Teamcare Retiree Insurance Doesn't Pay If Spouse is Disabled

[Thebrownblob]

That’s terrible. I’m sorry to hear that. Hopefully that final appeal will not fall on deaf ears.

 

[oldngray]

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.

One of the loopholes of Obamacare was it never applied to retirees. I'm thinking you will end up owing the last 2 years and they were just hoping to collect the rest from Medicare. And yeah, if you tried to sue the lawyers would cost you more. The union should have your back on this but they tend to stop caring for people who no longer pay dues.

 

[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.

Try this?

https://mobile.twitter.com/TeamsterSOB

 

[BrownFlush]

Learned something the year I retired and the year after.
Wife had a lot of problems. In one month (November), she met the 100K max. The month of December, the bills came right up to 100K. This was 2009. 2010 came. By February, the 100K was met.
I was looking at over 250K in hospital and doctor bills. Forget the hotel, food, travel expense.
Prior to Obama care (2013), it was the law that once you reach the max in with your insurance, that was all they could go after. Long story short, they wrote off right at 250K. In 2011 and 2012, her bills for each those years was in the 90K range so we did alright.
After 2013, there was probably five years that she has went over 100K. Had bills in the thousands over the years. ObamaCare really cost me.

 

[burrheadd]

....

.....

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.......

You will soon find out that retiree Teamcare
doesent pay nearly as well as still working Teamcare

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

You will soon find out that retiree Teamcare
doesent pay nearly as well as still working Teamcare

What are the biggest differences you have seen?

 

[burrheadd]

We went up 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.

Does your state have an insurance commissioner if so I’d get in touch with them

 

[burrheadd]

What are the biggest differences you have seen?

They only pay 80 % on a lot of things

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

They only pay 80 % on a lot of things

When we got forced in the team care I know this was a few more extra payments on things that I did not have before.
Teamcare is flush with cash
No excuse how they treat their members right now.

 

[Thebrownblob]

When we got forced in the team care I know this was a few more extra payments on things that I did not have before.
Teamcare is flush with cash
No excuse how they treat their members right now.

That is correct teamcare is easily one of the most well-funded healthcare plans in the nation. Really need to step up the retiree coverage.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

That is correct teamcare is easily one of the most well-funded healthcare plans in the nation. Really need to step up the retiree coverage.

And the current employees coverage
Fortunately we have not had to use it too often but before team care I never had the kind of little extra things that wasn't covered.
Maybe not nationally but locally we have better coverage

 

[Thebrownblob]

And the current employees coverage
Fortunately we have not had to use it too often but before team care I never had the kind of little extra things that wasn't covered.
Maybe not nationally but locally we have better coverage

I’m not gonna complain too much. Had a couple bills in the six figures in the last 5 months , so far our portion is less than $1000

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I’m not gonna complain too much. Had a couple bills in the six figures in the last 5 months , so far our portion is less than $1000

Gender reassignment surgery?

 

[scratch]

Try this?

https://mobile.twitter.com/TeamsterSOB

I just sent TeamsterSOB a Tweet, I hope he is a SOB toward Teamcare!

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

I just sent TeamsterSOB a Tweet, I hope he is a SOB toward Teamcare!

That's the best I had scratch

Hopefully it helps

 

[Johney]

And the current employees coverage
Fortunately we have not had to use it too often but before team care I never had the kind of little extra things that wasn't covered.
Maybe not nationally but locally we have better coverage

That’s funny cause when we all went to Teamcare my benefits got better and costs went down.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

That’s funny cause when we all went to Teamcare my benefits got better and costs went down.

It was a downgrade for us

 

[scratch]

What state are you in?

Georgia, I was born in Atlanta and have always lived in the suburbs outside of it.

 

[qdg2]

@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.

Nothing to do with it?

Except process it...

I'm not sure what you mean by "process'.

My local had NOTHING to do with it.

UPS/ATLANTA had everything to do with it......verification(processing). Do you mean monthly "administering"?

So, I'm a little confused what a person is supposed to do....You have to go on Medicare....right?

But then you stayed on Teamcare as your primary(if I have this wrong, I apologize.), or the other way around....

Can we have both or either? It seems reasonable they can go after you for the 2 years but not the last 20.....has anyone said exactly why?

Can I buy a supplemental to Teamcare in case we go over the annual limits?(until 65 medicare)?

I'm not really sure how much my Wife's cancer care is.....annually....we've never paid a dime....until December(when I retired).

I wish you the best. With all respect.

 

[scratch]

@qdg2, I was trying to state that UPS in Atlanta only starts the retirement process. Your pension and healthcare are administered from somebody else. I still have Teamcare until May 1, I turn 65 in the middle of that month so I have to go on Medicare then. I have an appointment with a Medicare advisor Monday to go ahead and pick a Medicare Supplemental to cover what Medicare doesn't. The best plans are cheaper than Teamcare. You can pay even more than $200 a month to stay on Teamcare when you turn 65 but it's cheaper to go elsewhere. Medicare is deducted from your Social Security Benefit, unlike Teamcare coming out of your pension check. My wife's issue is that the Retiree Teamcare Plan does not cover anybody who is eligible for Medicare.

UPS and the Teamsters don't give a crap about anybody once they retire.