IBEW LOCAL 2325
IBEW LOCAL 2325
 

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Healthcare Information
Apr 30, 2016

Brothers and Sisters:

All members by now should have applied for unemployment. Our source with the state has told us that they have not yet made a determination on these benefits and will most likely do so the first or second week of May. I have received many questions on unemployment and we have been told that all Verizon workers will be pooled together. This would mean that the determination will affect everyone the same.

The company reported in a letter sent over a week ago that your healthcare benefits will end April 30th. Legally they must send you a “COBRA” package by May 14th. I know to date we have not received that package. This one will probably be delivered by DRONE because they love to burn cash on crap. Sorry….couldn’t resist!! I met with the good folks at Mass Health Connector who explained options to us for our members. There is not one standard answer on benefits because each person has a different scenario. Let me break it down for you.

After you receive the “COBRA’” package you will have 60 days to accept “COBRA.” Cobra is your current benefits from Verizon but you will pay the full price for the plan which is very expensive. I will tell you that the bargaining team will work to reach a “return to work agreement” that will include reimbursing everyone who paid “COBRA” but I cannot say with 100% certainty that this will be the case. Cobra can be activated any time during the 60 day window. If you are going to go this route and everyone is healthy and has no necessary appointments then wait till day 59 to activate Cobra. At that point you will most likely not see a bill for a month but it will be retroactive to May 1. If for some reason within that 60 day window you need coverage it will activate at that time and you will receive a bill weeks later retroactive again to May 1.

If you have a spouse who has insurance and you can use that, it is an option for you as well. Check with your spouse’s insurance provider and find out when you can get coverage and when you can get off coverage. If you can get on monthly then you may be able to ride out the month of May if everyone’s healthy and start on your spouse’s insurance for June 1. In this option you are still within the 60 day window and always have Cobra as a safety net.

There are other options for members as well. If these scenarios above do not fit your needs then you can purchase insurance from Mass Health Connector or you may be eligible for Mass Health. MassHealth takes a snapshot of your current wages. If you are the only one in your household who has wages then you may be eligible for MassHealth. If your spouse works these wages are also considered. You can also purchase subsidized healthcare from Mass Healthconnector. This will look at your total income so far this year and your projected income and give you options towards different subsidized plans. An important thing to remember when doing either one of these options is to pay attention to unemployment. This means if you start to receive unemployment you will need to adjust your wages in both scenarios above because they may change your eligibility. If you purchase care from one of the Health Connector plans you must do so by May 23rd to have the coverage for June 1. Since this is the case you can once again try and ride out the month of May and start coverage June 1 but you will have to pay the premium before May 23rd. If you are interested in these options then go to MAhealthconnector.org to apply for coverage. When you fill out the application it will tell you what options are available for you. I have attached a document from Mass Healthconnector.

As you can see there are many things available and you will need to decide which one works best for you. Hopefully you will not need these options for long and I will continue to work at the bargaining table to reach a fair agreement as quickly as possible.  I hope this email was informative and cleared some things up for you. If you have any questions then please call the Union Office.

Fraternally,

Dave Keating

Business Manager

IBEW Local 2325


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IBEW local 2325
367 Burncoat St
Worcester, MA 01606
 

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