Teamcare Retiree Insurance Doesn't Pay If Spouse is Disabled

[Thebrownblob]

I have found that asking anybody at work about retiring, pensions, contract info, injuries, etc. is about the worse thing to do. Most people have no idea and UPS HR is completely worthless. I called my former shop steward who is now a Business Agent yesterday and my story completely blew him away. I called to see who the Local's Teamcare person worked for and he thinks she is paid by the Local. I had gone by my Local to get a Withdrawl Card when I retired and I didn't think I needed to talk her.

One of the biggest deficit we have as a union is that we do not properly prepare people for retirement. We talk about it in generalities for the 30+ years you work here, and then when the time comes, it’s all up to you. Of course most of the people you would talk to, are still not retired, and those who retired are gone and you really can’t ask them. unfortunately, most people don’t think very far ahead so there’s not a lot of people asking for this help. As a whole, we could do a much better job, preparing people for the challenges and pitfalls of retirement and your benefits and pensions

 

[oldngray]

One of the biggest deficit we have as a union is that we do not properly prepare people for retirement. We talk about it in generalities for the 30+ years you work here, and then when the time comes, it’s all up to you. Of course most of the people you would talk to, are still not retired, and those who retired are gone and you really can’t ask them. unfortunately, most people don’t think very far ahead so there’s not a lot of people asking for this help. As a whole, we could do a much better job, preparing people for the challenges and pitfalls of retirement and your benefits and pensions

For most people they act like nobody ever retired before when you try to ask questions. And if you can get any answers they often end up being wrong.

 

[scratch]

That's one of the reasons I made this thread, to educate others about what to look for. Also, asking for advice on this forum isn't smart either. You might get one decent answer that points you in the right direction. Having different pension plans and supplementals doesn't help either because of all the different plans around the country.

 

[oldngray]

That's one of the reasons I made this thread, to educate others about what to look for. Also, asking for advice on this forum isn't smart either. You might get one decent answer that points you in the right direction. Having different pension plans and supplementals doesn't help either because of all the different plans around the country.

A lot of advice here may be wrong but there is also more useful information than you are likely to get from HR or even your local union.

 

[DELACROIX]

That's one of the reasons I made this thread, to educate others about what to look for. Also, asking for advice on this forum isn't smart either. You might get one decent answer that points you in the right direction. Having different pension plans and supplementals doesn't help either because of all the different plans around the country.

Hate to see you and your wife go through this.

Your wife apparently qualified for Medicare A when you were still active, when you retire you are under a different set of rules. Medicare B pays for office visits and doctors, A only pays for hospital stays In simple terms. You pay for B coverage, it comes out of your Social Security check. I worked past age 65, but I had to apply.
We used Team Care as primary and Medicare as secondary. My wife had to go on Medicare A and B when she went through a major medical procedure.

It is so so easy to make mistakes .. just read the SPD’s and the latest Social Security pamphlet.. Greek to me, fortunately my wife is a nurse and meticulous, but even she can’t figure out these health plans.

They probably will make a deal with Medicare and settle for a smaller portion of what Team Care wants.. it is ridiculous how they barter over charges.. the hospitals bill for thousands and the settle for hundreds, meanwhile we are having nervous breakdowns when the bills come in, it just takes one clerical error in billing to make your day.

 

[Johney]

Why was your wife even on Medicare to begin with? Wouldn't she have been covered on Teamcare the time you were still working? Maybe I missed something.

 

[bottomups]

My spouse was Social Security disabled while I was still working. My locals healthcare was primary while I was still actively employed and Medicare was secondary. Two months after I retired Medicare became primary and my healthcare then covers 100% of any balances on the supplemental policy.

 

[DELACROIX]

Why was your wife even on Medicare to begin with? Wouldn't she have been covered on Teamcare the time you were still working? Maybe I missed something.

My spouse was Social Security disabled while I was still working. My locals healthcare was primary while I was still actively employed and Medicare was secondary. Two months after I retired Medicare became primary and my healthcare then covers 100% of any balances on the supplemental policy.

Kind of funny that Team Care would even try to collect the Medical Bills back in 2001 considering her primary coverage was under Team Care.

 

[clean hairy]

I just re-read the latest letter and maybe it’s not as bad as what I think. Teamcare is saying they are going to try to get reimbursed from Medicare first. I still want to know exactly what my rights are.
View attachment 416995

What state are you in?

 

[qdg2]

Of course not, this was a phone call made in 2001. My wife got a Medicare Card in the mail back then so she called Teamcare to ask what to do. If she went on Medicare, we would have had to buy a supplemental to cover doctors, medicine, vision, and dental care. So it was a no-brainer to choose Teamcare, you can't use both. Medicare is actually cheaper than Teamcare. After getting kicked out of Teamcare she got an Aetna Advantage Plus supplement for $170 a month compared to the $200 we were paying for Retiree Teamcare. I'm turning 65 in May so I have an appointment next month to sign up for Medicare and save a little money. No more doctor co-pays is another benefit.

....

I have found that asking anybody at work about retiring, pensions, contract info, injuries, etc. is about the worse thing to do. Most people have no idea and UPS HR is completely worthless. I called my former shop steward who is now a Business Agent yesterday and my story completely blew him away. I called to see who the Local's Teamcare person worked for and he thinks she is paid by the Local. I had gone by my Local to get a Withdrawl Card when I retired and I didn't think I needed to talk her.

.....

That's one of the reasons I made this thread, to educate others about what to look for. Also, asking for advice on this forum isn't smart either. You might get one decent answer that points you in the right direction. Having different pension plans and supplementals doesn't help either because of all the different plans around the country.

When I started the process of retirement, the Local Union "benefits" lady(very nice person btw) said "direct ALL questions to Atlanta"....I will say, in my experience with Atlanta......expect a months long journey. Everything had to be in writing....questions and answers. They(Atlanta) give the disclaimer that they have a week for every response.....think about that.

I'm just 60(wife same age), so we'll be on Teamcare for five more years.

However, I will draw SS when the soonest possible.......

The Wife is a cancer patient/survivor so big expenses still ongoing......

We really don't know what else to do except keep going as normal. We got a letter(in writing) that said just expect a normal transition with Teamcare as before. Just the $400 total each month. That's all I have to go on. Fellow retiree's seem to say the same...

Now about info and asking friends/co-workers.....it just follows the MO of working at UPS. Everyone gets treated differently, better/worse....who knows. I will say, during my 42 years......we never had anything not paid or even any sort of glitch with insurance and benefits. My daughters birth? $0.....appendectomy? $0. So on. Cancer stuff?...$0

I have a friend that is going to Juarez this week to have his knee done(this is his other one that the same doctor did)....WTF?
Happy as can be..."yep $10k all in..." he says...I just said "wow".

Except my experience with the witch in Atlanta......my retirement (3 months) has been seamless.

I have a friend that wants to retire with a complicated marriage past....I suggested giving it a lot of time(three months).

Hard to believe someone at Teamcare wants to go after you for 2001 on.......

 

[scratch]

@qdg2, UPS and Atlanta has nothing to do with who processes your pension plan or your healthcare insurance. As far as the retirement process went, I sent an email to the UPS Pension Dept. and it was smooth sailing after that. Retired in Mid-October and my first pension check was in the bank two weeks later. I don't know where you are located, but my pension is handled by Mellon Bank in New York and my Teamcare Plan is through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. I'm just telling anybody who reads this don't go by what you hear from friends, co-workers, or even your shop steward. My Local does have an insurance person on staff and I would suggest contacting your pension plan at the address on your statements.

Latest on my problem is we are looking for a lawyer for legal advice and have been handed off about a dozen times so far in our search. Most lawyers do not deal with health insurance companies. We finally found a specialist who is supposed to call us back tomorrow. We are already getting calls from my wife's Doctor's offices about this. I want to know exactly what my rights are before we answer TeamCare back with our second and final appeal.

 

[Johney]

@qdg2, UPS and Atlanta has nothing to do with who processes your pension plan or your healthcare insurance. As far as the retirement process went, I sent an email to the UPS Pension Dept. and it was smooth sailing after that. Retired in Mid-October and my first pension check was in the bank two weeks later. I don't know where you are located, but my pension is handled by Mellon Bank in New York and my Teamcare Plan is through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. I'm just telling anybody who reads this don't go by what you hear from friends, co-workers, or even your shop steward. My Local does have an insurance person on staff and I would suggest contacting your pension plan at the address on your statements.

Latest on my problem is we are looking for a lawyer for legal advice and have been handed off about a dozen times so far in our search. Most lawyers do not deal with health insurance companies. We finally found a specialist who is supposed to call us back tomorrow. We are already getting calls from my wife's Doctor's offices about this. I want to know exactly what my rights are before we answer TeamCare back with our second and final appeal.

Scratch, On a side note I'd like to ask? are you on the UPS/Teamsters pension plan? I only ask because you say you retired mid Oct and got a check two weeks later. My last day was 11/30/2021 and was taken off the books, but had to be coded as teminated(their word for retirement)on 12/1/2021 and was told months later they wanted Dec pension payment back as I showed still employed one day into Dec.

 

[scratch]

Scratch, On a side note I'd like to ask? are you on the UPS/Teamsters pension plan? I only ask because you say you retired mid Oct and got a check two weeks later. My last day was 11/30/2021 and was taken off the books, but had to be coded as teminated(their word for retirement)on 12/1/2021 and was told months later they wanted Dec pension payment back as I showed still employed one day into Dec.

Yes, I'm in the UPS/Teamsters Pension Plan. I thank God for that, my first 23 years full-time are in the Central States Pension. That stinks that they asked you for your first pension check back, they shouldn't have given it to you if you weren't supposed to get it the next day. This proves that it's important to retire at the right time according to your plan and specific circumstances. I still had one week of my 2020 vacation I hadn't taken plus they had to pay off six weeks of 2021 vacation due me. As far as my pension went, it's been great. I was worried before retirement about getting paid less and once a month. I took SS a year later and along with my wife's SSDI check, we now clear over $8K a month. That was more than when I was working. I haven't touched investments yet and I'm still putting a little bit away.

 

[Darmark7]

Yes, I'm in the UPS/Teamsters Pension Plan. I thank God for that, my first 23 years full-time are in the Central States Pension. That stinks that they asked you for your first pension check back, they shouldn't have given it to you if you weren't supposed to get it the next day. This proves that it's important to retire at the right time according to your plan and specific circumstances. I still had one week of my 2020 vacation I hadn't taken plus they had to pay off six weeks of 2021 vacation due me. As far as my pension went, it's been great. I was worried before retirement about getting paid less and once a month. I took SS a year later and along with my wife's SSDI check, we now clear over $8K a month. That was more than when I was working. I haven't touched investments yet and I'm still putting a little bit away.

You and I retired almost the same time (Oct 2020). My wife worked very little so not much Social Security for her. I retired when I was 57 so I’m hoping not to have to touch SS till I get to 67 (7 more years now) I still have $1000.00 a month in UPS dividends that I can tap into, at this point, but as you I haven’t had to touch any investments so far. Life is good! Good luck my friend!

 

[Johney]

Yes, I'm in the UPS/Teamsters Pension Plan. I thank God for that, my first 23 years full-time are in the Central States Pension. That stinks that they asked you for your first pension check back, they shouldn't have given it to you if you weren't supposed to get it the next day. This proves that it's important to retire at the right time according to your plan and specific circumstances. I still had one week of my 2020 vacation I hadn't taken plus they had to pay off six weeks of 2021 vacation due me. As far as my pension went, it's been great. I was worried before retirement about getting paid less and once a month. I took SS a year later and along with my wife's SSDI check, we now clear over $8K a month. That was more than when I was working. I haven't touched investments yet and I'm still putting a little bit away.

I think you misunderstood. I did everything according to our pension plan said to do. None the less they still tried to screw me because of how I was coded out the day after I retired. It had nothing to do with my supervisor at UPS just the idiots with the pension people. While it did get all worked out it cost me many hours on the phone and multiple trips to my center. Good luck with your ordeal I wish you the best.

 

[oldngray]

I think you misunderstood. I did everything according to our pension plan said to do. None the less they still tried to screw me because of how I was coded out the day after I retired. It had nothing to do with my supervisor at UPS just the idiots with the pension people. While it did get all worked out it cost me many hours on the phone and multiple trips to my center. Good luck with your ordeal I wish you the best.

I never had any problems with my pension but massive headaches with health insurance because they coded me as terminated instead of retired.

 

[BrownFlush]

I have found that asking anybody at work about retiring, pensions, contract info, injuries, etc. is about the worse thing to do. Most people have no idea and UPS HR is completely worthless. I called my former shop steward who is now a Business Agent yesterday and my story completely blew him away. I called to see who the Local's Teamcare person worked for and he thinks she is paid by the Local. I had gone by my Local to get a Withdrawl Card when I retired and I didn't think I needed to talk her.

What a mess.
Not one glitch when I retired. Signed papers that were mailed to me. Talked to the center manager about the days owed me.
Got a check for a month or so from UPS. Got an auto deposit the first of the next month from the local and one every month since 2009. No problems with ins. ever. No problems with the supplement when we turned 65.
I must've been one of the lucky ones after hearing your story.

 

[Shiftless]

Same Here.

Retirement then retirement into Medicare, SEEMLESS!

Scratch's retirement is a nightmare!

Cant wait till we read some day it is all fixed!

 

[scratch]

We went to Local 728 today and the Insurance Representative helped us write our second and final appeal to Teamcare. Our search for legal advice was fruitless, we got passed from office to office. Lawyers don't want to mess with national union insurance companies. One finally told us it would cost more to sue Teamcare than what it would cost to just pay them off. So it looks like insurance companies can pretty much do anything they want. Pre-existing medical conditions under the Affordable Care Act have no meaning to Teamcare Retiree Insurance. Teamcare knew my wife qualified for Medicare in 2001 and gave her the option to stay in Teamcare. Once I retired in 2020, they took monthly premiums out of my pension for her and Teamcare pre-approved every single medical expense. Then, they decided none of that counted. It would have been nice for them to kick her out the month I actually retired, Medicare with a supplement is better insurance than Teamcare and it cost her $170 a month now. My options right now is to hope for a miracle with the appeals board and if that doesn't work hope we can pay off the last two years of medical costs with a cash discount instead of the $44K amount.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

We went to Local 728 today and the Insurance Representative helped us write our second and final appeal to Teamcare. Our search for legal advice was fruitless, we got passed from office to office. Lawyers don't want to mess with national union insurance companies. One finally told us it would cost more to sue Teamcare than what it would cost to just pay them off. So it looks like insurance companies can pretty much do anything they want to. Pre-existing medical conditions under the Affordable Care Act have no meaning to Teamcare Retiree Insurance. Teamcare knew my wife qualified for Medicare in 2001 and gave her the option to stay in Teamcare. Once I retired in 2020, they took monthly premiums out of my pension for her and Teamcare pre-approved every single medical expense. Then, they decided none of that counted. It would have been nice for them to kick her out the month I actually retired, Medicare with a supplement is better insurance than Teamcare and it cost her $170 a month now. My options right now is to hope for a miracle with the appeals board and if that doesn't work hope we can pay off the last two years of medical costs with a cash discount instead of the $44K amount.

I got my fingers crossed for your brother