Good luck talking to anybody at viabenefits to get healthcare questions answered.
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Consider that VIA is not always the problem. A number of people who had significant HRA balances were told by VIA that Ford had told them their HRA balance was forfeited to Ford. People fought it for months before Ford made an adjustment on their data feeds that showed the HRAs were not forfeited to Ford. Then two years later VIA sent these same people notices that they had to repay all the claims against the HRA immediately as the claims were made outside of the eligibility window. Again VIA indicated Ford had sent a data feed that changed the eligibility window. These people had to spend months fighting with Ford to get the data feed corrected all the while VIA was sending nasty grams saying if all the money was not repaid they would send the matter to collections.
Either Ford coders are incompetent or someone at Ford was trying to take $ from retirees thinking they wouldn’t notice or fight it.
Also consider that VIA has different service level agreements depending on what they are paid. Ford likely chose the cheapest option, with the lowest SLA
@bq sometimes you sign up thinking those benefits are allowed for you like they are for everyone else and then you get reminded that you in specific aren’t entitled to them despite signing up under those benefits. Just you though.
When I retired in 2022 working with VIA was a horrible experience. Very unknowledgeable, gave wrong information and speaking to a real person with English as their 4th or 5th language was a real treat.
@bq
Benefits were changed AFTER I hired in. What I hired in under and what was in place when I got RIF'd are two very different things.
Yes, the Visteon folks got shafted.
@b9 I call bs. We all knew what the benefits were when we were hired. The ones that got 'sc--wed' were visteon folks.
I've had excellent luck with VIA. They answer the phone and are experts from my perspective. If there is a benefits issue go to myfordbenefits.com, enter a case to resolve.
@OP is that like Viabetes?
ViaB represents F's interest when they interact with you. If u were sc_wed beforehand, get ready for the 2nd time.
@ae
Yes, I was hired before 2002, so I 100% got hosed on both the pension and healthcare supplement, and I guarantee Ford knew exactly what they were doing and why. This is why I have no respect for them. They lack all integrity. I cringe every time they publicly act like they are a good corporate citizen.
@ae what about spouses?
@a9
Health care funding in retirement is based upon your service date. For example, if you started before 1/1/2002, you'd get a $500/month healthcare stipend. After 2002, you get $800/year for each year of service Example, if you have 20 years of service you will get 20x800=$16k plus some accumulated interest. This is a lump sum paid upon separation provided you have reached the age of 55 with 10 years of service. Unfortunately, it sounds like you didn't quite reach the age of 55 before you were released. The second example is yours truly. I did reach the age of 55 before getting booted so I can tell you first hand, that lump sum doesn't last long. And you did get hosed by being released just before hitting 55.
@OP
Consider yourself lucky if you get a healthcare benefit in retirement, unlike those of us who were chewed up and sp-t out a year before hitting age 55, thereby not qualifying for this retirement benefit. Trust me, you could be much worse off than you are. When I was sc--wed out of the majority of my pension, it's very difficult to listen to the bellyaching of those in your situation.