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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
My spouse finally got his Optum debit card FEB 1st, 2 wks after I rec’d mine. So much for using it to pay copays in Jan. Optum said they hadn’t rec’d the feed from VB. Don’t know how that’s possible since we had a combined acct & I rec’d mine wks ago (also late). I suggest that anyone still encountering probs getting their FHA $, debit cards & other probs, contact their state Insur commissioner’s ofc to get help & file a complaint.? |
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Re: Really Confused about these IBM changes
Wondering how this ended up for you & your spouse Brian? My husband & I are both retirees as well (w/71 yrs of combined service). When IBM settled the pension class action in the 90’s, he had 25 yrs so was grandfathered under the prior pension plan & HC benefits while I only had 20 yrs so got the prior pension plan but an FHA instead. I’m retired on LTD (for 1 more yr until they move me to retirement benefits) & he retired in 2019. Now, all these yrs later, we’re both being held hostage by IBM to buy the HC Cov ‘they want’ vs what ‘we need’ & in the yrs we need it most, or we’re both screwed out of our HC subsidies (his 3k/yr which is now 2,778 & my FHA $). A double whammy for IBM retiree couples like us. I don’t see how it’s legal for IBM to change our retirement benefits after the fact, especially given the terms & conditions of the pension class action settlement. And now I’m left wondering if I’ll get another surprise when they trigger my pension next yr ? Thoughts anyone??? |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
I called Optum bank and was told my funds would NOT be available until after February 1st, and that while I could submit my yearly reoccurring reimbursement requests now it would probably be best to wait until funds were deposited and the two accounts (perpetual dormant and perpetual active) were merged into one account.? Then I guess it might take another two weeks after that submission to process the monthly reimbursements for Jan and Feb.
Just FYI |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
开云体育I signed on to mine yesterday and saw the yearly
amount (I am using the Essential Plan) and the once IBM payment
in there fine.? It also showed money taken out for one
prescription.? You'd better call them. --
John Samuels |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
Any idea as to when FHA fund balances will be transferred from ViaBenefits/IBM and show up at Optum?? Logging into my Optum portal has shown two perpetual accounts with zero balances for several weeks now.? I got an email saying a new statement was ready but still shows $0 funds available.
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
10-15 days just to post the trans is insane. How long to actually get reimbursed? I doubt IBM even asked these kind of details. I’d contact the ESC & file a complaint. If that doesn’t work, escalate to the plan administrator. I finally got my HRA debit card this wk but my spouse hasn’t. Crazy given it’s already Jan 14th. |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
Seems UHC (via Optum Bank) is trying to make the initial interactions I had with VIA look good.? OP Rep informed me it will take 10-15 days for a submitted claim to be posted as a transaction on my Optum / IBM HRA account.? Even VIA was never that slow.? In the end, when VIA had their act together, it was a good snappy service.? Now UHC has turned back the clock.? Sometimes I wonder if IBM is deliberately doing this vendor switching to confuse or wear-down we older retirees in the hopes we will give up on making claims, or doing anything else with our retirement health benefit.? Lotta luck IBM, we are a patient lot.? We will get paid our due. BTW, I did confirm I still have a VIA account and will process SHAP claims via that account at year end 2023.
On Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 04:33:00 AM PST, Bob C. via groups.io <bobc4012@...> wrote:
I have talked with the CSRs on this and reimbursement is going to be the equivalent to what we had on VIA, A Recurring Premium Expense, e.g., Medicare Social Security deduction or other or similar monthly-like deductions. Also, a Claim for Reimbursement for non-recurring type medical expenses, e.g., co-pays, prescriptions, etc.? Keep in mind, this is for those on the Essential plan. Those on the Enhanced plan will only have access to the one-time credit. As for SHAP, the program is still available, but as Henry pointed out, it is administered by Acclaris. This past year, Acclaris processed the SHAP claims, but I believe IBM had VIA make the payment (they had some kind of tie-in per a letter IBM sent retirees last year). I sent my SHAP claim in to Acclaris and received payment. You still have to hold off claiming any reimbursement for the SS Medicare deduction from the subsidy until you filed and received your SHAP reimbursement. When I was with VIA, I claimed the VIA Premium Reimbursement for my wife and filed the SHAP claim for myself so I didn't have to wait for reimbursement for her monthly SS deduction. At the end of the year, if there was still any money left in my VIA subsidy, I could file my SS Medicare deductions minus the $900 I received from SHAP. This will still work the same way as was explained to me. As far as I can see, the process is going to be very similar to how it worked with VIA, but one difference is reimbursements will come from UHC's Optum Bank. I had to submit a Direct deposit request to them and sent it via e-mail. Also, UHC forms are different than the VIA forms. I just completed my Direct Deposit earlier with Optum Bank. I had submitted it over the weekend via e-mail instead of snail mail (like I did with VIA). I received a reply telling me I had to go through a verification process because I used e-mail rather than snail mail. To verify, they send 2 small amounts (a few cents) to your direct deposit account and then reclaim them. It can take up to three business days. You check your account to see what they are and then enter these amounts in the "Verify" process. So if you go this route, the verification process is not going to be immediate. Now that is set up, I will be submitting a "Premium Reimbursement Claim" for my wife's monthly SS Medicare deduction. I will specify they take it out of the "annual IBM subsidy" rather than the one-time credit (which I will end up using for a dental procedure not covered (fully) by the UHC dental coverage). |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
I have talked with the CSRs on this and reimbursement is going to be the equivalent to what we had on VIA, A Recurring Premium Expense, e.g., Medicare Social Security deduction or other or similar monthly-like deductions. Also, a Claim for Reimbursement for non-recurring type medical expenses, e.g., co-pays, prescriptions, etc.? Keep in mind, this is for those on the Essential plan. Those on the Enhanced plan will only have access to the one-time credit.
As for SHAP, the program is still available, but as Henry pointed out, it is administered by Acclaris. This past year, Acclaris processed the SHAP claims, but I believe IBM had VIA make the payment (they had some kind of tie-in per a letter IBM sent retirees last year). I sent my SHAP claim in to Acclaris and received payment. You still have to hold off claiming any reimbursement for the SS Medicare deduction from the subsidy until you filed and received your SHAP reimbursement. When I was with VIA, I claimed the VIA Premium Reimbursement for my wife and filed the SHAP claim for myself so I didn't have to wait for reimbursement for her monthly SS deduction. At the end of the year, if there was still any money left in my VIA subsidy, I could file my SS Medicare deductions minus the $900 I received from SHAP. This will still work the same way as was explained to me. As far as I can see, the process is going to be very similar to how it worked with VIA, but one difference is reimbursements will come from UHC's Optum Bank. I had to submit a Direct deposit request to them and sent it via e-mail. Also, UHC forms are different than the VIA forms. I just completed my Direct Deposit earlier with Optum Bank. I had submitted it over the weekend via e-mail instead of snail mail (like I did with VIA). I received a reply telling me I had to go through a verification process because I used e-mail rather than snail mail. To verify, they send 2 small amounts (a few cents) to your direct deposit account and then reclaim them. It can take up to three business days. You check your account to see what they are and then enter these amounts in the "Verify" process. So if you go this route, the verification process is not going to be immediate. Now that is set up, I will be submitting a "Premium Reimbursement Claim" for my wife's monthly SS Medicare deduction. I will specify they take it out of the "annual IBM subsidy" rather than the one-time credit (which I will end up using for a dental procedure not covered (fully) by the UHC dental coverage). |
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
Try ACCLARIS On Tue, Jan 10, 2023 at 2:22 PM Teflon via <mbient=[email protected]> wrote:
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Re: Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
You should have received or should be receiving an HRA package from IBM. It contains 2 forms for reimbursement. 1. Recurring Premium Expense Reimbursement Request and 2. Retiree Claim for Reimbursement - similar to what we had with VIA. You can also file on-line at and via e-mail at optumclaims@... (that ... is optumbank.com).? Optum is a subsidiary of UHC. You can call 1-866-882-0397 for information.??
Personally, I think the HRA package they sent comes up short. While they play up we will get a "payment card" (like a debit card) that will receive any reimbursement, they did not mention if you could have a direct deposit right to your checking account. From what I gathered from the HRA package I just received, it will work similar to what we had with VIA, but not identical. I suspect you will have to submit a recurring expense claim for them to take it out of your HRA. Recurring expenses must be submitted at the beginning of the year. It sort of looks like that right hand (or left hand) doesn't know what the right hand is doing in your case. UHC want their premium payment up front and their subsidiary won't have access to the funds until 1/1/23. Don't they give a grace period? I had one with VSP while we were on VIA. They collected from VIA in Dec. for the following year.? I have my own questions about that one-time credit for signing up whether they take from the HRA first and the credit second or vice-versa. Also, my wife and I are on the Essential plan and even though she doesn't get anything, the HRA package looks like I can claim her expenditures against the $1300 like I did on VIA. That extra $300 is not from IBM, but many of the Med. Advantage plans provide that by reducing what is taken out for the Medicare premium ($25/mo) taken out of the monthly SS check (25 x 12 = 300). We had that reduction this year in our Aetna plan (it might have been $30/mo.). |
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Signed up for IBM Advantage, How to claim against FHA balance in 2023
I received a bill from UHC for $131.50 for the first month of the 2023 C plan.? How do I get that paid from my FHA balance? I've not received anything from IBM about procedures after ViaBenefits goes away.? My FHA balance has enough left to cover that and the Medicare premium for a couple years.? The remaining FHA balance was the entire reason I switched plans.
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Re: Wanted to join the Webex meeting this morning....
When I went through the sign-up process I was told since I wanted the Enhanced plan, I've be getting a $131.50 subsidy? from IBM and my monthly cost would be $0. My wife, has 'access only' and no IBM Subsidy will pay the $131.50. So that subsidy is $1,578 this year. Add to that, the one-time IBM contribution for an HRA of $1,200, and those 2 are less than $3,000 I was getting.
What is unknown is IF IBM is saving any money? Was VIA paid money by IBM to service us, or was there even a kick-back to IBM. Same goes for UHC, IBM paying them to 'craft' a special plan for IBM'ers (I am not sure as a neighbor who worked for the State of NY has a 'special' UHC plan that is similar to what IBM is providing for us) or even getting some money for getting them new customers, One thing is sure, next year IBM will be paying less to us as there is no longer the 'one-time' payment replacement. Each individual will have to make a selection on the plans, and depending on where they are on the chart the subsidy it appears will be different, and well as the one-time payment. Still, over-all, to me, I think we'll come out ahead vs. this years cost for 2 secondary's, 2 Plan D's, with Dental plan, and no eyeglass subsidy. We'll never be sure though until around this time next year though. Although with the Enhanced plan there is a $750 max out of pocket for medical co-pays, there are limits on the Dental. It is possible some other things will hit us that we didn't realize, but for now, we think this will save us money? |
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Re: Wanted to join the Webex meeting this morning....
start with https.\\? ?-- need the s at the end for security Ruth Peak
On Monday, October 31, 2022 at 09:24:04 AM EDT, Ernest Fine <egfine@...> wrote:
The button – actually, text – is there now. ? From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Ernest Fine
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 9:20 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ibmpension] Wanted to join the Webex meeting this morning.... ? The URL in the brochure that was sent as part of our information packet is “webex.com”. Then click on the “Join a Meeting” button. ? I don’t have such a button. That webex.com URL lands me on a marketing page – nothing to do with joining a meeting. ? Anybody know what’s going on? |
John Samuels
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