Anonymously contributed:
Hey, how about those new medical plan premiums? I'm a UC retiree forced to have my medical benefits provided by LLNS, and my premium is going up almost 50% next year (and benefits are being reduced). Add to this the fact that UC retirees from "other campuses" continue to enjoy the same benefits that they always received from UC (way, way better than ours), while we Lab types bite the big one again. I know some retirees are organizing and perhaps planning to sue, but I'm afraid that won't pan out, or at least it won't be resolved any time soon. It's a travesty, I tell you. We, who put in all those years in support of the Lab, the University, and the COUNTRY, we who were instrumental in the country's defense and helped win the Cold War, are being sold down the river by DOE, NNSA, UC, and the Bechtelians. Legal or not, it just isn't right, and it smacks of discrimination to me. George (and the rest of you ULM Bechtelian suck-ups who used to be our colleagues), you ought to be ashamed of yourself (I would expect this kind of treatment from the Bechtelians carpet-baggers, but not from you). Don't you have any shred of self respect anymore? Or do you just continue to rationalize that you are "doing the best you can," or that you "are just making the best of a bad situation", or "well, somebody has to do it and I'm going to make sure that I make out OK." As a long-time Lab employee who gave the best years of my life to the place, I'm embarrassed for you and for the institution of which I was once proud to be a part.
9 comments:
“my premium is going up almost 50% next year” …
Only “50%” … you’re doing better than me. Jumped 70% a year ago when they dropped PacCare, and had to pick up BC. Next year …. Will jump from $302 to $478 (a mere 58%). My prediction : they will continue to increase employee’s percentage cost till it’s 100% (more you pay, more money left for them).
Totally agree. It may be legal, but hardly right.
It's not a unique problem. Look what happened to veterans, injured soldiers, the elderly. All of them have been abandoned by institutions that should be caring for them.
The pledge to reward you for "service to your country" is a fraud. Like so many other things these days, an empty promise.
October 26, 2009 6:11 AM
They don't care. Every person they cut, ever cost they can pass to you and every -% of a pay raise less they give to you is money in the bank to LLNS and to boot they get bonus checks for sc**w**g you over every time they can. Welcome to corporate America with no defined pension program. If we think it's bad for us what do you think the children of all the gentaions to come have to look forward to. Can you say, never retire and work for life. Still think it's the right thing to do to bring a child into this world? NOT!!
The pledge to reward you for "service to your country" is a fraud. Like so many other things these days, an empty promise.
October 26, 2009 6:11 AM
Not completely right. No distinct pledges were ever made to protect America's "banksters", but the government bravely stepped in and threw billions in taxpayer cash to bail out these poor, destitute multi-billionaire CEOs. It makes me so proud of this country to see it jump in on short notice to protect our financially endangered super-rich. It's what America is all about!
It is unfortunate that the cost of LLNS' health care benefits are rising, but at least they are available to you, and the package is still better than average. I got laid off 2 years ago, and the company I now work for only offers a discount plan. Be thankful for what you are given, even if it is not as good as you have been accustomed to, there are far worse situations you could be in.
My plan with Kaiser is actually going lower this time.
November 1, 2009 7:21 AM
I know many people who have used Kaiser and they are all died and did so under Kaisers care. It seems Kaiser is good for children but not good for older adults. They just don't have the skilled people like UC Davis and the Cancer treatment center of America. Kaiser only being pushed because most employers are looking for the cheapest care they can give to their employees and Kaiser offers such premiumns due to the number of people enrolled just like when we were with UC and have 200,000 members instead of 8000. Price goes down with qty of subscribers.
Hey 11/2 7:21AM
That was true in the old days when Kaiser was still suspect. Nowadays, you are not going to find a private practice doctor from the old school that will give you better care than a Kaiser doctor. I am older and have had 2 Kaiser doctors in 27 years.
I am happy under Kaiser!
Well, the highest paid managers are paying less for their insurance (LLNS is reducing the "tier" system UC uses), so someone has to pay to make up for it. Retirees can be treated like dirt, so....
BTW, don't forget employees pay their health premiums pre-tax; retirees, post-tax. Quite a difference for high paid employees (assuming they don't cheat on their taxes).
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