Company Throws a New Healthcare Plan Out There

     The company has put out information to all drivers at UPS “offering” a change in our health care plan. They call it the UPS Health which one of us do you chose?and Welfare “Package”. They sent out a 16″ by 20″ color glossy brochure so you would be sure not to miss it. It’s amazing how many of you didn’t notice it.
      My goal here is not to discuss the details of the plan changes. They are many, and each of you can make your own choices regarding what you need. The fact you need to know is, thanks to the Teamsters Union, you have a choice. The company just wanted to make wholesale changes in your plan and make you all eat them, like it or not. Please take time to thank the Teamsters for providing you with options on such a major life decision.
     To melt it down the plan is a change to a managed care plan, sort of like Kaiser offers to it’s members. The key to the quality of the plan is the “quality of the Network” you are in. The plan saves enough money to be able to offer you the cost savings by controlling the costs and charges of the care providers you go to. If Doctor Dick, who is a member of the network, charges 180 dollars for a checkup, but the plan only allows for 110 dollars, that is all he can bill to the insurance provider. Pretty simple way to save bucks, and when everything is working, everybody is happy.
     Where the problem comes in is when the doctors suddenly feel the plan is not paying enough. There have been other managed care systems, in the past, where doctors have dropped out of the network because the plan will not pay a reasonable amount. After awhile, no one would accept the plan, forcing the members of that plan to consistently seek care outside of the network and end up paying more for there health care than they would have under the open type of plan. That is the biggest problem with this type of plan. Any of you that have read the prospectus will see that once you make the decision to go into this plan, you cannot get out of it!
     
Please understand, my goal here is to get you to look closely at the plan, and ask questions. There will be meetings to discuss the plan changes, but my impression is the most common answer will be, “we gotta get back to you”. I simply want you all to read the information, and research the realities of the change. They are giving you a big sell job, and I’m sure it’s because they benefit from the changes. You need to determine if you will benefit! Don’t let someone else make the decision for you.