I'm likely gone at the end of the year.
I think I qualify for "Eligible Former Employee Medical" but have questions about how to navigate to try to keep as close to what I currently have as possible, so need someone actually helpful there.
400+ page documents defining things for multiple sub-groups has me wondering just which sub-group I'm in at every point, sigh.
Got to get this right, so need someone actually helpful in Benefits.
Any advice how to find them?
Make sure your eligible for SUBSIDIZED former employee benefits
People quickly forget but 20-25 years ago it was commonplace in corporate America to leave your department and walk to HR to discuss your issues with someone. You go to HR, sign in, have a seat and wait your turn.
Also, almost every department had their own IT person to walk around and assist, remember this? Printer broker, desktop issues, cant log in/password reset, go get the IT guy.
Oh, and we had lots of admin assistants...
Make sure you set up a new global login before you go. About a week or two after you are gone, you can logon and go to benefits and do open enrollment. There are tools on the benefits web site to help you figure out your cost. Under life events, select plan retirement. You can select whatever level of insurance you want, how much supp life you want , and dental and vision. It will give you an expected cost. Kinda screwy so gotta look close. If full eligible, bronze is $0 for retiree, and about $250 for the spouse. Life insurance will run about $145/ 100,000. Up to your current supp limit.
"I am also eligible and have received no emails other than the first one from AT&T in December, I think it was. "
Interesting. I wonder why some people are being targeted more heavily than others. I participated in one of the Ayco webinars. There were more than 900 people on my call, and several dates were offered, so overall, there must have been many thousands.
But we read here that some folks did not receive those or the Benefits emails. As always with this company, I wonder, was this intentional or a just a mistake due to incorrect records, sloppiness, etc.
I am also eligible and have received no emails other than the first one from AT&T in December, I think it was.
One more thing: You said "likely gone at the end of the year." That was my first idea, too, but then I started getting nervous about the deadline for loss of benefits, and I decided to leave well before the end of the year, not at the end. I would hate to miss by one day because of a technicality or delay.
To the OP, since you are eligible, you have probably received the emails from AT&T offering financial planning from Ayco at no cost. You might want to give it a try. I have, and found it worthwhile. They will run a projection, typically out to age 95, to see how financially ready you are to retire. The Ayco person also gave some helpful advice on how to structure future distributions and rollovers from my retirement accounts, and she answered quite a few of my questions.
If you cannot find the email or have any trouble registering, just call them 888-715-1323. You should already be in their system. The first time I called, it seemed as if they were expecting my call, LOL. There is also a simulator on Fidelity's website.
Also, look at your emails from February and see if you have one from Alight, which administers AT&T's benefits. Mine came from an individual at Alight (to my personal email, because that is what Benefits had on file for me) offering to explain benefits and help me transition them from active employee to retiree. It has a person's name, along with a direct email and phone number. I have not used this service (yet), but it might be helpful for your questions.
Best of luck to you!
OP here.
Thank you, @zvt+1aoJbVJ4 for the pointer to my YTR statement!
That has the info that "YES**" I am qualified. I hit MR75 several years ago, so am good there, too.
And thanks to @jsh+1aoJbVJ4 for the "non bargained pre 65 healthcare subsidy eligible" verbiage. That's me, too. Gotta learn the language used to know what to search for.
I've gotten a couple of those emails, but am beginning to suspect that the number of that type of emails you get depends on how many client-hungry money-management groups find out about you and your situation. Many emails may just mean too many people know you have money burning a h–e in your pocket, so there seems to be a certain "vulturish" aspect to all the attention and introductary webinars explaining how they can help you navigate all of this... ...for a cut of the money you're now paying to Fidelity.
That said, ya gotta trust somebody. Just way too much money that has to last the remaining time in "freefall," so gotta get it right.
Thanks, all!
One of the things I learned by having been cut by T is just what incredible length they go to in order to hide HR information from employees.
None of the corporate intranet sites are helpful at all – either sending one in a circle search for information (without ever providing it), or by simply not having any HR contact info at all. There is no way to find out the name of any HR contact person for any dept or group. There is no central HR email address. There is no HR portal anywhere (at least not one that provides any help).
Meanwhile, in the real world, HR contact info is easy to find on an Intranet or through a corporate directory.
It makes one wonder why T goes to such extreme lengths to hide HR info.
I feel for you. It has been probably a decade or more since there was a true HR "contact" one could go to in our market, and you're 100% correct in that "Read the SPD" is not a statement that is at all helpful.
Funny though, to the other posters comments...I am in the pool of non bargained pre 65 healthcare subsidy eligible folks, I received the initial email notification, and am confirmed as eligible in my YTR. But I am not getting the emails of which you speak. Doesn't really matter as I am staying for mostly spiteful reasons, and the fact that I have other healthcare options and I make great money doing a job that I don't hate. But just wanted to point out I am not getting those emails.
Don't just "think" you qualify; you need to know. Look on your YTR statement. It will tell you if you qualify. That is the first step.
If you do qualify, you have probably been bombarded with emails, etc. (as I have been), encouraging you to retire this year. I am eligible and received an email from Alight offering me a direct point of contact for any benefits questions and to help me. If you have not received these, that might be an indication (but not proof) that you do not qualify.
If still unsure, you might try talking with the pension department at Fidelity. They can probably at least tell you whether you meet MR75, and might be able to direct you where to go for further help.