Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
02-06-2012, 11:21 AM
No longer cares
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: 767er Captain
Posts: 12,109
I would be OK with giving guys retiring some medical coverage but it has to have A LOT of benefits for the junior guys. The senior group that wants early outs is directly responsible for the NEGATIVE turn our profession has taken, RJs, then bigger RJs, age 65, and at the union level continually selling out junior folks to benefit themselves at the top.
I am sick and tired of caving into them even if it means we move up a few spots.
Speaking of moving up a few spots since when do you think any kind of mass retirement will spur an equal amount of hiring, IT WONT. look at the numbers so far all an early retirement will do will let delta reduce headcount and capacity inline with retiring pilots. it will let the greedy guys pick up more with green and white slips and we will see a decling pilot workforce. PLus delta is not stupid they will hire at the last possible minute before the busy summer season and not a moment too soon. know what that means, capped reserve days understaffing, no trip trades, reroutes etc.
I say you want an early retirement fine then we need a LARGE pay raise first and then a minimum pilot floor has to be established so we dont get screwed again in the process
I am sick and tired of caving into them even if it means we move up a few spots.
Speaking of moving up a few spots since when do you think any kind of mass retirement will spur an equal amount of hiring, IT WONT. look at the numbers so far all an early retirement will do will let delta reduce headcount and capacity inline with retiring pilots. it will let the greedy guys pick up more with green and white slips and we will see a decling pilot workforce. PLus delta is not stupid they will hire at the last possible minute before the busy summer season and not a moment too soon. know what that means, capped reserve days understaffing, no trip trades, reroutes etc.
I say you want an early retirement fine then we need a LARGE pay raise first and then a minimum pilot floor has to be established so we dont get screwed again in the process
02-06-2012, 11:22 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Position: window seat
Posts: 12,544
Hockey,
A few months ago, I had a 103 fever, nausea, joint aches, night sweats, etc. upon returning from a 72 hour ACC layover. I called UHC and was told by their nurse to run, not walk to the ER, as everything sounded ominously like malaria. I specifically asked if I needed to do anything to make sure the visit was covered. She said I was all set.
The good news is, I was diagnosed with only strep throat (no idea it could be so
bad--the above symptoms lasted almost a week). The bad news is that I got a bill for $3700. UHC turned it down, saying "strep throat is not an ER-worthy event." Hey a$$hats, how would I have known it was strep without going to the ER (like your representative told me to!).
Further good news: you can appeal the denial. Instructions are on the website. I sent them a letter explaining the situation, and they covered the charge. While it shouldn't have come to that, at least I wasn't out the $3,700. The appeals process took me about a month (getting daily calls and letters from the hospital's billing department (later collection agency)).
Good luck.
A few months ago, I had a 103 fever, nausea, joint aches, night sweats, etc. upon returning from a 72 hour ACC layover. I called UHC and was told by their nurse to run, not walk to the ER, as everything sounded ominously like malaria. I specifically asked if I needed to do anything to make sure the visit was covered. She said I was all set.
The good news is, I was diagnosed with only strep throat (no idea it could be so
bad--the above symptoms lasted almost a week). The bad news is that I got a bill for $3700. UHC turned it down, saying "strep throat is not an ER-worthy event." Hey a$$hats, how would I have known it was strep without going to the ER (like your representative told me to!).
Further good news: you can appeal the denial. Instructions are on the website. I sent them a letter explaining the situation, and they covered the charge. While it shouldn't have come to that, at least I wasn't out the $3,700. The appeals process took me about a month (getting daily calls and letters from the hospital's billing department (later collection agency)).
Good luck.
02-06-2012, 11:22 AM
No longer cares
Joined APC: Mar 2008
Position: 767er Captain
Posts: 12,109
Only if it had a stipulation that gave all over 60 today, and in the future as soon as they turn 60, a very limited time to punch out. Otherwise we would be subsidizing a ton of guys retiring exactly when they were planning on retiring anyway. And most guys across the industry don't have a frozen A fund capped at age 60 so once that group punched out we would have stagnation again plus be on the hook for everyone retiring prior to 65 for personal reasons at the exact date they were going to do so anyway.
Egggggggsactly!
02-06-2012, 11:26 AM
veut gagner à la loterie
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Light Chop
Posts: 23,286
Our 100 seater!
1984 Boeing 737-232, Kansas CIty KS - 98358132 - Aerotrader.com
Imagine "Spirit of Delta II"- About what our employees could afford today.
1984 Boeing 737-232, Kansas CIty KS - 98358132 - Aerotrader.com
Imagine "Spirit of Delta II"- About what our employees could afford today.
Of course the coach was right, there is no guarantee that they'd make the FG either. But going back to Auburn's NC win they kicked a FG as time expired. It was better for them not to have scored because it gave Oregon time to respond.
I hate to say I agree with a Super Model (see Zoolander) but she's right!
Also, Tom Brady dosen't play Defense...there are 11, no wait, 12 men on the field who do that...
FLAG! Too many men on the feild!
But isn't that the Coaches fault?
And Scambo, check your PM's. Incomming.
Also, Tom Brady dosen't play Defense...there are 11, no wait, 12 men on the field who do that...
FLAG! Too many men on the feild!
But isn't that the Coaches fault?
And Scambo, check your PM's. Incomming.
Yeah we help so much they still are robotically trained to walk towards outsourcing like zombies. 60% of our flights being outsourced and we have to stay super cheap on a bankruptcy emergency contract with only cost of living adjustments and work rule tweaks and maybe some more scope relief? H. E. Cool J. NO!
Last edited by forgot to bid; 02-06-2012 at 11:41 AM.
02-06-2012, 11:37 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: DL 7ER F/O
Posts: 249
Why would the company offer early outs for our group unless they wanted to either replace or outsource that flying? Have the sick call rates for our older coworkers been elevated such that paying to retrain their replacements is monetarily beneficial to our company?
02-06-2012, 11:39 AM
veut gagner à la loterie
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Position: Light Chop
Posts: 23,286
My 14yr. old daughter broke a bone in her foot last year at gymnastics practice, so I take her to the ER, Xrays show the break, they put her in a hard cast for a month, then the inflateable velcro boot.
Then I got a bill for over $2,500, for the ER, the Xrays, the cast, and get this, the boot...that alone cost $375!!
Then I got a bill for over $2,500, for the ER, the Xrays, the cast, and get this, the boot...that alone cost $375!!
It'd been half that if the Children's Urgent Care center hadn't told us (10 minutes to closing) that we needed to go to the ER and have a plastics guy repair it. We went to the ER guy did it, not plastics. The trip was unnecessary.
Suspicious? yes.
Now I have a huge bill coming because my son had a respiratory virus. Required an ambulance ride... $$$$$$... and multiple days in the hospital.... $$$$$$... every doctor that saw him said he looked good but he had to sleep the night without ever having O2. So they'd keep him for days to wait and see.
The double whammy hits you though in that when a dependent or spouse is in the hospital you have to PD. So not only on our insurance are you going to get hit by a sky high bill but you also lose income and have to go to the bank.
I think if a spouse or a dependent is hospitalized, easy to verify, it's a sick call.
It is very bad that we have only one option other than those administered by UHC.
UHC knows they do not have to compete for our business. UHC knows they've lobbied and gotten exemptions to regulation, which makes them immune to our attempts to get help from the Agencies which should ensure this is a fair exchange between consenting parties.
UHC does not just suck. They're unaccountable and know from their position of monopoly power that you're impotent to do anything about their malfeasance.
Under law, you should be able to get a copy of your policy and review it. With UHC, they will claim their contract is with Delta, not you. Therefore they do not have to respond to you. That leaves you dealing with a department at Delta which mostly does not exist after bankruptcy. Further, I'd guess you put your career at some jeopardy when you finally find someone over there to talk to (who is also powerless to challenge UHC) and get angry.
In our case, UHC's coverage was worse than having none at all. Our kid's bill was 400% higher because of the in network contract UHC has with our local hospital. UHC could not explain why their contracted rate was so high. Further for one procedure the "out of network reasonable and customary cost" was $374. "In Network" that same "reasonable and customary cost" was a little over $1,800.
UHC refused to let me see any of the contracts. I refused to pay the higher version of "reasonable and customary." Eventually the CFO of the Hospital was fired and his replacement proudly posted on his Facebook page the news of his promotion and his election as President of his Neighborhood Association. With that information I informed him that I would have a process server deliver my lawsuit to him at his neighborhood's Christmas Party.
We should not have to resort to jerk moves like that to avoid getting ripped off, but since we don't have the ability to lobby congress, a guy's got to be creative to ensure fairness.
UHC knows they do not have to compete for our business. UHC knows they've lobbied and gotten exemptions to regulation, which makes them immune to our attempts to get help from the Agencies which should ensure this is a fair exchange between consenting parties.
UHC does not just suck. They're unaccountable and know from their position of monopoly power that you're impotent to do anything about their malfeasance.
Under law, you should be able to get a copy of your policy and review it. With UHC, they will claim their contract is with Delta, not you. Therefore they do not have to respond to you. That leaves you dealing with a department at Delta which mostly does not exist after bankruptcy. Further, I'd guess you put your career at some jeopardy when you finally find someone over there to talk to (who is also powerless to challenge UHC) and get angry.
In our case, UHC's coverage was worse than having none at all. Our kid's bill was 400% higher because of the in network contract UHC has with our local hospital. UHC could not explain why their contracted rate was so high. Further for one procedure the "out of network reasonable and customary cost" was $374. "In Network" that same "reasonable and customary cost" was a little over $1,800.
UHC refused to let me see any of the contracts. I refused to pay the higher version of "reasonable and customary." Eventually the CFO of the Hospital was fired and his replacement proudly posted on his Facebook page the news of his promotion and his election as President of his Neighborhood Association. With that information I informed him that I would have a process server deliver my lawsuit to him at his neighborhood's Christmas Party.
We should not have to resort to jerk moves like that to avoid getting ripped off, but since we don't have the ability to lobby congress, a guy's got to be creative to ensure fairness.
02-06-2012, 11:46 AM
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 96
IF you have the Gold HRA...your medical plan does in fact cover emergency room visits at 80% after the deductible is met. Using your logic (and words), Delta isn't putting your child's life at risk--you would be. Why use the Gold HRA when you use the HSA or the Option N. When you buy insurance, you are playing the risk game. I prefer the HSA because the $$ figures are pretty cut and dry. I don't have to play the FSA guessing game and I put in the max HSA each year. If something unusual happens (e.g. an unexpected emergency room visit) and I really do need to go to the emergency room; then I go and tap into the HSA if need be.
Your rhetoric saying our insurance doesn't cover is plain wrong. It does cover. Its expensive though.
Your rhetoric saying our insurance doesn't cover is plain wrong. It does cover. Its expensive though.
Last edited by Cohiba; 02-06-2012 at 11:57 AM.
02-06-2012, 11:55 AM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
This is a correct statement. However since the HRA is so high of a deductible, I switched to the PPO this year. It's sad to say, but the healthcare at the junky regional I was at was far far superior to what we have here.
02-06-2012, 11:55 AM
Da Hudge
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Poodle Whisperer
Posts: 17,473
A trash hauler doing a heck of a demo last year at Paris:
Aviation Video: C-130J Demo 'Paris 2011' *In Cockpit* | Patrick's Aviation
Aviation Video: C-130J Demo 'Paris 2011' *In Cockpit* | Patrick's Aviation
02-06-2012, 12:11 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Posts: 762
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