Conference 7.286::digital

Grant:

  IEEE definitely offers *LIFE* insurance, but I haven't seen
  offers of group health care. (Others may have.) If they don't,
  though, it might be an interesting thing to propose to them.

                                   Atlant


Glossary:

  IEEE = Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

    Check with your alma mater, too.  I know UMass offers health
    insurance for alums (not for pre-existing conditions) who are
    between jobs.

    IEEE does offer health insurance. I never really took a good look at
    it. (As opposed to the life insurance which is a good deal)

    IEEE and ACM both offer insurance.  I looked at them briefly
    a year or so ago.  At least one of them had incredibly high rates for
    women compared to men.
    
    There was just recently a bill passed that was supposed to make it
    easier to obtain transition health insurance coverage after someone
    had lost a job.  Perhaps it's only been passed by either the house
    or the senate...  I think it doesn't limit charges however, so it may
    be effectively a noop.
    

  "Kennedy/Kassebaum" has, I believe, only been passed by the Senate.

  NPR reported this morning that the House Frosh were busy adding
  several parts of the Contract on America to their version of the bill.

                                   Atlant

    
    	Check out some of the local HMO's. You no longer belong to a
    Digital group, but you can get pooled in with other individuals
    in a different group. My parents pay about $400 a month for the
    both of them, I believe they have Tufts. Since they own there own
    small business, they went under a small busniness plan pool. Even
    as an individual plan it was much cheaper then what they were paying
    before switching to Tufts.
    
    Ron

    Fallon Clinic (HMO) offers insurance to self-employed individuals
    through the local chamber of commerce.
    
    When my COBRA benefits ran out after 18 months, they (Fallon) solicited
    me to continue on an individual basis, direct billed. 
    
    Edd Cote (back on contract)

NOW (National Organization for Women) offers health insurance to its members
(female and male) - I don't know how the costs compare with something you
could find on your own.

				Steve

    John Hancock, after the 18 months of COBRA runs out, also offers to
    continue coverage through what they call the "John Hancock Continued
    Protection Trust".
    
    For the full coverage that Digital provides, the quote was around
    $20,000 per year for a family of three.  However they also offer a
    limited protection plan for around $2500 per peron per year which is
    satisfactory as long as you stay in good health...
    
    Bob

    Oranizations like NASE (National Association of Self Employed?) offer
    group plans.  There are also more obscure groups around.  A few months
    ago there was some kind of a golf association/club which had a benefit 
    of health insurance for its members.  I believe there is some sort of 
    organization for sales folks that several of the Multi Level Marketing 
    organizaions pitch.
    
    KK

I believe the Evening Market Report (?), a half-hour radio program syndicated
by NPR (airtime 6:30 PM on both WHYY (Philadelphia) and WNYC) will have a
report tonight on COBRA - it was advertised this morning as a report on why 
COBRA's failing those it's intended to help because those who lose their jobs
can't afford it. (Don't know if WBUR, WGBH, or NH public radio carries it.)

-- Steve

Steve:

  That's probably "Marketplace", a production of USC, the
  University of Southern California and distributed by APR,
  American Public Radio.

                                   Atlant

    For those who can get WGBH in Boston, "Marketplace" is
    aired at 6:30 P.M. ( 89.7 FM)
    Bruce

    Marketplace is also on at 7:30 PM on WBUR (90.0 FM)

> Marketplace is also on at 7:30 PM on WBUR (90.0 FM)

  Well, 90.9. :-)

                                   Atlant

    Maybe the market's down today.

    20 grand for a family of three?  Shop around folks.  I can get coverage
       from BCBS for a family of 10 (that is *not* a typo) for under 4K per
    year.  Deductible is 250/500.
    
    -chg

Re .12

APR ("American Public Radio") changed its name a few years ago to 
PRI, "Public Radio International".  PRI does indeed distribute "Marketplace".

    In an attempt to try to understand the Digital Employee handbook,
    can anyone clarify/simply/verify the options available as Retiree benefits
    with regard to medical insurance...
    
    My initial interpretation of it says that based on the rules of
    qualifying as a Dec Retiree, one is entitled to the same types
    of medical insurance plans as a current employee whereas you pay 
    whatever the going rate is.  
    
    Is this fairly accurate???

    
    
    	I seem to recall about 2-3 years ago Digital mentioned that
    	over a period of a few years that they were going to REDUCE
    	the amount that they would pay after an employee retires.
    	The bottom line as I interpreted this was that the longer
    	I stayed as an employee the more I would have to pay towards
    	my health care after retirement.  There was a limit that
    	Digital was working towards so it wasn't a case of Digital
    	not paying anything it was more like they might only pay
    	50%.  At one time, I believe, the employee got lifetime
    	health benefits at the same rate as full time employees
    	(at least that is what I recall...may be off on this).
    	Probably someone else has more accurate information on
    	this.

    re: .20
    
    >	The bottom line as I interpreted this was that the longer
    >	I stayed as an employee the more I would have to pay towards
    >	my health care after retirement.  There was a limit that
    
    You mean '...the longer I stayed as an employee the LESS I would have
    to pay...'.  You must stay 10 years to get any medical benefits.  The
    percentage of the cost Digital pays, increases with years of service
    over 10.
    
    Bob
    

    
    
    	No, I really mean that the longer I stayed(up to a certain
    	point) the more of the benefit amount would be bourne by
    	me!  I don't have the figures but let's say back a few
    	years, that an employee(not the spouse or family) got
    	100% health benefits paid by Digital till they died.  I
    	don't know if it was ever this way but maybe back in '70
    	or so...
    		So, if I retired 2 years ago perhaps I paid 20%
    	and Digital paid 80%.  If I retired this year I pay say
    	30% and Digital pays 70%, and so on until perhaps I pay
    	50% and Digital pays 50%.  these percentages are used
    	solely to illustrate the reduction principal that I 
    	believe is now going on.  Anyone who knows better 
    	please correc tme because I'd really like it to not be
    	so.

    There was a change made a few years ago that made full coverage based
    on years of service. There is a sliding scale, the only number of
    interest to me was for over 25 years service coverage is 100% paid by
    Digital. I thin that for under 10 years the Digital paid % was rather
    low.

  If you already have a good relationship with an insurance agent for some-
thing else (homeowners, auto, life) that could be a good place to find health 
insurance at a reasonable cost.  You should also be able to get dental 
insurance.  I know a lot of people don't have the best opinion of insurance 
salesmen, but we've had the same agent for homeowners for the last 5 years 
and renters for 5 years before that.  He knows us well enough to help wade 
through all the "gotchas."

  We had to find insurance for my daughter who is too old to be a dependent and 
too dependent to be independent :)  Even though she's healthy, we wanted some-
thing with higher coverage than the average student insurance.  It needed to 
be portable since we don't know where she'll end up for graduate school and 
it had to cover pregnancy even though she swears that would NEVER happen!!
We looked at two other possiblities and we might not have picked the best one, 
but I do know that if there's ever a problem, our agent will fight for us.
The cost is $68/mo and includes a dental plan.

				SQ

	The ASME offers an extensive array of insurance packages
	to us members. I purchase my life insurance through them,
	for a good bit less than what Digital offers.

	A recent health insurance flyer from them lists the following:

				Annual Fee
	
		Deductable	Self	Spouse	Children
		 $500		$1332	+1644	+1320
		$1000		$1068	+1308	+1044
		$2000		 $900	+1044	 +936

		(based on my age, 38, and region, suburban Boston)


	This is based on Cigna's "preferred provider" plan, where you 
	are free to choose any doctor, but deductables are waived if
	you choose from the PPO list.

	For further details contact the ASME at 1-800-289-2763

					John