Delta Ramp Workers Organizing Committee

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

NO CHOICE LIMITS GOOD HEALTHCARE!

OUR HEALTHCARE PROGRAM IS LESS THAN YOU KNOW!
UNITED HEALTHCARE PLAYS A MINOR ROLE


There has been much said and printed about the dismal product that UHC offers to the country in regards to healthcare coverage. Some have said that the company ranks 39th out of 41 current health insurance providers countrywide. Well, technically that statement is true, however; it doesn’t tell the entire story regarding the state of Delta’s health safety net.

You see, we aren’t really covered by UHC. They only administer Delta’s healthcare program. Delta is exactly what many in America have fought against during this current health insurance debate nationally. Delta is self-insured; Delta is a single payer entity. What does that mean? When you pay your monthly premiums to Delta for healthcare, the money doesn’t go to a health insurance company (UHC). It goes directly to Delta Air Lines.

When Delta gives all single employees ‘free’ coverage for the first $500 dollars of expense a year, it isn’t really free! You actually paid delta $70 dollars a month or $840 dollars to them directly for the privilege of having $500 returned back to you! Sounds like a well run scam to me!

But wait, there’s more; much, much more! It only appears that one is afforded many options when making yearly decisions concerning health insurance. Silver, Gold, comprehensive dental and on and on; trouble is that they all originate from Delta and any discrepancy that you might encounter and challenge is not the fault of ‘some insurance company’ but designed exactly by Delta for the explicit purpose of costing you more and saving them as much as they can squeeze out of you.

Many have wondered why UHC is so difficult to deal with when you make a call to them about a bill. Well, don’t ask them, they didn’t design the program or parameters that the agents you talk to over the phone are governed under; Delta did. They are simply screwing you because Delta has told them to do so. It a magnificently well thought out method of blaming others for your denial, all the while saving money for your Delta executives. Trust me, they are cashing in big off of your families’ medical hardships.

The real frustrating part of the process is what happens when you appeal a decision by the ‘boiler room’ of UHC people trained by Delta to deny you help. They will tell you that they don’t work for Delta and you will have to talk to Delta Air Lines to appeal a denial. Yep! You’re catching on now. You get to appeal decisions made by the outside contractual firms trained by Delta to Delta themselves; the very same folks who are screwing you in the first place!

Wow! Guess what? You always lose and they always win. Money comes flying out of your pocket back into their pockets. That’s why they designed this well thought out money making plan in the first place.

The only way to protect your family from this medical arrangement is to unionize and have better choices; better avenues of appeal and more peace of mind in the process. It is a simple choice; trust them or trust someone with a proven track record. It’s a no brainer!