APWU of Iowa   

 

 

2008 APWU Health Plan
Give Yourself a Raise!

APWU News Bulletin #12-2007, Oct. 17, 2007 | PDF

The APWU has slashed premium costs of the Consumer Driven Option for active postal employees who are members of APWU. And the High Option features reduced premium costs as well, while maintaining outstanding benefits in 2008. APWU Health Plan puts money back in your pocket this year. Switch to APWU Health Plan and give yourself a raise.

Consumer Driven Option

The Collective Bargaining Agreement that APWU members ratified this year made APWU Health Plan’s Consumer Driven Option an exceptional bargain. Active postal employees who are members of the union will pay much less in 2008 — only $7.77 biweekly for individuals and $17.48 biweekly for families. That’s a reduction of $10.63 for individuals and $23.92 for families. You get money back and outstanding coverage, too:

A better plan at a better price;
Personal Care Account (PCA) covers   100% of medical expenses, including   dental and vision care up to certain   limits; and
Rollover any unused PCA funds for   future use.

High Option

The top-rated High Option has reduced costs in 2008, and continues its tradition of excellence in providing fl exibility and choices. It’s a great price for a top-rated plan:

Premium costs are lower in 2008 than   in 2007;
Prescription drug program with no   deductible and low co-payments;
100 percent coverage for children’s   physical exams, immunizations, and   lab work; and
A huge PPO network, but with a   choice of using doctors and hospitals in or out of the network.

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How to Enroll

Complete a Health Benefits Registration Form (SF 2809) by calling PostalEASE at 877-477-3273. You must have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to enroll. You can also enroll on the PostalEASE Employee Web on the Intranet (from the Blue Pages) if you have access.

For questions about either way of enrolling, contact your local personnel office. The enrollment options are: High Option Self Only (471); High Option Self and Family (472); Consumer Driven Health Plan Self Only (474); and Consumer Driven Health Plan Self and Family (475).

Open Season Hotline: 800-PIC-APWU (800-742-2798) 800-622-2511 (TDD-Hearing Impaired)
Hotline available Oct. 15 through Dec. 10, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Eastern Time) Monday-Friday

This is a summary of features of the APWU Health Plan. All benefits are subject to the definitions, limitations and exclusions set forth in the Plan’s Brochure (RI 71-004).

APWU Health Plans Deserve a Good Look

Burrus Update #15-07, Oct. 1, 2007

The Open Season for postal and federal employees is approaching, and I encourage bargaining unit employees to take a good look at the health plans offered by the APWU. The benefits are comparable to all the other federal and postal plans and, as a result of the 2006 contract negotiations, APWU members can save significantly by enrolling in our Consumer Driven Health Plan.

The Consumer Driven Option is a relatively recent concept, based on the idea of empowering individuals in the selection of their healthcare services. APWU members who do not anticipate exorbitant healthcare costs can enjoy significant savings compared to other plans, while continuing to enjoy broad coverage.

The Consumer Driven plan has lower premiums, and does not require enrollees to pay deductibles or co-pays for the first $1,200 of expenses per year (for individuals) and $2,400 (for families). It permits them to pay the full cost of medical care from their plan’s Personal Care Account, while significantly reducing their healthcare premiums.

The premiums for the APWU offered plans are as follows:

Consumer Driven (Self Only)	$ 7.77 bi-weekly	Reduced by $10.63 per pay period
Consumer Driven (Family)	$17.48 bi-weekly	Reduced by $23.92 per pay period
High Option (Self Only)	$24.01 bi-weekly	Reduced by $.56 per pay period
High Option (Family)	$54.30 bi-weekly	Reduced by $.06 per pay period

This means that APWU members can receive health insurance for as little as $3.88 per week for individual coverage, or $8.74 per week for family coverage.

The Consumer Driven Plan is not recommended for everyone; but if your medical expenses are expected to be less than $2,000 per year for individual coverage or $3,000 for family coverage, the savings can be substantial. The absence of deductibles and co-pays and the savings from lower premiums can really add up.

If an employee saves $50 per pay period in premiums, the savings equal $1,300 per year. When combined with expenses the enrollee will avoid — deductibles of $200 or more per person and co-pays — the savings are significant.

For members who have serious medical conditions and anticipate significant costs, the top-rated APWU High Option Health Plan provides tremendous value and it is highly recommended.

William Burrus
President

APWU Slashes Employees’ Costs
For Consumer Driven Health Plan

APWU News Bulletin #10-2007, Sept. 18, 2007 | PDF

APWU members who enroll in the Consumer Driven Health Plan will pay much lower premiums for health insurance in 2008, plan administrators announced Sept. 18. Union members will pay just $7.77 per pay period for self-only coverage, and $17.48 for self-and-family coverage next year.

The new rates represent a reduction of $10.63 and $23.92 respectively, per pay period from 2007 fees.

“This is great news for APWU members,” said union President William Burrus. “Our members can give themselves a nice raise simply by switching to — or staying in — the Consumer Driven Health Plan.”

Beginning in 2008, the union’s 2006-2010 Collective Bargaining Agreement requires the USPS to increase the share of premiums it pays for the APWU Consumer Driver Health Plan to 95 percent, leaving only 5 percent of premium costs to employees.

“This accounts for the substantial savings our members will enjoy,” Burrus said. “The reduction in premium costs will take place despite a provision of the Collective Bargaining Agreement that decreases the USPS share of healthcare premiums by 1 percent each year from 2008 to 2011,” he noted.

“Union members who switch to the Consumer Driven Plan from costlier health plans will realize even greater savings,” Burrus said.

The premiums for the APWU High Option Health Plan also will decline slightly in 2008. Premiums for self-only coverage will be $24.01 (56 cents less per pay period) and self-and-family coverage will cost $54.30 per pay period (6 cents less than in 2007).

“In light of the nationwide trend of skyrocketing health insurance costs, these decreases in premium costs are significant,” Burrus said.

The benefits offered by the Consumer Driven Plan and the High Option Plan remain unchanged. William J. Kaczor Jr., director of the APWU Health Plan, said, “We held the line on premiums this year, and our members will enjoy the benefits.”

Postal retirees and other federal workers who enroll in the APWU Consumer Driven Plan or the High Option Plan also will experience a reduction in premiums.

Postal and federal employees and retirees can enroll in a plan or change their enrollment during Open Season, which is Nov. 12 through Dec. 10. For more information about the APWU Health Plan, visit www.apwuhp.com.

For Extra Dental and Vision insurance:

http://opm.gov/insure/dentalvision/08/vision.asp 

Contact the APWU Health Plan at:

www.apwuhp.com.

PPO Lists

http://www.apwuhp.com/ppo/index.html