BENEFITS RENEWAL, Verizon Communication    October 15-October 28, 2009 for active members   Medical Plans – Remember how Verizon told you “If you like the benefits you are in, you don’t have to do a thing”? Not this year. Many changes are happening in the HMO medical plans. Verizon notified the Local, through the ACHC committee, that many HMO health plans (pre-Medicare and Medicare plans- covering active and retired members across the country) will be terminated/consolidated or frozen for 2010. Through the involvement of the ACHC, many plans that were slated to be terminated have now been “frozen”.  The Union bargained for plans, MCN/MEP/PPO, will not be affected. The pre ’90 retiree medical plan will not be affected. Changes will be posted on the Union website, www.ibew827.com  Benefits tab on the left.   Verizon is not obligated to offer HMOs, but does, mainly due to cost. I have said this before, the MCN is the best plan and no other plan can beat it….unless… your doctor doesn’t participate in Aetna. It is as simple as that. Do your doctors participate in the Aetna Choice POS II (MCN)? If you live outside the service area for the MCN, is your doctor an Aetna participating physician? Can you find a doctor you like, that is in the Union bargained for plan? Is an HMO still a good choice for you? Only you can decide that. I caution all members to re-evaluate the coverage that you have. Review what the co-pays are, what doctors participate in the plan, and what changes may have gone into effect. Many changes were instituted over the past year or two for HMOs and doctor lists have changed. I still get calls from members who are unaware of many of these HMO changes (most common is the $150 per hospital confinement co-pay). When you sign on for an HMO, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions. The Union bargained for plans do not have these co-pays within the network.  

What you need to know/what you need to do:

1.     ALL members (active or retired) should verify the medical and dental plan which Verizon has placed you in for 2010. If you are placed in a plan that you do not want (due to plan termination, consolidation or mistake) and do nothing, you may be stuck with that plan for 2010.

2.     ALL members (active or retired) should verify that they have the correct dependents under all coverage categories for 2010 (this includes full time students, sponsored parents etc…) Once again, if you make a mistake it is your problem, if Verizon makes a mistake and you do nothing, Verizon states it is your problem for not telling them!

3.     ALL Active members must verify Full Time Students or they will be dropped from coverage effective Jan 1, 2010 and there will be coverage disruptions until you put them back on.

4.     If you would like to compare available plans, health plan comparison charts (HPCC) will give you a side by side comparison of what is available to you. Beginning on October 1 call the VBC to have these mailed to you (you may view them on line also).

5.     You have two ways to view benefits and/or make changes.

·         Call the Verizon Benefits Center (VBC) at 877-489-2367 Calls to the VBC are recorded; this is to your benefit and protection.

·         Log on to Your Benefits website (www.verizon.com/benefits). When using the website, print out a confirmation of your changes. This is your ONLY protection when using the web, in the event of a discrepancy.

6.     Verizon has contracted with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to offer a new EPO plan. Most Blue Cross/Blue Shield HMOs will be consolidated in to the EPO. This is not a bargained for plan. An EPO (exclusive provider organization) is essentially similar to an HMO, except you do not need referrals. You are responsible for making sure that all providers you see are network doctors. HMOs and the new EPO have no out of network benefits. You may only see network doctors. There are high co-pays for hospital confinements, co-pays for lab and therapy visits, and may have limitations on certain services (i.e. chiropractics). Know what you are getting into. You are agreeing to all conditions, restrictions, co-pays etc. Know the changes that have been implemented to the plans, even if you have been in that plan. Use the HPCCs to compare and make the right decision.

7.     Many HMOs have been “frozen”. This means that if you are currently in the plan, you may remain. No new participants will be accepted. If you leave the plan, you will not be allowed back in.

8.     The MCN or MEP/PPO, are bargained for and offer the most freedom and the least co-pays. The MCN no longer requires referrals. For the highest level of benefits, you must seek care within the network (i.e. doctors, hospitals, labs). The MCN also provides you with the ability to see out of network doctors. You will have higher out of pocket expenses than if had you stayed in network, but you have flexibility.

9.     It is your responsibility to verify what plan Verizon has placed you in, effective January 1, 2010, and to decide if this truly is the right plan for you. Make changes during benefits renewal if Verizon shows you in a plan for 2010 that you do not want.

10.  Check to make sure you have beneficiaries on file for basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, pre-retirement survivor benefits, pension, and savings. It is also a good time to check your beneficiary with the Local for the life insurance that is provided to you free of charge (actives-$2,000; retirees $500)

 

 

The following pre-Medicare HMO plans have been “frozen”- Aetna HMO, Health Net, Carelink, Cigna, and Geisinger (plans 5580, 639, 616, 621, 835).

 

Terminated/consolidated Blue Cross/Blue Shield pre-Medicare HMO plans, such as Blue Care, Keystone East, Blue Choice, Horizon, Anthem Healthkeepers, Amerihealth (plans 434, 607, 609, 611, 615, 656) will be placed in the new Anthem BC/BS EPO by Verizon. The Anthem EPO is not bargained for and is NOT the default plan but may closely match your current plan. Compare the new Anthem EPO with the MCN-Aetna Choice POS II (Union bargained for plan). Make changes if necessary during benefits renewal.

 

Many Medicare HMO plan have been terminated. You should default to a Union bargained for plan, MCN or MEP/PPO- Medicare plan, depending on service area. This is what should happen, but you must check the plan that Verizon will place you or your dependents in for 2010.

Regardless of what plan you are in, or think you are in…It is your responsibility to verify that you are in the plan that you want to be for 2010.  Go back and look at point #1!

 

Dental Plans - Effective January 1, 2010 Aetna Customer Service for the Standard (active) or Comprehensive (retiree) plan will change to 800-843-3088. The customer service number to reach Aetna for the DMO remains the same. Aetna will only send out two ID cards which will cover all family members. Individual ID cards will no longer be necessary. If you need more than two ID cards (one for each parent and maybe an additional one is necessary for a college student who is away from home) you may contact Aetna customer service.

Healthcare Reimbursement Accounts- Verizon will issue a debit card in December. The use of this debit card is voluntary. The debit card will automatically deduct eligible expenses (i.e. co-pays, out of pocket expenses or eligible healthcare items as defined by IRS guidelines) from your flexible spending account. Instruction will be sent along with the Debit card. Paper claims will be accepted but automatic reimbursement (i.e. co-pays and prescriptions) will no longer be in effect. Remember that flexible spending accounts are “evergreen”. If you currently participate, you will automatically rollover into it again, at the current level, unless you make a change. This is a great tax saving plan, but unused money is non-refundable. Plan carefully.

In Unity,

Karen Lane