Can you spell Cronyism?
The Independent published what many of us have know all along:
http://www.independentnews.com/news/article_c2759f2e-89f4-11e3-a8c1-001a4bcf887a.html
LLNS sends HRA funds, (which now provides substantially less than "substantially equal" health care benefits,) thru a long drawn out wasteful process that appears to just cause delays, and allow lots of unnecessary "handling", and mishandling of the money. And the process does NOT work.
The article asks: “This is one more example of the kind of complicated arrangement that the Laboratory has created by farming out the health care that the University of California used to handle,” said Carole Hilton, Chair of the Livermore Laboratory Retirees Association. “Why on earth do payments have to go from Kaiser to Aon Hewitt and back to Kaiser? Money that could be used to improve the medical care of retirees is instead funding unnecessarily redundant processes.”
Almost every year the process has been a massive waste of energy, hours on the phone trying to get it right. I think Aon Hewitt, and Hewitt before them are the worst one of the bunch. Last year they claimed not to have gotten the money, even after LLNL Benefits e-mailed me and them a copy of the cancelled check. IF they say they will "Research" your problem, that is code for "Go away kid, you bother me." You may never hear from them again. Don't buy that, ask for a supervisor, who may or may not help.
A few years before, when I asked Kaiser what I was supposed to do, Kaiser was nice enough to provide temporary coverage, as they knew all about the Hewitt problem. Turned out I needed it, and it was far superior to what the Lab has provided.
In 2013 year Aon Hewitt mistakenly cancelled my coverage. More hours on the phone, more so called "research". Finally they restored my coverage, but mistakenly refunded me the money that they had originally failed to apply. I called and they said Don't worry, Be Happy. They would stop payment on their mistaken refund, and all would be well. No, and No again. They then re-cancelled me, and after more hours on the phone, the one supervisor who seemed to know anything, told me to send them a check for the amount that they'd sent me, and then they'd undo the stop payment on their check. Q. Why are we paying for this kind of "service?"
Comments
UC was a fine leader. LLNS is a hapless ghost. UC was worth every bit of the $1oM it was paid each year. LLNS is worth about a nickel, yet collects $57M this year, while the employees can't get a cost of living increase because LLNL is keeping it for operating expenses.
LLNS sounds like a Louis Black or Louis Carroll or Joseph Heller creation. Who would choose such cast of blunderers when UC is available to run the labs for less?
Hello, hello
This was the whole point of the contract change. It was to steal money from the taxpayer and deliver a worse product than before. American is being sold piece by piece all in the name of crony capitalism. The United States is one the decline, and why do you think that is so? Ya take are nuclear weapons labs that lead us through the cold war and turn them over to sleazy crony capitalism. This is just the first step the complete take over will come...much more. Every last cent will be drained from this place without a single thing to show for it. The sad part of more than half the population on it's knees will cheer. Than they will come for you.
Take a look at their inability to hand out a low % pay raise, without taking a cut.
It's no surprise that a "for profit" middle man was inserted in a straight forward payment chain.
February 9, 2014 at 10:24 PM
"Ya take are"??? You are one sick puppy.
Accordng to the IRS, the bottom of the top 1% in wealth have $6M in net assets, and the lowest earners in the top 1% earn 455k per year.
Ain't nobody who earned or saved anything like that at the labs, ever.
Get to work. You don't look good in creepy green.
February 10, 2014 at 9:03 AM"
The poster you refer to is far from the most eloquent orator, but how is he/she a sick puppy?
Sounds pretty sick to me.
"Sounds pretty sick to me."
How would saying this make one a sick person? The statement may be a bit melodramatic but a reasonable case could be for this argument and many reasonable people have made just this argument. Take Ron Paul for example, he may be a bit of an oddball but he seems pretty reasonable on most points. You would be hard pressed to make a case that someone like Ron Paul is a sick puppy.
February 10, 2014 at 7:16 PM"
You have seriously undermined your position. You can point out your disagreements with Ron and Rand, however saying they are deranged is obviously nonsensical.
February 10, 2014 at 9:32 PM"
Google "Obama is a reptile" and see what you come with, 300,000 hits. I am obviously not the only one who thinks using Google as a way to make substantive arguments is not a good technique.
"It's not the number of hits that matters, it's the information contained therein. Besides, you want "substantive arguments" about why someone is "crazy"? You are aware that the term "crazy" has no "substantive" definition? You must be crazy.
February 11, 2014 at 9:53 AM"
You are one sick puppy.
Calling people sick or deranged simply because you disagree with them points the finger at you, not them. As the other poster said, it significantly hurts your credibility. Personally, I believe it is an indication of excessive intolerance.
Why does LLNS insert a for profit company like Aon Hewett to take money from Kaiser, and give it back to Kaiser?
Any way this can be stopped?
Anyway we can at least get this to work?
How many others have had these sad experiences?
Thanks
so that someone get paid for the "service",
whether it is needed or not.
Can you spell "Kickback"?