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Post is being declined
HELP.? I posted the below excellent article from IBM's own website at the IBM Retiree Facebook group.? This topic was elsewhere in the news as well.? BUT a moderator of the IBM Retiree Facebook group rejected it because it mentions the President's name.? It just does not make sense this wonderful article is rejected.? Who is checking to make sure there is proper moderation if they insist on moderating every post.? It can take forever to get anyone's attention is there is a problem.? This just happened to me before, rejected of a good article, because someone else already posted something similar.? That does not make sense, as each article could be very different, let the reader decide, don't censor.? This all seems overkill in moderating the Facebook group.? Anyone else having this happen?
The article title is "IBM and CEO Arvind Krishna Welcome President Biden to Poughkeepsie Site, Company Plans to Invest $20 billion in the Hudson Valley Region Over 10 Years." The reason the moderator declined the post was:?? This post violates rule 3. No politics and no mention of the current or past president. Please.
Group rules violated.??1Treat other members with respect.? Treat other members with respect even when you disagree with them.
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Not changing current medical options
Except for the initial letter about changes to the medical plans I haven’t received any more information.? If I am not changing my ?current Medicare options do I have to contact anyone? In the past it wasn’t necessary but I don’t want to assume anything.? thanks |
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Re: What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
On Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 06:25 AM, Bob C. and sbbeaudry@ basically wrote the same thing:
My interpretation of the "Survivor Benefits" goes back to when you retired and chose the "leveling option" of taking reduced retirement benefit so the wife could get what percentage (default was 50%) of your retirement if you went before she did. So if you chose that option, which many of us did, per page 8 of the Educational Brochure, you would look at "row 2", "Retiree with Survivor Benefit". So if you took the "Enhance Plan", you would pay $27/mo. premium with no additional reimbursements like with VIA.Exactly what I was drawing as the answer... Retired too late to get SHAP but did take the Leveling Option for Pension (retired after 38 years). So I'm thinking I would be on line 2 or the Enhanced Plan, $1000 one time and $27/mo. Wife gets no payment and $131.50/mo. However, on TWO calls I was told I'd get the first line, $1,200 one time and $0/mo. I questioned that but was told they were correct. Suspect my data could be wrong? First time I tried again asking the agent about it and the line went dead. 2nd time it was confirmed that is what I would be getting? I had read those links before, and again now. Not interested in the Essential plan, only the Enhanced plan, so the yearly $'s are not a worry, it is me being put into the wrong line... due to data they have. So, what I also asked was since she is eligible for access and will pay for her $131.50 a month, after I pass, will her premium then drop to $82 and was told no, she would be locked in? I don't understand this, and like both of you, I can't find that definition in writing and I too am guessing? Is there anyone who took the Load Leveling Retirement and $3,000 Survivor election get a different answer than I did for Enhanced, that is pay $27 and only a $1,000 one time payment? |
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Re: What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
My interpretation for the survivor rights was just for the part where the employee had to choose to give survivor rights to the spouse for the $3500/3000 HRA and those that gave survivor rights got a reduced HRA.? Since the HRA is now to subsidize the amount used for the IBM MA premium so that those who have the higher amount (didn't give survivor rights) have to pay $0 for the enhanced plan and those that gave survivor rights (and had a small HRA contribution) have to pay more.
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Short Conversation With The NC State Guaranty Association
I just dialed the contact # from?? . I immediately was connected to Brad who seemed very well informed. I went into this with three answerable questions. So here it was.?
1) What kind of documentation should I be expecting. The answer was some #'ed certificate was his expectation but he had not seen the details of the particular deal. All he knew of the IBM retirement deal was what he has read in the paper.? 2) How exactly does the maximum amount, and the discounted present value calculation work together. And the answer is that your current income stream is continued unaffected (and historically is continuous as these failures are rarely instantaneous events) until the present value on the date of insolvency exceeds the max.? 3) The wording in in the NC statutes refers to the association only covering 'a single life'. This is a 'per insolvency statement' so in this case a retiree would be covered up to $300k (the NC limit) twice.? FYI.? dave |
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Re: What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
Hey Irv. I just read through the PDFs. My interpretation of the "Survivor Benefits" goes back to when you retired and chose the "leveling option" of taking reduced retirement benefit so the wife could get what percentage (default was 50%) of your retirement if you went before she did. So if you chose that option, which many of us did, per page 8 of the Educational Brochure, you would look at "row 2", "Retiree with Survivor Benefit". So if you took the "Enhance Plan", you would pay $27/mo. premium with no additional reimbursements like with VIA. If you took the Essential, you would have a $0/mo. premium and get an annual $1000 (probably use it or lose it) like VIA and a $25/mo. decrease in what the government takes out of your SS check for medicare. With either plan, your wife would not get anything, she could probably get the same plan, but they don't make that clear - it would not surprise me if she would have to sign up with her own plan either with UHC or some other company.? Per the Brochure "***IBM spouses/dependents are not eligible for funding, unless you are a surviving spouse of an IBM participant who elected survivor benefits.". So if you went before her, she would be eligible to participate if you took the leveling option when you retired.
Basically, IMO, IBM wasn't being up-front in saying this was better than what we had on VIA. On the VIA plan, you could get reimbursement on the monthly medicare deduction for SS for your wife and then file for the SHAP reimbursement for yourself. ? For those of who had the $3000/3500 Use it or lose it", it boils down to they lost most of it and its not clear that you might end up losing the SHAP for yourself if you get the monthly $25 reduction in your medicare deduction. Probably use SHAP for your wife's medicare deduction if you took the Essential plan with the $1000 + $300. The $1000 is probably use it or lose it and the $300 is the $25/mo SS medicare kickback. The links are:? ? , ?? ,??? and? ? .? I should have added these links will download the PDFs into your download folder. So you can read them at your liesure off-line. |
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Re: How are existing FHA accounts affected?
Thanks for clarifying the bad news.? I wonder how long the $131.50 premium will be in effect?? How hard to pass underwriting to get back to a plan G after 5-6 years when my $18,000+ FHA/HRA balance is depleted?, or at least re-evaluation of the then current options?? And other concerns.... etc. And yes, I don't trust IBM but do wish them the best to survive in business.
I know of many other people who went with an advantage plan C and are now getting nickeled and dimed a lot with more and more co-pays as they age into more health issues.? I was hoping to avoid that with the fixed costs of a plan G ... More expensive initially but simpler in the later years.? The Worldwide co-pays for emergency and urgent care is interesting... wondering how that works ... I would assume a foreign entity would not know how nor want to bill UHC. A lot to consider/digest in the coming days. |
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Re: What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
When you have a custom medical plan such as the one IBM has negotiated or is negotiating with United healthcare, there will be a big learning curve for everybody including those at United healthcare who are also new to this plan. A lot of the written communications may have been poorly written and will probably be and it did some between now and year end. So I would read very carefully, highlight your written material in areas that hold your interest and continue to try to learn as much as we can about the plan before decision day. Remember decision day to get into the plan or make changes within the plan is later the date for making changes to the things normally offered through the Medicare plan which will close earlier. On Fri, Sep 30, 2022, 6:45 AM <ispalten@...> wrote: I called into UHC and I can't get a clear answer on the chart @ and I got the same answer twice, but not a full explanation? |
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Re: What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
开云体育I don't have a lot of confidence in the information on that link, and related ones either. I spent some time a few days ago checking to see whether my current providers are in-network. The good news is it looks like they are. The bad news is I accidentally found a doctor listed as in-network who hasn't practiced in three years. The problem with depending on providers to be in-network is they can quickly drop out of the network, and often without the patient knowing it. I'll continue to research this, but I'm inclined to avoid
Medicare Advantage policies. We already know that IBM doesn't care
about their retirees. If they wanted to lower the $3000 subsidy,
why not just do it, and leave everything else alone.
Tim
Timothy A
Johnson, Tucson, AZ ()
Member of European Train Enthusiasts () On 9/30/2022 4:45 AM,
ispalten@... wrote:
I called into UHC and I can't get a clear answer on the chart @ and I got the same answer twice, but not a full explanation? |
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What does 'Survivor' mean on the UHC chart?
I called into UHC and I can't get a clear answer on the chart @ and I got the same answer twice, but not a full explanation?
It is the first two on the left column, "Retirees without survivor benefits" and "Retirees with survivor benefits"? What determines 'survivor benefits'? I thought when IBM offered $3,600 if you wanted Survivor benefits you'd only get $3,000 per year which is what I got? When I called I was told I'd get $1,200 one time credit. Of course, after about 15 minutes the phone went dead so I couldn't ask about the agents take on why I'd get $1,200. So I called again a day later to get the rest of my questions answered and was again told I'd get $1,200 and my wife DOES have survivor rights and while I'd pay $0 for the Enhanced plan, she'd be charged $131.50? So wouldn't that make me a retiree with survivor benefit? If they have it wrong, I'd want that corrected before I sign-up. Of course I'm not sure the phone agents have it all correct either. I mentioned the Vision Eyeglass limit and how would I go about using it? Was told the plan doesn't have that, we'd have to purchase that outside... and I told him I was looking at it on a PDF on the site. He said it was probably an error but he does have a chat feature to ask other 'experts'. Came back in a few minutes and said I was correct. Either the place will bill UHC or I'd have to pay and file for a reimbursement. Didn't give me much confidence I did get the correct answer on the Initial credit or what the plan would cost me? |
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Re: How are existing FHA accounts affected?
Lifted from:
https://retiree.uhc.com/content/dam/retiree/pdf/ibm/2023/Understanding-the-IBM-subsidy.pdf If you had an FHA balance converted to an HRA, you will continue to be able to withdraw from your HRA to pay for premiums (plan option and Medicare), and other eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses, as long as you enroll in one of the IBM-sponsored Group Medicare Advantage plan options administered by UnitedHealthcare. So glad burned my FHA balance down paying for insanely priced IBM medical plans prior to Medicare age. Trust IBM at your own risk, they are NOT your friend. |
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How are existing FHA accounts affected?
I got the letter saying my pension was not affected and is not transferring to the insurance companies. I got a mailer about 2023 Benefits for Medicare-eligible ... But nothing about what happens to my FHA money.? I don't get the yearly contribution but do have a substantial FHA balance I have been using toward my Medicare premium and supplement policy and a plan D drug plan.? Am I now being forced to use my FHA money for this special IBM Medicare Advantage plan?? How much is that going to cost and how does it come out of the FHA balance / how fast will it drain my FHA balance? Can my FHA balance still be used to reimburse my Medicare premium?? I'm confused.? Is my FHA balance considered to be under "The IBM Retiree Medical Plan"?
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Re: IBM $3,000 Heath Care subsidy terminated effective 1/1/2023
I went with Plan G knowing I'd have no bills for life for whatever Medicare covers.? And I can go to any doctor that accepts Medicare throughout the USA.??
You can't "guarantee" this with any MA plan.? And now with the new $2000 cap and more positive changes for Part D drug plans, I am feeling a financial security I had not felt before.? Whatever you choose, it may be unlikely you can switch your plan later in life - especially as you age and become more frail. Those extra features in many MA plans are siren songs that are limited and/or extra premium costs. |
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Re: IBM $3,000 Heath Care subsidy terminated effective 1/1/2023
Yes Big AL, anytime you see paid advertising such as your example of Joe Namah that you mentioned, you can be sure there is a profit motive.? However, most if not all Medigap companies advertise their products; the F, G, and N as well as many others are also a for profit business and those usually have changes each year; some offer plans outside the standard dozen or so defined by Medicare.? Here in Alabama one of the most popular plans is by Blue Cross and is called a Blue Cross C+ plan which is defined by Medicare as a "Select" plan. My wife and I have both used it although I am currently experimenting with an Alabama only Advantage plan that has worked perfectly for me this year with no premiums and only $25 for a Specialist visit and free for a PCP.? Meanwhile, I pay $206/month for my wife to have the Blue Cross C+ because she feels more comfortable knowing she has NO copays; i.e. I'm paying $2,400/yr for her to have no Copays; BC will probably pay less than $500/yr for her and pocket almost $2,000 in profit... Remember, Medicare pays 100% of some things, and 80% of the discounted rate on others leaving you or your Medigap plan responsible for the 20% of those that Medicare has to pay the 80% for.? Your Medigap provider is "secondary" meaning they make NONE of the medical coverage decisions and should have NO contact with your providers other than sending them a check for the difference between the 20% copay and your copay, if any.? You will encounter medical providers who say they don't accept certain providers; that is not their decision to make unless they are saying they won't accept Medicare.? Insurance is complex, and providers do a poor job of educating their staff who greet customers coming for service. Huel? ?? On Tue, Sep 27, 2022 at 3:41 PM BigAl <amboisvert@...> wrote: Correct. The government, insurance companies, Joe Nameth, etc have been pushing and incentivizing people to go to Advantage. |
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Re: IBM $3,000 Heath Care subsidy terminated effective 1/1/2023
Correct. The government, insurance companies, Joe Nameth, etc have been pushing and incentivizing people to go to Advantage.
Advantage plans are being unfairly subsidized to trick people into a privatized and FOR PROFIT Medicare. That's enough of a reason for me to turn-and-run and stick with my plan G. Please read NLRN.org for lot more information. Do not trust IBM. |
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Re: IBM $3,000 Heath Care subsidy terminated effective 1/1/2023
I’m not so much worried about the quality of this new plan. What I’m most concerned about is what happens in 2 years, 5 years…or whenever IBM decides to change plans yet again. Who knows what we might end up with, and then there may be no turning back to regular Medicare.
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Re: IBM $3,000 Heath Care subsidy terminated effective 1/1/2023
开云体育Sorry about the wife’s condition.?I’ve been told to get off Advantage and back to medigap ?after the grace period it requires going through underwriting. Can you share how the process worked for you? Cheers,? Bob On Sep 22, 2022, at 4:28 PM, Michael Halliday via groups.io <mike@...> wrote:
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Re: IBM offloads $16 billion in pension liabilities
I think the first signal of possible trouble of these insurance companies? would be a downgrade of their A.M. Best ratings.? From what I can find in Google searches is that both companies are rated A+ which is a superior rating.? ?If either company was downgraded,? that news would be everywhere.? ?I'm not going to worry until I hear about a downgrade.? ? ?
Randy |
Tim Johnson
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