Just a reminder that they were posted this morning.
In my case looks like I will be paying $3500 more relative to 2019. I will also be at risk of paying a much higher deductible should I get into an accident or become ill.
I was curious if anyone knew what VIA's earnings were. I suspect that they are making a good profit. Wish Ford had made better use of my healthcare $.
I have a neighbor who was SRDed with reduced pension and has chronic health problems. She brought her F150 management lease and is regretting it these days.
I brought a Honda. My opinion is you have to make the best business decision based on your needs, reliability, resale. You owe Ford nothing
Well I will no longer purchase a Ford vehicle. I will refuse to give any of my family a discount if they ask for one. Betrayed is the word to describe how a retiree now feels.
So I am tasked to generate TVM ideas to save the company money yet my benefit package is a lot smaller that what I signed on for. Here is a TVM idea. Senior management will now be sourced south of the border since they are high paid and with their decisions our company has gone into the toilet. BTW They tried to recruit my niece. I told her to turn it down. Ford never keeps an agreement. She took a job with a software company out west. Good for her. Stay away from SE Michigan it will be a desert.
Calling my US Congress person. All of us retirees should do the same. Ford should of disclosed their intentions prior to our retirement decision. This VIA program is horrible - they place me on hold and hang up - happened many times. Forced to make an uninformed decision on a website with no questions answered.
For those who have completed appointments with VIA I am curious how did it go? What sort of prep is necessary for the meeting?
My question is: unless a salaried employee was a UAW member retiree, does does change in eligible salaried retirees to HSA apply to all salaried retirees - e.g. retired Vice Presidents under age 65?
I totally agree. We were never told this when we retired! It was bad enough when they raised prices a couple years ago, but now they just throw us to the wolves? What happens next years and the next 4 years for me? Will they just keep cutting their yearly pittance they're giving us? I too would like to now if there's a lawsuit, I will gladly join it.
Please post if anyone finds out if there are any actions we can take against Ford as retirees. Ford communicated to us through precedent and verbal agreement that we would get continuing Ford medical coverage when we retired. They failed to carry out their commitment. We are now in an open market with extremely high premiums and lower health care. Ford's bone of $6000 for employee doesn't even cover 50% of good health care. They were able to negotiate better deals for retirees when they owned it. This is sickening, and Ford should not be able to get away with it.
I'm looking at getting my Healthcare through VIA and my Dental outside VIA. There are two reasons:
My VIA healthcare insurance will easily outstrip the money Ford is providing
VIA's dental plan options for me fall short of the MetLife dental plan provided last year.
I am not sure if I can improve my situation. I have learned if you are a veteran in need of a lot of dental work this is a good strategy.
This is utter BS. I now have to pay 600 a month for dental and medical. This was not the story when I retired. I'm calling a lawyer. THEN, you have to pay Jan 2022 premiums up front! What a kick in the face. Thank you Ford for screwing me in retirement.
Have not had any luck reaching Via Health either. I spoke with my dentist to ask if there is a plan they would recommend. He suggested dropping dental coverage altogether, save the money and he would work with me on retail pricing for services.
Based on how Ford has treated its people over especially the last 5 years (really driven by Hackett whose only skill was cutting people)— I don’t know why anyone is surprised by this latest cutbacks to its retirees
Yup, this sucks. My deductible is $7,000 at higher premium. The MetLife dental costs more than last year and maximum payout is 25% less.
Feel let down by Ford and fear it is only going to get worse. I am looking at 6 years until Medicare. A buddy who contacted VIA was advised to wait to get knee replacement surgery until he was on Medicare "because it would be a lot cheaper"
This action by all analysis is a huge hit, a big takeaway. I can recall the HR reps in 2020 saying oh yes Ford will offer affordable health care if you take a package.
Not.
Large medical plan increase coming for my family , if you can even get a hold of Via to talk to them. Trying for 3 days and infinite holds, no call backs, no appointments available, and many questions. Can anyone confirm the dental and vision are truly ala cart? You have to purchase a plan for everyone you want covered in your family, no bundle pricing and 3 times what plans cost last year? Livid.
Via is paid by the insurance companies, not Ford. Now that we are buying our own insurance, we lose discounted insurance group rates that we had under Ford. Also, as you age, the monthly premiums rise. For me, if I go with the same plan I currently have with Ford, my monthly premiums will double from what I am paying today. ($215 to $430) I will instead go with a plan that doubles ($3500 to $7000) my deductible just to keep my monthly premiums low. I can always use my HSA if something bad happens. I am not happy with Ford's new plan for us.
I retired this year at 63 and didn't have a pension plan. As it turns out my medical coverage is a better then what they are offering the pensioners beginning next year.
I get several months paid salary and benefits then go on Cobra (18 months - severance). Ford also provided a Heath Reimbursement Account which will cover my Cobra cost and several months afterward until I get to 65, Medicare. After that I have in my HSA which will fund my Medicare supplemental policies well into my 70's.
Now I just have to live that long!
Unless I am mistaken you are indeed looking at Obamacare plans.
Yeah been through the exercise, wow just wow have things changed. They weren't kidding when they said the HC side of retirement was capped in 2006.
Better than a sharp stick in the eye though.
Obamacare is interesting. The calculator says I may qualify for subsidy/tax credit of $194/month but I am confused as to which plans are Obamacare eligible.
My appointment is December 9th so if anyone can clear my confusion I would appreciate it.
Make an appt. with them, mine is on Friday. Someone is supposed to walk me thru all the plans and options. I am not happy at all that Ford is once again screwing over retirees. I want to compare to the Obamacare plans too.
Be sure you read the plan details, the exercise seems to be to weed out the truly bad plans. Remember VIA is compensated by the insurance companies, not by Ford