue when this person says it better than I could? Well said. But, from experience, you're wasting your time. They won't listen or understand...

 

[beentheredonethat]

Not to be rude beentheredonethat but it's you who is not getting it....

That annual physical exam had a cost and every child needs one before school each year. Not paying for that exam every other year, for every child, saved X amount of dollars which they determined would be enough to offset the cost of insuring the older children. This is not a suggestion I'm throwing out there. This is what UPS actually did. One savings cancelled the cost of the other.

I'm not sure how else to explain it. Participants without children were not effected by the up to 26 age change. If your rates increased it was for other reasons.

Rates go up when the amount the insurance company pays for medical procedures\drugs goes up. If you cover more people, you have more cost. If you ever have someone in your family have an accident (or worse - cancer etc) you'll know just one person can have bills that are in the hundreds of thousands. If you cover a lot more people, odds are a few will have those hundreds of thousands in bills, as well as others with the tens of thousands etc.

 

[willybad]

i got my letter yesterday.i haven't been on here in years,but remembered the site.i just read these 24 pages and don't feel a bit better about the letter.only worse about retirement.i retired 2 1/2 years ago.the only way i thought i could ,was with the really good,affordable insurance i was promised.yes ,i made bad choices.i didn't have money saved,i retired as early as ups would let me,and i moved to florida where our votes weren't even counted till after obama was elected(twice!).i don't need anybody to tell me what i shouldn't have done,but i wish somebody would give some good advice on what we can do to fight this.i've been so worried about teamster's (and my pension) going belly-up because of the so called" right-to-work legislation".this insurance deal blindsided me.up till yesterday ,i thought i didn't have much money, but i sure was enjoying retirement.now it looks like i will have to go back to work. i guess if teamsters goes belly-up next,i won't have to worry about them canceling my pension for getting another delivery job.

 

[kumet]

i got my letter yesterday.i haven't been on here in years,but remembered the site.i just read these 24 pages and don't feel a bit better about the letter.only worse about retirement.i retired 2 1/2 years ago.the only way i thought i could ,was with the really good,affordable insurance i was promised.yes ,i made bad choices.i didn't have money saved,i retired as early as ups would let me,and i moved to florida where our votes weren't even counted till after obama was elected(twice!).i don't need anybody to tell me what i shouldn't have done,but i wish somebody would give some good advice on what we can do to fight this.i've been so worried about teamster's (and my pension) going belly-up because of the so called" right-to-work legislation".this insurance deal blindsided me.up till yesterday ,i thought i didn't have much money, but i sure was enjoying retirement.now it looks like i will have to go back to work. i guess if teamsters goes belly-up next,i won't have to worry about them canceling my pension for getting another delivery job.

I cant find anywhere that it says affordable insurance was promised, wish I could.
if Fls votes were counted first he still would be elected. How about when fls votes were counted and Bush got the presidency anyway.

 

[kumet]

Re: Health Benefit Shock

Dracula,

Pay attention !! Give all the facts. Healthcare costs have always been expensive and rising even with emergency care for the poor.

When you ADD over 30 million NON CONTRIBUTORS you take a very made BAD problem and make it worse.

Thank you Mr. President ---The retireees and working class are now starting to realize that Obama is not just "REDISTRIBUTING" the wealth of the rich ---WE all will pay.

But feel good about it --everything for takers will be "free" it is the Liberal thing to do --be happy and Gay !!

When "CHILDREN" are now forced to be covered till 26 --who pays --you do-children or not.

When all pre-condition people who did not buy insurance must be covered --who pays --You

With extended unemployment benefits,food stamps, nrg assistance, housing assistance, free healthcare,education etc,etc, WHO PAYS ??

Their is not enough "rich " people to foot this bill --YOU pay.

Welcome to Obama and "Redistribution." America will and has been FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED !!!

How about when you get sick and the insurance co. drop you, who pays?I hope America has changed.