Here BELOW are copies of the Annual
Reports of these latest plans from Delta:
·
Delta Pilots Disability &
Survivorship Plan,
Delta Pilots Medical Plan,
Delta Family-Care Medical Plan,
Delta Account-Based Healthcare Plan
Delta Pilots Medical Plan,
Delta Family-Care Medical Plan,
Delta Account-Based Healthcare Plan
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For all PCN members who are under 65
and lost your pension, or have a spouse under 65 and are interested in keeping
the Fed HCTC program going…….this article is for you!
Time is Running Out!
Please Take a Minute
to Make Congress Aware of the Importance of the HCTC Program
Please Contact the
Special Congressional Committee reviewing the HCTC Reauthorization
by clicking this
link:
It is Important to
also Contact Your Own
Members of Congress
ASAP!
Congress has established a committee to review the
reauthorization of the Health Coverage Tax Credit. Without action by Congress,
prior to the beginning of the 2020 Healthcare Open Enrollment in October of
2019, Insurance Providers will not offer HCTC Qualified Plans unless the
program is reauthorized in a timely manner, allowing for the the time necessary
to participate in the 2020 Open Enrollment window. We need "All hands on
DECK! Regardless of Your Eligibility status today, we need your help for those
that remain eligible for this vital program!
Please contact the Committee with your own story of the
importance of this program, and what it has meant to your family. Your Voice
Matters! You can contact the Healthcare Task Force directly by clicking on the
link below. We also urge you to also contact your own Congressional
Representatives.
Click Below to Email Your Own Comments to the Committee!
You can find your US Representative and Senators contact
information here:
The letter below was sent by Cone Retiree Healthcare Group
to explain and support the importance of the reauthorization of the HCTC
program and also request the elimination of the 24 month termination for
Spouses of HCTC qualified member, aging up to Medicare and losing therir eligibility
to the HCTC program. We are also requesting the Committee to consider allowing
expanded access for the plans to other HCTC eligible participants in other
industries, that today. have no access to plans offering a monthly 27.5%
payment process like the plans available today through the Trusts we represent.
We need ALL Retirees, to contact their members of Congress and ask them for
their support of the HCTC Program Reauthorization before this important program
in taken away.
Cathy Cone
John Cone
Cone Retiree Healthcare Group
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Reauthorization of the Health Coverage Tax Credit Program
(HCTC) is URGENT!
This Program Impacts Trade Adjustment Assistance Workers
(TAA) and PBGC Recipients Between the Ages of 55-65 Expiring December 31, 2019
• Reauthorization
– CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE END OF 2019 TO BE REAUTHORIZED, INSURERS WILL NOT
PROVIDE INSURANCE QUOTES FOR THIS PROGRAM AT THAT LATE DATE!—Unless it is
reauthorized prior to Open Enrollment for 2020 beginning in September and
October of 2019 for 2020 Insurance Programs. Insurance providers require
the ability to determine eligibility, rates and plans designs as soon as
possible, in order to provide HCTC Qualified Plans the ability to select
providers and assist in enrolling TAA and PBGC Eligible participants in a
timely manner for their 2020 Insurance programs. Please Act Today!
· Eliminate 24 Month Provision
for Spouse To Participate in HCTC - after primary participant becomes Medicare
eligible (Section 35 (g)(10)(a)), experience indicates it leaves a huge gap for
many of the spouses to bridge to Medicare, and continue to be able to afford
healthcare on their limited incomes. This usually finds the spouse and any
dependents still living at home, without the ability to afford healthcare and often,
finds the PBGC recipient is no longer able to work. Elimination of
24-month time limit for HCTC “Spousal Coverage” would be a tremendous help in
allowing the spouse and eligible dependents the ability to continue to afford
healthcare as the spouse bridges to Medicare. The disparity in age between the
PBGC Recipient and Spouse is due in large part to the high number of PBGC
Recipients being classified as “Medicare Eligible” at a much earlier age than
65, in many cases, due to the industries they worked in such as the Steel and
Auto Industries.
· Expand Access – Allow the IRS
to RELAX 501 (c) 9 VEBA rule that today limits access to “HCTC QUALIFIED
VEBA’S” in the same “Class and Craft” ONLY– when Deemed an “HCTC Qualified
VEBA’S”. By allowing “HCTC Qualified VEBA’s” to permit both TAA and PBGC
participants eligible for the HCTC program the ability to enroll in any
available “HCTC Qualified VEBA”, regardless of the “Class and Craft”, provided
the VEBA is an “HCTC Qualified VEBA” and the Board of the “HCTC Qualified VEBA”
permits access to different “Classes and Crafts” of any HCTC eligible
participants, both TAA and PBGC recipients. Unfortunately, today, the HCTC
program severely limits access to many otherwise HCTC eligible participants and
their families due to the lack of availability of “HCTC Qualified VEBA’S” in
their industries or locations, following the elimination of the “State
Qualified Plans”, otherwise known as “High Risk Pools” in January
2014. These High Risk Pools were in more than 46 states and allowed both
TAA and HCTC eligible plan participants to enroll and pay only the 27.5%
subsidy on a monthly basis, instead of today, having to pay 100% of the cost of
the premium and receiving the 72.5% subsidy on their income tax the following
year. This is an untenable cost for most TAA and HCTC Plan
participants.
· The Effort to Provide Access
through the “Individual Market” has not provided the needed access to TAA and
HCTC Eligible Participants- the introduction of the availability of the
“Individual Market” plans was initiated in order to address the lack of access
following the termination of the “State Qualified Plans” when the Affordable
Care Act began in 2014, and has not proven successful, to date. The
program lacks the ability to offer the needed Enrollment Support, Call Centers,
and Billing required to make the Individual Market a realistic option for TAA
and PBGC recipients across the country, requiring the plan participant to
basically fin for themselves when trying to enroll on the individual
market. Unlike eligible participants enrolled in the established “HCTC
Qualified VEBA’S” offering those support tools available and accessible, to
anyone enrolling in their “HCTC Qualified VEBA’S” today, and work closely with
the IRS routinely, to manage the enrollment process and hand off to the HCTC
Qualified VEBA Call Center that will continue to provide support for the
insurance programs throughout the eligibility period of the HCTC eligible
participant and their families.
· PLEASE CONSIDER THIS REQUEST
TO REAUTHORIZE THE HCTC PROGRAM IMMEDIATELY! This program today provides a
vital lifeline to thousands that have been impacted by having their jobs
offshored, as well as those that have had their pensions reduced or eliminated,
and their healthcare terminated, through no fault of their own, and in most
cases, by companies that have filed for bankruptcy and caused these people
hardships living with reduced pensions and eliminating their healthcare
benefits that were in many cases, unfunded promises to their workers and their
families.
Thanks very much for your consideration of this request on
behalf of HCTC eligible participants and their families across the country that
we hear from every day, asking for help in enrolling in these plans as well as
asking what they can do to make sure that the leaders in Washington DC know how
important this program is to them and their families!
If there is anything we can do, or any questions you may
have regarding the HCTC program, we will be happy at your request to come to
Washington, have a conference call or through email, address your questions and
concerns.
You can also view one of the websites currently offering the
healthcare options for HCTC Eligible Participant today through “Qualified
VEBA’S” . www.mymedplans.com
Ask your Representative to Join Representative Mike Turner
and Tim Ryan in Co-Sponsoring this Bill 1939 in the House and ask your Senators
to establish a Bill in the Senate to Reauthorize this vital program. Tell your
Congressmen the importance of the Health Coverage Tax Credit to you and to your
family.
Contact Congress
Today!
Members of Congress
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Full post disclaimer in left column. PCN Home Page is located at: http://pcn.homestead.com/home01.html
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