No more health coverage for 10,000 airline employees

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

Yes you would. your assuming it's a new employee. I've been here six years. I've been paying $120/month for the last 72 months. What if the month I get forcefully switched over I break my back? I'm out $5,000 per year. Plus $5,000 the year after.

I see what you're saying. It would suck to get forcefully switched without being financially prepared for it.

But the prior 72 months is irrelevant - it's insurance. You're paying a monthly fee to mitigate risk, not paying into a payment plan.

And just curious - under your new plan will your monthly premiums be lower? Will your company pay into your HSA fund?

Also, $15,000 fund for health care for a regional employee? I don't mean to be a smart ads but doyou know what the average salary is? It would probably take 5 years to build that.

No, not a "health care fund" an emergency fund of 3 - 6 months living expenses. The HSA is a health care fund that you control. You only need to fund that up to your deductible level.

Most employees make 30-40k/yr, after taxes,rent, cost of living, your left with maybe $5,000 for the yr. No vacations? No buying nothing for 3-5 years? See what I'm getting at?

The thing is, I won't have this problem, I am doing ok for myself. But what about the 10,000 other employees at my airline?

I do see... and that's part of the problem. Too many people are trying to live above their salaries. What's more important - a vacation and some new stuff, or your own health care? Is it the insurance company's or the federal government's responsibility to save for an individual's health care?

To be honest, people really shouldn't be buying anything but the basic necessities of life until they are debt free and have an emergency fund in place. It's sound financial management that ensures we control our own life so we don't become burdens on society.

[Screaming_Emu]

Sounds like those of us over at Another Skywest Airline are getting forced into this as well, but at least it won't be until 2012. This year they're just offering incentives.

I really don't like this new plan. The reason I pay health insurance is so that if something happens that I can't afford to take care of (as a regional F/O...that's pretty much everything).

Hopefully something can be done to give us the choice of which one we want.

[gtpilot]

BTW, if SKW is offering the same incentives to join that ASA is currently($750-$2000 seed money for the HSA), it's an incredible deal over the next two years....even after that as near as I can tell the HSA plan offers more flexibility at a cost that is slightly less (with all considerations) than the PPO plan. After the deductible is hit, it basically acts just like the PPO does and the out of pocket max is not much more than in the PPO plan we were offered.

As for having small children, our entire family suffered through flu, strep throat and ear infections during the winter so it was a bit of a shell shock at first, but we rarely spent more on premiums/doctor fees in any one month and it really averaged out nicely during the summer. I think we ended up ahead by about $600 through September, before the furlough.

Again, with ASA's choices if you run the numbers, the HSA plan might cost two or three more if you have an emergency but if not, you'll be saving several hundred up to a thousand dollars a year by using it.

[flyingmaniac]

I thought ShyWest was the best airline of the decade???

[SpiraMirabilis]

By the way, its still better than the "health insurance" offered by Mesa. I never took it, Mesa's "health insurance" had $25,000 annual maximum and a $100,000 lifetime maximum, so essentially you needed health insurance for your health insurance (and yet still paid only 80% in network)

One of the few disgraceful acts of the MEC was that all employees hired after 2002 had this insurance and all employees hired before 2002 had the previous "real" health insurance ($1mil annual max.) In the pilot contract there is the standard phrase that any health insurance offered by one employee must be offered to all the pilots -- but management said if we grieved it they would just pull the grandfathered health insurance from all who had it. So screw the new guys, I guess.

[BobDDuck]

Originally Posted by Screaming_Emu

Sounds like those of us over at Another Skywest Airline are getting forced into this as well, but at least it won't be until 2012. This year they're just offering incentives.

Doesn't ASA have something in their contract about health insurance? We have a whole section in ours. It's one thing for Skywest guys to have their insurance yanked as they don't actually have any guarantees to anything. It's a whole other issue if ASA has wording in their contract.

[mrivc211]

Originally Posted by gtpilot

BTW, if SKW is offering the same incentives to join that ASA is currently($750-$2000 seed money for the HSA), it's an incredible deal over the next two years....even after that as near as I can tell the HSA plan offers more flexibility at a cost that is slightly less (with all considerations) than the PPO plan. After the deductible is hit, it basically acts just like the PPO does and the out of pocket max is not much more than in the PPO plan we were offered.

As for having small children, our entire family suffered through flu, strep throat and ear infections during the winter so it was a bit of a shell shock at first, but we rarely spent more on premiums/doctor fees in any one month and it really averaged out nicely during the summer. I think we ended up ahead by about $600 through September, before the furlough.

Again, with ASA's choices if you run the numbers, the HSA plan might cost two or three more if you have an emergency but if not, you'll be saving several hundred up to a thousand dollars a year by using it.

Again, not to insult you, but you won't be young forever. The older you get, the more health problems on e typically has. You can't base your estimate off of the first few decades of your life. The last few decades will be completely the opposite.

[Realms09]

Originally Posted by Ian J

To be honest, people really shouldn't be buying anything but the basic necessities of life until they are debt free and have an emergency fund in place. It's sound financial management that ensures we control our own life so we don't become burdens on society.

I agree that is good advice for everyone, no matter the income level. It's good insurance against the debt monster reappearing. I've been focusing on that over the past year and happily just met my goal.

I've also learned that coastal California is not a financially sound place to live. I can only imagine it is even more burdensome for struggling pilots who live here. I could take a 40% pay cut and maintain my standard of living by returning to my home town in Texas.

[gtpilot]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

Again, not to insult you, but you won't be young forever. The older you get, the more health problems on e typically has. You can't base your estimate off of the first few decades of your life. The last few decades will be completely the opposite.

No insult taken - running the numbers for ASA's plans, the HSA still is a slightly better value, regardless of age. The younger and healthier individuals will benefit more, but everyone should still realize some savings most years. And to be honest, I think that is fair and I have no illusions of being 'young' forever.

[JoelT]

Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

Does anyone with young kids have an HSA? We're in open enrollment right now and i'm looking at the pros and cons. I've got a 3 year old who gets a few colds/ear infections a year and in a few years might be breaking arms and legs and other such little boy things.

I do. A two year old and one on the way. The way ours is set up employee deductible is $2300 and family is $4500. Everything after that is covered 100%. Premiums are $1440 a year. Preventative (physicals, child immunizations, etc) are covered 100%. Max out-of-pocket is $4500.

[Cptnchia]

Originally Posted by Capt. Caucasian

The way ours is set up employee deductible is $2300 and family is $4500. Everything after that is covered 100%. Premiums are $1440 a year. Preventative (physicals, child immunizations, etc) are covered 100%. Max out-of-pocket is $4500.

I have a nine year old and four year old set of triplets. We max out usually around May - June. After that, everything is covered 100% The only problem with ours is that there is no copay, which seems to confuse the office workers.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Cptnchia

I have a nine year old and four year old set of triplets. We max out usually around May - June. After that, everything is covered 100% The only problem with ours is that there is no copay, which seems to confuse the office workers.

Same with me. I just end up paying it then get it refunded after the claim goes through. PITA.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

Does anyone with young kids have an HSA? We're in open enrollment right now and i'm looking at the pros and cons. I've got a 3 year old who gets a few colds/ear infections a year and in a few years might be breaking arms and legs and other such little boy things.

No.

Well, I'd actually say that yes, there is an individual out there with a young kid who have an HSA.

I just don't know them.

And I'm not one of them.

edit: Ah dang - Capt. Whiteguy . . . I know him.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by surreal1221

No.

Well, I'd actually say that yes, there is an individual out there with a young kid who have an HSA.

I just don't know them.

And I'm not one of them.

edit: Ah dang - Capt. Whiteguy . . . I know him.

Are you drinking?

[gtpilot]

Originally Posted by Cptnchia

I have a nine year old and four year old set of triplets. We max out usually around May - June. After that, everything is covered 100% The only problem with ours is that there is no copay, which seems to confuse the office workers.

ASA (maybe SKW too?) has a $2400 family deductible but it goes to 80% after that, so not quite as good. I had several office workers insist on only taking a co-pay and then billing me in full after the claim was filed - it's odd to get bills three months later!

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Realms09

I've been focusing on that over the past year and happily just met my goal.

That's awesome - and congrats!

[N826AW]

The company my dad works for has a similar setup, though they cover half of the employee's cost up to the $5k when the insurance kicks in. It seems to work pretty well for them.

[surreal1221]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Are you drinking?

God I wish.

Been dry for the past three weeks, it sucks.

[JoelT]

Originally Posted by Cptnchia

I have a nine year old and four year old set of triplets. We max out usually around May - June. After that, everything is covered 100% The only problem with ours is that there is no copay, which seems to confuse the office workers.

Switch to Dr. Goza up at Fayette Medical clinic. Besides the fact that she is the best her office staff fully understand our insurance. I drive from Newnan so my daughter can see her. I'm slightly biased though because we are related.

[ChasenSFO]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

Tell me more about this? Seriously.

I can't explain it well but the just of it is up to a certain cost we are covered at no expense to our pay checks, there is better coverage which you can pay for but I chose the free option.

Sucks for everyone else though. At least we're the only UAX carrier who doesn't have to pay $20 a segment on UA. I'd owe the airline thousands.

[kellwolf]

$2000 into an HSA? Would be a good deal if you never went to the doctor and could let it grow. With a wife that's on brain meds and sees her shrink ($150 a visit) every 3-4 months, that would add up pretty quickly. To put it in perspective, one hospital visit would likely wipe out that $2000. In one year, my wife had one and my son had two. The two for my son included a broken leg, a broken arm and all the follow ups. Without insurance, I'd have had to sell my house to pay for all of it.

Now, if I was a small business owner, I'd be all over an HSA for the tax benefits. If I'm working for someone else, they should either pay me more so I can buy my own insurance/contribute to the HSA or provide health care benefits. If they're switching you guys over to an HSA, I'd be demanding a pay raise to go with it. $2000 "buy out" is chump change compared to the huge amount of money they're gonna be saving.

[mrivc211]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

If they're switching you guys over to an HSA, I'd be demanding a pay raise to go with it. $2000 "buy out" is chump change compared to the huge amount of money they're gonna be saving.

LOL, silly rabbit. Demands? SGU don't do demands!

[Airdale]

One of the best things about Republic is our health care plan. In fact, its better than my wife's from her school.

I can't believe an Airline would cut its employees health insurance. Unbelievable.

[ATN_Pilot]

Guess you Skywest guys should have voted for that whole union thing.

[Doug Taylor]

Wouldn't it be great if there was an option to self-insure without spending a few thousand a month on coverage and not have to deal with the alphabet soup of figuring out company-based insurance?

Oops! Wrong thread!