Check your email. They just took that away from you, unless you take yourself off payroll and retire in 2021. This will give many older MR 75 employees a difficult decision to make, especially those with years until Medicare eligibility still needing to earn an income.
What else can they roll out before the end of this year? Despicable corporation, reneging on promises made to their most loyal employees. Disgraceful and shameful.
Typo correction:
My coworker, who already met MR75, got an alternated version that indicated he would lose the subsidy anyways if he DIDNT retire before 1/1/2022.
Targeted emails based on individual employee status. I'm not retirement eligible yet, and mine stated that anyone reaching MR75 after 1/1/2022 would not qualify for subsidized healthcare benefits. My coworker, who already met MR75, got an alternated version that indicated he would lose the subsidy anyways if he DIDNT retire before 1/1/2020.
So this is an attack from multiple angles...not so subtly encourage (blackmail really) older employees to get out now or else, while eliminating the benefits for everyone who isn't eligible to retire yet.
AT&T...treating employees like garbage since 2007.
It was a targeted email that did no go to everyone. Reading it might help.
This will certainly "incent" M75 employees to consider leaving. It's simple economics, if you are pension eligible and have for example 10 years until youre Medicare eligible..you gamble with the ability to stay with AT&T and retain healthcare benefits until then.. If for example you get to Feb 1st 2022 and get FMP'd or leave anytime thereafter youre out of luck for the retiree subsidy. Passive aggressive way to get the legacy employees to leave. If you have a spouse that carries coverage , disregard this insight.
Thanks for taking care of your dedicated and hard working employees! I’m sure this applies to all of you executive level back stabbers. What a joke
"Is it a definite that the $2700 benefit is going away after 2024 ..."
From the occupational side of the house, no. This is what they said in a letter to the unions:
"Since 2015, AT&T Medicare-eligible retirees and their Medicare-eligible dependents have been able to enroll in health care through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange (Exchange). The Exchange provides a wide selection of insured medical, pr-scrip-ion d–g, dental, and vision plans so you can elect the coverage that works best for you and your family. As part of our continued support of our retirees, we will continue to credit a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) in 2019 for eligible participants. The HRA can be used to help pay for individual insurance coverage and eligible out-of-pocket expenses for those who enroll through the Exchange. The experience within the Exchange plans has been positive and we are able to keep your HRA crediting amounts through 2023. Beyond that, future changes in HRA crediting amounts, if any, will be based on several factors. These factors may include business conditions, government actions, marketplace changes and the general consumer inflation rate."
There has been nothing said about what may transpire after 2023 for occupational retirees.
We all knew it was coming.....unfortunately not the end by any means.
Does the change in removing pre-medicare benefits cost for me and my wife goes for Bronze tier 1 (BlueCross) for BellSouth region person, form $270 a month for a couple for Bronze subsidized to $1,361 per month?
If that is the case that is really unfair for people who have met rule of 75 and gave their lives to this company. over a thousand a month for Bronze extra per month? Seriously? Not even talking silver or gold. I hope I am reading that incorrectly in our coverage book that the email links to.
but what about all the profitability and outrageous cash flow. Where is it all going? They didn't increase the dividend.
Ratty and Stinky worked hard to get T voted the worst mismanaged large cap company for 2020!
Keep it going fellas!
Is it a definite that the $2700 benefit is going away after 2024, can anyone confirm that?
I’ve seen no such email distributed today
I'm so tired of the constant hammering from the powers-that-be as they nickle-and-dime everything possible for the people who deliver the work. The bottom line is - don't expect much from the company beyond salary, and be glad for whatever you do get.
None of this will ever help the company recover from the real problems it has. I'm glad I knew the real Bell/AT&T before it became SBC trying to disguise itself as AT&T.
Y’all need to keep up with the truth. Obamacare laws changed the rules. Once Medicare for everyone goes in next, expect Retirement income to be used for premiums too. C’mon man, that’s all free - right?
@ifm
"Nothing new"
Wrong.
It is new, and is not the same thing as ceasing the Medicare supplement.
This is affecting those that would have retired with a healthcare subsidy PRIOR to 65 (Medicare).
They now will NOT receive a subsidy, unless they retiree in 2021.
Actually, this email is different. The original email was for those 65 and older. This new email is for those retiring before age 65. Makes you wonder if last year was a test to see how many people would leave. With this, I don't see the need for a surplus or MVO. They will get more than enough folks saying, I am done. Of course, that was the plan all along.
This should push people to demand affordable public healthcare option. Let your congressmen know how you feel.
Nothing new. Some 3-4 months ago they sent the email that indicated anyone who retires after 1-1-21 will not receive the $2700 benefit for Medicare eligible retiree's. This is slated to go away in 24 anyway, and AT&T has teamed up with United Healthcare for a Medicare advantage plan, which I would assume will be the replacement.
They couldn’t even soften the blow by rolling some of this out gradually. Like PTO, could they have grandfathered some portion of those that had already reached 33 days? Could they have cut the medical subsidy partially for those of us that have counted on that subsidy as part of our retirement planning for the past 20 years! Nope. You get a years notice for something that the company has included as part of your benefits for 20+ years. They had the right to do so, of course, but they could have been more gracious in the implementation.
After all, we are not the reason some yahoo agreed to a 3 BILLION dollar break up fee plus precious spectrum to T-MOBILE or bought DTV for $49 BILLION. For which no one has been held accountable except the poor schmucks that actually do the work at this company!
Maybe a sliver of a silver lining, only for those that have other healthcare options (if you are on your spouse's employers plan, for instance). You're not likely to be laid off in 2021. Otherwise, they'd have to keep you eligible for the healthcare subsidy, and they won't be doing that. They'll keep you on payroll and target the non retirement eligible instead.
Every email that contains the phrase, "...to better align some of your benefits..." means they are about to screw you over. Absolutely betrayal; rewriting the rules to make up for their bad decisions and shortcomings as leaders. And I use that word loosely.
But we can take comfort in knowing that comparable carve outs will surely be made to executive compensation, right?
Nothing surprises me any more about Stankey and the hang he has. Probably his high paid consultants been telling him and the board to cut all retirement costs and pensions. Next will be cutting or stopping any additional pension payments.
Yep. I know it was within their rights to take this away, but it feels like a real betrayal. And sent in an email. Really lack of class and empathy. I owe AT&T nothing!