This BLOG is for LLNL present and past employees, friends of LLNL and anyone impacted by the privatization of the Lab to express their opinions and expose the waste, wrongdoing and any kind of injustice against employees and taxpayers by LLNS/DOE/NNSA.
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If he thinks Kaiser provides the best health care for the money then he's dead wrong. Kaiser is laboratory and you're the rat. Blue cross is for the rich that can afford it. Again a decision made by the elite's for the elite's. Thanks boys.
Just got my Open Enrollment package... LLNS is moving "to an 80/20 cost split" on heath care premiums. Its a 3 year phased-in move to begin on Jan 1, 2009. Currently LLNS pays 84% of the premiums for Lab employees. They are also phasing out the UC "pay-band" approach (different rates for salaries of $129K or less vs $129K or more) in order to go to 80/20 for all LLNS employees.
Co-pay and deductibles are being increased.
LLNS said they did a competitive bid process and are adding Anthem Blue Cross HMO, while dropping Health Net and Pacific Care HMOs. They said under Anthem Blue Cross there was a 90% overlap in Docs and 100% of top 10 hospitals already used by Lab employees compared to Health Net and Pacific Care. Anthem Blue Cross is also a nation wide system.
LLNS President GM claims LLNL cost increased $35 million for employee health and welfare benefits this year - and LLNS picking up 95% of the increase. He said next year, without these changes, cost would increase another 13% or $20 million.
Closes his letter with a claim that LLNS, through the changes, will "...create a plan that benefits our Laboratory by keeping cost under control and ensures that employees will continue to receive the best care available."
listen sheepeople, llns is slowly squeezing you in to kaiser if you bother to read your packet you will notice blue cross premiums jumped by 50% if your spouse or family is on your plan; if look at kaiser it stayed the same;I bet if enough sheepeople jump into kaiser this year, llns will kill off the blue cross plans next year; also look for next year when llns starts elimating holidays; remember doe standard is 80 hours or 10 holidays; and don't forget are generous vaction and sick day plan llns wants us at the doe standard of pto aka paid time off;finaly there is our 401k, llns would like us at the national average of 3% matching; I would look for them to cut out our service credit portion of the 401k; UPTE LOCAL 11 LLNL SKILL CRAFTS
That should get them out the door wouldn't you say. Oh and don't forget it will attract the brightest the nation has to offer. Ever wonder how the people making the rules get paid so much. It can't believe it has anything to with being smart therefore it must be weigh heavily on butt-sniffing skills and politics which are one in the same.
You should have also noted the double standard - DOE/NNSA employees, who don't actually do any real work just oversight of LLNS and its employees, get a real federal pension. However, they were the ones forcing contractors to go with 401ks... maybe Congress should require that federal employees live by they same health care/retirement plan rules they impose on their contractors.
I agree but did you know that every senator and congress person gets their full pay and benefits for the rest of their lives just for doing five years of service. That just five years. What are you going to get after 35-40 years. Some jackass in Washington DC telling you after retirement that you health benefits have been changed and you have to pay more while people like Polusi tell you we have to tax your retirement pay to help pay the way for those who didn't save to make their own retirement plan. Can you say Marxism to the max. Yeah, these people we have running LLNS are no better than the ones who just voted in an $810B debt for YOU to pay while they give your money to those who signed on the dotted line to pay a mortgage fee of which your tax money is now going to let them Weasel out of yet still plant their butts in that $500K - $750K home that you knew you could never afford. Is this like distributing the wealth to the bozo's who should have never had it in the first place. It only gets better people !!! I'm glad I don't have much longer on this earth. I have seen enough corruption at all levels in my life time to convince me I'm glad life is coming to an end shortly. I just feel sorry for my son and daughter and can't find a way to tell them "I'm Sorry" without hurting their feeling for what I have done and having brought them into this world and society.
Being a retiree, I assume that these same health insurance changes are coming our way as well, correct? Are employees who choose Kaiser still required to live within a required mileage distance from a Kaiser hospital (is it 40 miles?)? If so, employees who live beyond the required distance MUST choose the costlier Blue Cross plan, correct? It appears that there is no middle ground. Anonymous Retiree
Again from the retiree... I forgot to mention one good point for having the Blue Cross insurance plan available to you -- if an employee moves out of state after retiring, Blue Cross is useable in any state. Some employers do NOT offer health plans useable out of state but instead offer reimbursment to retiree to cover some/all health ins premium cost retiree has purchased in the new state (probably not a group plan). The reimbursement amount ties in with the employer's lowest health plan premium cost (someone else will have to explain how the reimbursement works exactly, but this is close). Having BC available would alleviate those worries of having to find reasonable non-group health ins in another state, plus, lab health plans come with the drug plan so no hassels with that when going on Medicare. At least I HOPE they retain the drug plan when going on Medicare as they do currently.
Next year there will be 1 healthcare choice, Kaiser. That will limit >90% near retirement age to leave CA and for those who have retired??? Between living within 40 miles of a Kaiser facility and medicare bound to NOT be there. Well, they did what they came to do and that was to save money and THEIR future!
I don't have much longer on this earth. I have seen enough corruption at all levels in my life time to convince me I'm glad life is coming to an end shortly. I just feel sorry for my son and daughter and can't find a way to tell them "I'm Sorry" without hurting their feeling for what I have done and having brought them into this world and society.
No it's not but I wish I was that person who made $437K a year with perks I would have a problem in the world and would leave and live happily ever after to never concern myself with money issues ever again.Could you imagine having a check for $37K a month roll in on time every month. That would be a dream come true and he did it by being a prick and screwing all of those under him. That would make him and FR a pair of pricks.
As a current retiree enrolled with Health Net, I received written notification of "Coverage Ended 01-01-2009" by Health Net yesterday (10/20/08). This morning I called Hewitt Associates (benefits of LLNS), asking them when I could expect to receive mail notification on this issue. They said they were awaiting material and hoped to have it out by November third. I let them know they might want to be more pro-active in order to avoid a lot of phone calls from concerned retirees.
When I contacted Hewitt by email, their response was: "You will be able to view changes for 2009 beginning on 11/03/2008 on this web site. Your enrollment period is from 11/10/2008 to 11/21/2008." Not much time for retirees, I guess.
I just found this on the LLNL retirees organization web site, http://www.llnlretirees.org/home.html
NEW: Schedule of Health Care Events for LLNL Retirees
The following health care information was received from LLNS recently.
October 27: Mail open enrollment packets to retirees
November 3: Retiree Meeting (Tracy Community Center) Medicare retiree sessions: 9:00 and 1:00 Non-Medicare retiree sessions: 10:15 and 2:15
November 6: Retiree Meeting (Robert Livermore Center) Medicare retiree sessions: 9:00 and 1:00 non-Medicare retiree sessions: 10:15 and 2:15
November 10 - November 21: Open enrollment for non-Medicare retirees
November 5 - November 26: Open enrollment for Medicare retirees
[End Quote]
My comment especially to non-Medicare retirees -- Pay very close attention to the changes. An Exclusive Provider Organization is different from a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). You do not have much open enrollment time. -- A retiree.
Well it looks like NONE of the 4 Anthem Blue Cross plans offered to LLNL retirees are HMO! I called their service rep today (1-866-641-1689) and only 1 of my current Dr's is covered....I had Health Net HMO and was happy...., I DON'T want Kaiser. I guess thats what ~30 years in the system buys you.
22 comments:
If he thinks Kaiser provides the best health care for the money then he's dead wrong. Kaiser is laboratory and you're the rat. Blue cross is for the rich that can afford it. Again a decision made by the elite's for the elite's. Thanks boys.
Every time you turn around Rechtel is putting it to the employees.
Get a rope.
Just got my Open Enrollment package... LLNS is moving "to an 80/20 cost split" on heath care premiums. Its a 3 year phased-in move to begin on Jan 1, 2009. Currently LLNS pays 84% of the premiums for Lab employees. They are also phasing out the UC "pay-band" approach (different rates for salaries of $129K or less vs $129K or more) in order to go to 80/20 for all LLNS employees.
Co-pay and deductibles are being increased.
LLNS said they did a competitive bid process and are adding Anthem Blue Cross HMO, while dropping Health Net and Pacific Care HMOs. They said under Anthem Blue Cross there was a 90% overlap in Docs and 100% of top 10 hospitals already used by Lab employees compared to Health Net and Pacific Care. Anthem Blue Cross is also a nation wide system.
LLNS President GM claims LLNL cost increased $35 million for employee health and welfare benefits this year - and LLNS picking up 95% of the increase. He said next year, without these changes, cost would increase another 13% or $20 million.
Closes his letter with a claim that LLNS, through the changes, will "...create a plan that benefits our Laboratory by keeping cost under control and ensures that employees will continue to receive the best care available."
listen sheepeople, llns is slowly squeezing you in to kaiser if you bother to read your packet you will notice blue cross premiums jumped by 50% if your spouse or family is on your plan; if look at kaiser it stayed the same;I bet if enough sheepeople jump into kaiser this year, llns will kill off the blue cross plans next year; also look for next year when llns starts elimating holidays; remember doe standard is 80 hours or 10 holidays; and don't forget are generous vaction and sick day plan llns wants us at the doe standard of pto aka paid time off;finaly there is our 401k, llns would like us at the national average of 3% matching; I would look for them to cut out our service credit portion of the 401k; UPTE LOCAL 11 LLNL SKILL CRAFTS
4:39 a.m.
I agree! Decisions made by the elite's FOR the elite's...screw everyone else.
Take the entire package, scan it and send it to the CEO's of heathnet and Pacific Care and see whatthey have to say and then we'll who's lying.
" Hey bud, I have a vacation house in Hawaii that could be your's if we get the contract."
October 10, 2008 8:50 PM
That should get them out the door wouldn't you say. Oh and don't forget it will attract the brightest the nation has to offer. Ever wonder how the people making the rules get paid so much. It can't believe it has anything to with being smart therefore it must be weigh heavily on butt-sniffing skills and politics which are one in the same.
... and dont forget the more subtle and discreet tail wagging skills almost every manager uses with his manager!
October 10, 2008 8:50 PM
You should have also noted the double standard - DOE/NNSA employees, who don't actually do any real work just oversight of LLNS and its employees, get a real federal pension. However, they were the ones forcing contractors to go with 401ks... maybe Congress should require that federal employees live by they same health care/retirement plan rules they impose on their contractors.
October 12, 2008 10:07 AM
I agree but did you know that every senator and congress person gets their full pay and benefits for the rest of their lives just for doing five years of service. That just five years. What are you going to get after 35-40 years. Some jackass in Washington DC telling you after retirement that you health benefits have been changed and you have to pay more while people like Polusi tell you we have to tax your retirement pay to help pay the way for those who didn't save to make their own retirement plan. Can you say Marxism to the max. Yeah, these people we have running LLNS are no better than the ones who just voted in an $810B debt for YOU to pay while they give your money to those who signed on the dotted line to pay a mortgage fee of which your tax money is now going to let them Weasel out of yet still plant their butts in that $500K - $750K home that you knew you could never afford. Is this like distributing the wealth to the bozo's who should have never had it in the first place. It only gets better people !!! I'm glad I don't have much longer on this earth. I have seen enough corruption at all levels in my life time to convince me I'm glad life is coming to an end shortly. I just feel sorry for my son and daughter and can't find a way to tell them "I'm Sorry" without hurting their feeling for what I have done and having brought them into this world and society.
Being a retiree, I assume that these same health insurance changes are coming our way as well, correct? Are employees who choose Kaiser still required to live within a required mileage distance from a Kaiser hospital (is it 40 miles?)? If so, employees who live beyond the required distance MUST choose the costlier Blue Cross plan, correct? It appears that there is no middle ground.
Anonymous Retiree
Again from the retiree...
I forgot to mention one good point for having the Blue Cross insurance plan available to you -- if an employee moves out of state after retiring, Blue Cross is useable in any state. Some employers do NOT offer health plans useable out of state but instead offer reimbursment to retiree to cover some/all health ins premium cost retiree has purchased in the new state (probably not a group plan). The reimbursement amount ties in with the employer's lowest health plan premium cost (someone else will have to explain how the reimbursement works exactly, but this is close). Having BC available would alleviate those worries of having to find reasonable non-group health ins in another state, plus, lab health plans come with the drug plan so no hassels with that when going on Medicare. At least I HOPE they retain the drug plan when going on Medicare as they do currently.
Next year there will be 1 healthcare choice, Kaiser. That will limit >90% near retirement age to leave CA and for those who have retired??? Between living within 40 miles of a Kaiser facility and medicare bound to NOT be there. Well, they did what they came to do and that was to save money and THEIR future!
I don't have much longer on this earth. I have seen enough corruption at all levels in my life time to convince me I'm glad life is coming to an end shortly. I just feel sorry for my son and daughter and can't find a way to tell them "I'm Sorry" without hurting their feeling for what I have done and having brought them into this world and society.
Goerge is that you?
October 14, 2008 3:45 PM
No it's not but I wish I was that person who made $437K a year with perks I would have a problem in the world and would leave and live happily ever after to never concern myself with money issues ever again.Could you imagine having a check for $37K a month roll in on time every month. That would be a dream come true and he did it by being a prick and screwing all of those under him. That would make him and FR a pair of pricks.
Kaiser is not health care. Not even close. Don't fall for it, it could cost you your life.
PS If you do get sick go on vacation to a state that doesn't have Kaiser. Get yourself in a real hospital and make them pay for it.
October 15, 2008 12:44 AM
I am more concerned about the lives of my family, without them there is no point in working here.
As a current retiree enrolled with Health Net, I received written notification of "Coverage Ended 01-01-2009" by Health Net yesterday (10/20/08). This morning I called Hewitt Associates (benefits of LLNS), asking them when I could expect to receive mail notification on this issue. They said they were awaiting material and hoped to have it out by November third. I let them know they might want to be more pro-active in order to avoid a lot of phone calls from concerned retirees.
When I contacted Hewitt by email, their response was: "You will be able to view changes for 2009 beginning on 11/03/2008 on this web site. Your enrollment period is from 11/10/2008 to 11/21/2008." Not much time for retirees, I guess.
I just found this on the LLNL retirees organization web site,
http://www.llnlretirees.org/home.html
NEW: Schedule of Health Care Events for LLNL Retirees
The following health care information was received from LLNS recently.
October 27: Mail open enrollment packets to retirees
November 3: Retiree Meeting (Tracy Community Center)
Medicare retiree sessions: 9:00 and 1:00
Non-Medicare retiree sessions: 10:15 and 2:15
November 6: Retiree Meeting (Robert Livermore Center)
Medicare retiree sessions: 9:00 and 1:00
non-Medicare retiree sessions: 10:15 and 2:15
November 10 - November 21: Open enrollment for non-Medicare retirees
November 5 - November 26: Open enrollment for Medicare retirees
[End Quote]
My comment especially to non-Medicare retirees -- Pay very close attention to the changes. An Exclusive Provider Organization is different from a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). You do not have much open enrollment time.
-- A retiree.
Well it looks like NONE of the 4 Anthem Blue Cross plans offered to LLNL retirees are HMO! I called their service rep today (1-866-641-1689) and only 1 of my current Dr's is covered....I had Health Net HMO and was happy...., I DON'T want Kaiser.
I guess thats what ~30 years in the system buys you.
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