Aon Hewitt Finally Gets the Boot-Who is Empyrean?
After years of terrible service "handling" and mishandling the LLNL Retirees health benefits, maybe LLNS has gotten someone else.
I got a letter today dated Jan 29, 2015 on LLNL letterhead that starts:
"We have heard your feedback over the YEARS and as a result the Laboratory is making several
changes to the administration of retiree health and welfare plans effective April 1,2015. The
changes are being made in an effort to continue to offer quality service to LLNS retirees."
It goes on to say Aon Hewitt is out.
Initially, I was very pleased. Aon Hewitt/B of A HRA repeatedly caused months of anguish nearly EVERY year, since about 2007, missed payments, double billing, cancellations from Kaiser that had to be undone, almost nothing but grief!
At first I thought "Anyone could do better!"
Then I'm thinking: Who are we dealing with?
LLNS is the company that set up this convoluted system where LLNS paid Aon, who paid B of A who paid Kaiser, that never worked and LLNS never did anything, 'til now. Why?
So my Question is: Who is the new firm, Empyrean Benefit Solutions, and what is their track record?
Thanks!
After years of terrible service "handling" and mishandling the LLNL Retirees health benefits, maybe LLNS has gotten someone else.
I got a letter today dated Jan 29, 2015 on LLNL letterhead that starts:
"We have heard your feedback over the YEARS and as a result the Laboratory is making several
changes to the administration of retiree health and welfare plans effective April 1,2015. The
changes are being made in an effort to continue to offer quality service to LLNS retirees."
It goes on to say Aon Hewitt is out.
Initially, I was very pleased. Aon Hewitt/B of A HRA repeatedly caused months of anguish nearly EVERY year, since about 2007, missed payments, double billing, cancellations from Kaiser that had to be undone, almost nothing but grief!
At first I thought "Anyone could do better!"
Then I'm thinking: Who are we dealing with?
LLNS is the company that set up this convoluted system where LLNS paid Aon, who paid B of A who paid Kaiser, that never worked and LLNS never did anything, 'til now. Why?
So my Question is: Who is the new firm, Empyrean Benefit Solutions, and what is their track record?
Thanks!
Comments
...and sending a Seal Team after Tyler Przbylek. (perhaps ServPro?)
The administrative details have been accurate and timely. And they haven't lost my PPI yet.
Competent. Kinda like lab employee relations under UC's care.
No wonder the LLC got rid of 'em. LLC employees don't know what competence looks like.
And it only hurts you
February 8, 2015 at 10:53 AM
All UC retirees who retired from LANL or from LLNL, even long before the LLC transition, now get their retiree health insurance from LANS or LLNS, not from UC, at least until they qualify for Medicare, after which they still have the option of taking a retiree plan, secondary to Medicare, from the LLC. At least from LANS, those retiree plans are a lot cheaper than getting them privately.
The Group plan costs more, but has a little better co-pays, coverage, etc.
Better, but not the best. Many co's have far better deals.(So this is NOT "Industry Standard", whatever that was.)
However you cannot use the HRA (which DoE reimburses to LLNS) UNLESS you use the Group plan thru LLNS.
I have 15 years, 11 months, and 3 weeks of service, which they round down to 15 years.If you have 20 years you get the "full" HRA (instead of the UC benefit or even "substantially equal". ) 15/20 is 3/4, so it ends up costing me more than if I just walked away, and bought KSA as an individual, but the coverage is a little better.
with the HRA.
As in "We'll Research the problem, and get back to you."
That's AON_Speak for "Go away, kid, you bother me." Most of the time they never call you back.
February 8, 2015 at 12:24 PM
Not my experience at all. For me, they have always been knowledgeable and helpful. Once I stumped them with a question about retiree health insurance coverage, but they found the answer in pretty short order. Better the devil you know, in my view. Cheaper is unlikely to be better in any situation.
But Kaiser offers other better KSA plans that have much smaller or no deductibles for services, compared to the LLNS Group KSA.
Q. How does this compare to the UC deal?