USIC Insurance Changes

[LocatorsWife]

Well, being that I am just a locator's wife I may not know everything about this industry, BUT I am a nurse and the insurance changes are plain BS.

Looking into the new "plan", it has come to my attention (and based on my research), that we are all screwed.

Just a quick overview of HSA plans:

HSA plans basically provide coverage for medical, dental, and vision claims ONLY after you have met a huge (generally > $5,000, most chosen plans by employers looking to save a $ are $10,000) deductible.

You will pay a portion of the premium just like you are now, but it will be a much greater amount. The company will pay less towards your premium.

Additionally, you will "pay" into your HSA to pay for your claims. It would take a significant amount of time to ever reach your deductible before the insurance will even kick in.

In short, you might as well not have insurance coverage. Judging by the money (or lack there of) locators make, you will be choosing paying your rent/mortgage or paying your insurance.

I have found a few much better and much cheaper insurance plans that can be purchased on your own for around $100-200 per month with a $1,000-2,250 deductible, 100% coverage thereafter with the exception of some plans with copays that range from $25-35 per office visit. For 2 people the rates range from $200-350 per month. Families $275-450 per month.

A much smaller price to pay for even better insurance than you all have now. And certainly much smaller than you will be paying if you stay with the new insurance!

You can send me a message on here and I will be happy to privately email you more information.

Like I said before, I am a nurse, I have a little better perspective on this stuff!

Side note, Obama care most likely won't happen (if it does, it won't help any of us much) in our lifetimes so I wouldn't hang around and wait for it..............................................

[UULC]

LocatorsWife,

I have the same problem with my company. I pay $80.00 a month/$20 a week for a wellness benefit. Since you are knowledgeable in the field could you please post the companies that we could looks at for our own pay and if you know for individual or family?

[LocatorsWife]

I would love to post the information but due to regulatory guidelines (which is BS if you ask me) I can't just post it on here. Please send me a private message and I will more than happy to help you out.
I am tired of the same old crap from employers and their HR departments that seem to think they know what is best for people.
An ounce of prevention goes a long way, but if take away the ability for someone to get that ounce of prevention, you are just asking for more claims and more expenses to the company.
It is a pretty basic concept!
But no, they would rather try to tell you how to be healthy rather than allow a physician to determine if you are healthy or not!
I have seen it far too many times, people who can't go to the Dr because their companies provide them with crappy insurance, end up in the ER with a massive heart attack at age 40!
Let me know anything else I can do for you!
I have a ton of connections as well!
Have an awesome day! Stay safe!

[thejoker1972]

The decision was made to purchase CUS and that has resulted in all of us giving up our benfits. From raises, to good health care, to tuition reibursment. They say it will make a stronger company. I believe that. But in the process of standing on your employees they will break. Eliminating support positions, terminating employees in slow times and allowing them the posibility of rehire when its busy, Not paying medical insurance in times of RIF. Will lead to people no longer looking at this as a career but a job. That will result in more turnover and a diffrent type of person working here. USIC would be perfactly happy if they had single people who just wanted a job. Would work for minimum wage and bust there hump 24 7. In the end the decisions made to expand at the expense of the locators will result in a change in what type of employee is in the field as career minded people move on to careers. They can say its the acconomy. But when you make 34 million and continue to cut benifits? Its about return to the investiors. Thats it. I can see how a union would have a great sales pitch to come in here and represent the locators. Not saying thats good or bad. Just that I can see them having a easy time doing it. Then everything becomes complicated for a while............

[locator_smbk]

All said, another reason why USIC sucks. With the current state of the economy, with the prices the workign class is paying in order to survive (eletric, gasoline, groceries etc), most people will wind up dropping their health insurance. Is it a bad thing to do, yes it is, but when you are breaking yourself to pay for something that doesn't pay for anything health care related, you will go broke sooner that one might think.

The health insurance I currently have doesn't pay for anything until I hit a 3,000.00 deductible, that's BS. I can go buy a new car, valued at 100,000 and get full coverage with only a 250 deductible, and still pay less than what most health insurance costs.

I thinkg that health care should be totally free for anyone under age eighteen and anyuone over age 65. Thos in the middle should pay for their health care, but only pay REASONABLE COSTS, and not be forced into bankruptcy due to the greed of corporations and health insurances companies, and yes, even some health care providers are greedy too.

At times, when I need to visit a physician, I find it is cheaper to go ahead and pay for the visit out of pocket. I have NEVER met the 3,000.00 deductible for my health insurance, so everytime I do go to the doctor, I have to pay out of pocket anyways.

I'd love to go back to the economy we had back in the 80s when Raegan was president. Everything back then was more affordable, credit was easier to get and the government let corporations fail. Just like this mess with the banks saying they are losing money becasue of the new debit card regulations, my butt. They just want more money, like most corporations and insurance companies. But I see that bank of America, Wells Fargo, and the other big banks have nixed thei ideas of the debit card fees, mostly because they backed themselves into a corner with no way out, with most of their customers threatning to close their accounts.

At one point or another, the working class of america will stand and rise together against those that have trampled on us for far too long, and I pity the corporations that msut deal with that, but I'm sure the government will be there to bail them out again.....

[LocatorsWife]

I just want to add a few things to your comments.

#1 Children under the age of 18 (in WI) have free health insurance, the laws state that a child will not go without health insurance regardless of the parent/guardians' ability to pay. We have T-19 for the poor and a for purchase version of T-19 for those who are without insurance due to job/life circumstances.

But I will let you in on a little secret, WI is a tax hell because of it! The county that I live in is semi-metro. I live in an old house 3 BR 1 Bath 1200 square feet which includes the unfinished basement, a detached 1/2 car falling apart garage,valued at 153,000, and I pay $6800 a year in property tax!! I am not even remotely in a new fancy subdivision or even one that is less than 50 years old!

#2 Adults over the age of 65 (Nationally) have Medicare, those with disabilities have T-19/Medicare combined. In this part of WI, most of the people on Medicare have UAW insurance as a secondary and don't pay a dime for health care.

Please do not take offense to my comments above, but just because you hear a certain TV commercial or a certain political party complaining about how bad the children, the poor, and the elderly have it, doesn't mean that it is entirely true. Most have it better than the working class/middle class/upper middle class people in this country.

As to your comment about not seeing the Dr. enough to go through your $3000 deductible, I applaud you, but be careful about not having insurance at all, one broken leg and you will be in the poor house! (Spoken by a true nurse!)

I unfortunately have used enough of my insurance this year to account for an entire area!

[LocatorsWife]

But I will be damned if they don't save enough money by cutting our insurance to buy 1,500 new work trucks........

Is it just me or would most of you drive your trucks into the ground just to be able to have good (and inexpensive) health insurance?

Why don't they just sell their corporate jet, their fancy company cars that are completely pointless, stop hiring at the corporate level, make cuts there.
The corporate stiffs aren't the ones out in the field busting their asses everyday to make the company money, the locators are.
I would love see a corporate stiff climb into a manhole full nasty green liquid once..... oh that's right, they might get their Versace suit dirty.......

Remember people, I'm not a locator, I'm a nurse, and if I can see right through USIC then I can't imagine what the real locators think................

[locator_smbk]

No offense taken to your comments LocatorsWife. My dad retired from the military after 24 years and was promised free medical care for the rest of his life. He got some of it, until he got cancer a couple years ago. His Medicare wasn't doing all that much, and neither was TriCare (used to be Champus back in the day). He still had to buy private health insurance, and that was before he even found out he had cancer. He had only been admitted to the hospital once in his life about 17 years ago. He died with very little left, (he was tight on money and was a home financial wizard) since most of his money went for his cancer testing and treatments. Also, while he was out on FMLA, his employer laid him off, so there went his private health insurance, he could no longer afford it.

In regards to the tax situation, the government insurance for the children and the poor is similar here in NC. In NC they call it MediCaid, but you have to meet strict criteria to qualify, and the standards are so tight, even the working poor barely qualify. But those that choose not to have a job and sit at home and have 4 or more kids get all of the subsidies from the state and federal government.

From what I hear USIC wants to up the deductible up to 5 or 10 thousand. At that point, why have health insurance? I will go broke trying to pay the premiums, along with the even high prices for public schooling, gasoline, groceries and everything else. Then, if something did happen to me, I would go broke trying to pay the medical bills up to 10,000. USIC is just looking out for themselves, and their investors. The bottom line, to them is their pockets and their bank accounts. One of the fancy things they bought into and claimed it was "for lcoator safety" is the so-called GPS. It was just another micromanagement tool. Questioning locators that stopr for 5 minutes to use a clean restroom at a local store, etc.

I've had it with contract locating, unfortunately I have been doing it so long that I am now "stuck" in the industry, with very little chance of making anywhere near decent money in my part of the state doing anything else. I have had to take on a second job in order to pay higher bills and at least make an attempt at saving up a little money for my future, bu that hasn't happened yet. As soon as I get my paycheck from my second job, it is spent on bills and groceries, and there are only 3 of us in my household. Thank goodness my vehicles and land/mobile home are paid off. I do not even participate in my employers 401K program, since I am forced to pay into Social Security (a tax) and am then taxed when I begin to receive benefits from it. My employer can barely manage themselves, and they want me to trust them with my retirements future? I dont friggin think so. What little bit of money I have just sits in a savings account, building up slowly. When that accoutn reaches a little higher, it will go into a CD or something with a better interest rate.

I am hoping and praying that better opportunities will come my way, and to the way of the others that have been mistreated and abused over the years by large corporations and the government, but it does not apepar that a change for godd is on the horizon.

I do see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is merely a 1 million pound freight train coming at me head on hauling nothign but gasoline and matches....

[Bad Robot]

Look up pension firms, and specifically the private equity portions of those firms on Google. Do a little digging. I have been throwing my 2 cents in about this very thing as long as I've been a member of this board. Corporate jets, perks etc. aren't the issue. You are working for people that do NOT care one whit about you or your family. Do you get this now? Do you think it is bad now? Next year they go to a Piecerate system if they haven't sold this company.

You are placeholders now. Period. If the language barrier wasn't an issue, illegal aliens would be doing the job that you do right now. For a lot less. You need to get your collective heads out of your rear ends and do something if you want this to stop. Sorry for the rant, but it's warranted as far as I'm concerned.

[paintitnow]

Thats it the HSA it the new baby for employers. less cost to them and more to the employees. I have heard that is what walmart went too. Got rid of the varies HMO and PPO they offered. I do remember the 80 and 90's. i worked in a factory and had blue shield and I hardly ever had to pay out of pocket. Better vision and dental insurance. I am in wiscosnin and have that shitty DEan health care with a $3000.00. You think it would be common sense that you have healthier and less cost if your employees could do preventive health care. At this time the only reason I have this insurance is like you said "just incase" A broken leg or heart attack or cancer even diabetes. If you have a website for the alternative insurance or could let me know what it is I would be interested in it.

[LocatorsWife]

I find it interesting that things are no different there than they are here in Wisconsin. Everyone that I have talked to lately, feels the same away about jobs, the economy, taxes, and the like.

I am terribly sorry about your dad. I was laid off in September as well while on FMLA, go figure. So with that being said, I am a laid off nurse.....never thought you would hear of that happening now would you?

I have never, ever participated in a 401K or the like. Shoebox under the bed is good enough for me. Investing is like gambling, and I'm sorry but I kind of like my money too much to throw it away!

I was working for a health care system that has 0 debt and continues to build or add on to existing properties, but when it comes to the head honcho's paycheck, they will cut staff before they will stop building or "beautifying" as they call it. Oh and you will go to collections if you are 1 month behind paying your hospital bill, they will sue for less than $1000. This includes their very own employees. In the end, the patients are the only ones who really suffer, which is sad.

You are correct about the deductible for USIC's new insurance plan (or shall I say, sick game). It will more likely be on the higher end of $10K.

Maybe we all need to get together and start our own locating business, only the best of the best locators and a nurse run HR department, hmmmm......

[LocatorsWife]

Look up pension firms, and specifically the private equity portions of those firms on Google. Do a little digging. I have been throwing my 2 cents in about this very thing as long as I've been a member of this board. Corporate jets, perks etc. aren't the issue. You are working for people that do NOT care one whit about you or your family. Do you get this now? Do you think it is bad now? Next year they go to a Piecerate system if they haven't sold this company.

You are placeholders now. Period. If the language barrier wasn't an issue, illegal aliens would be doing the job that you do right now. For a lot less. You need to get your collective heads out of your rear ends and do something if you want this to stop. Sorry for the rant, but it's warranted as far as I'm concerned.

Oh I get it, if you read a previous post about my own past employer, believe me, I get it. I would love to see an illegal alien try to do my job, I'm not a locator remember.
I am just tired of all the BS that goes on in upper management and just because they make 6 figures a year and have some fancy Master's Degree from some BS college, does not make them better than me, at least I care about patients/co-workers/and the like. And in your situations as locators, yea, you need to do something about it. I have gone to the top in my past jobs, and Im not afraid to do it. Do you not realize that the corporate mentality is there because of money? Its always all about money, the more you make, the bigger of an a**hole you are.
If you are talking "collective" as in union mentality, you are barking up the wrong tree. I despise Unions. They are for the lazy people who need someone to protect them when they are caught sleeping on the job. I have too many friends who are honest and hardworking who have lost everything they worked hard for because they were "union" and the "union" didn't do sh** for them in the end.
And just so you know, my arguments and posts on here are because I am a nurse and I hate seeing people get screwed when it comes to health care and access to health care, I will b**ch everyday if I have to on here, if it helps one person or family out of this mess, it is worth it to me.

[Bad Robot]

Again, I get that you are frustrated. Everyone in this industry is, and that goes double for the contract locating people. But my point is this. This has NOTHING to do with upper management, middle management, lower management, etc. This has to do with understanding the nature of fringe finance. This is about understanding a holding company/ private equity playbook. At this stage of the game, they are cutting anything to make their financials look better. Anything. This month, it's "underperforming' locators. And health care. Next month it may be forcing technicians to pay for their own gasoline, anything goes when it's private equity.

And for what it's worth, you can read what ever you like into my "collective" statement. I couldn't care less what you think about unions pro or con, and we've all been down this path many times over the years. I'm addressing locators here, this is after all a locators forum.

[big boots mcghee]

There's already rumors circulating that next year's USIC health care package will switch to a bottle of Robitussin and a link to WebMD.

[TheCableVine]

There's already rumors circulating that next year's USIC health care package will switch to a bottle of Robitussin and a link to WebMD.

That was funny.