You are a GM worker.
Are you really going to vote for a Democrat who is telling you that if elected he/she wants Medicare-for-All (Bernie-care) and is going to abolish all private medical insurance?
At a recent Democratic debate, moderator Lester Holt asked, "Who here would abolish their private insurance in favor of a government run health plan?" Sen. Elizabeth Warren's and Mayor Bill de Blasio's hands shot up. Warren bleated, “I’m with Bernie on Medicare-for-All.”
But how about the rest of the Democrats? Sen. Bernie Sanders' proposed legislation would abolish ALL private health insurance. Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand are co-sponsors of Sanders’ bill. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard, Tim Ryan and Eric Swalwell are sponsoring similar legislation in the House. Sen. Kamala Harris was for the Sanders' proposal before she was against it. Joe Biden says he's for Obamacare. But at least one Democrat candidate has some doubts.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar supports a Medicare public option, but as yet doesn't support Sander's Medicare-for-All bill
“I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off their health insurance in four years, which is what this bill says,” she said.
Would that include GM workers? Do UAW workers and retirees agree with Sanders, Warren, Booker, Gillibrand, Gabbard, Ryan, et al? Are they willing to hazard their GM insurance to elect a blithering socialist? Or will Sanders, Warren and the rest abolish all private insurance except that provided by the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust?
That trust provides health care benefits for current and future eligible UAW retiree members of Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford. The trust is an independent entity and not administered by the auto manufacturers or the UAW.
Medicare members can choose one of three plans: Medicare Advantage PPO, Traditional Care Network (TCN), or HMO. The monthly cost for TCN is $17 single and $34 family. There is no monthly cost for the MA PPO or the HMO options.
Non-Medicare members can have two options: Enhanced Care PPO (ECP), or HMO. Both require a monthly $17 single and $34 family payment. Due to word limitations, I am only going to discuss the primary plans. For Medicare members, the primary plan is MA PPO, for non-Medicare members, it is ECP PPO.
Here what the MA PPO provides: Deductible, $245/person; coinsurance (amount paid after deductible is met) 10%; out-of-pocket max before the plan covers 100 of covered costs, $630/person; primary care physician (PCP) office visit, $20 copay; specialist office visit, $25 copay; emergency room (waived if admitted), $50 copay.
ECP PPO provides: Deductible, $400 single, $675 family; coinsurance, 10%; out-of-pocket max, $800 single, $1,475 family; PCP office vsit, $25 copay; specialist office visit, $35 copay; urgent care, $50 copay.
Regardless of the medical plan option, the copay amounts for prescription drug benefits are the same. For a month supply: Tier 1 generics, $14; Tier 2 preferred brand, $45; Tier 1 non-preferred brand, $115.
The trust also provides hearing aid, vision and dental benefits. So what are the UAW workers and retirees going to do, play Russian roulette?
The progressives also demand the abolition of the use of fossil fuels and internal combustion engines. But with gasoline and an internal combustion engines gone, what's going to happen to auto worker jobs?
If we go to electric-powered or wind-powered cars, will auto workers even have to worry about Medicare-for-All wiping out their private health insurance? Do permanently laid-off workers still get company-provided health benefits? And if you get rid of internal combustion engines, what happens to the jobs of workers in the gasoline production industry? To their insurance?
And if you abolish all private insurance, what becomes of the jobs of workers who work for private health insurance companies? Of their private health insurance? In the past, the Democrats' answer has been to "set up new job-training classes."
A vote for any of these Democrats should mean job re-training will become the new growth industry" What, me worry?
Sanders has another brilliant plan: "Give everybody a $15 per hour government job!" That should really appeal to GM workers.
“I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off their health insurance in four years, which is what this bill says,” she said.
Would that include GM workers? Do UAW workers and retirees agree with Sanders, Warren, Booker, Gillibrand, Gabbard, Ryan, et al? Are they willing to hazard their GM insurance to elect a blithering socialist? Or will Sanders, Warren and the rest abolish all private insurance except that provided by the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust?
That trust provides health care benefits for current and future eligible UAW retiree members of Chrysler, General Motors, and Ford. The trust is an independent entity and not administered by the auto manufacturers or the UAW.
Medicare members can choose one of three plans: Medicare Advantage PPO, Traditional Care Network (TCN), or HMO. The monthly cost for TCN is $17 single and $34 family. There is no monthly cost for the MA PPO or the HMO options.
Non-Medicare members can have two options: Enhanced Care PPO (ECP), or HMO. Both require a monthly $17 single and $34 family payment. Due to word limitations, I am only going to discuss the primary plans. For Medicare members, the primary plan is MA PPO, for non-Medicare members, it is ECP PPO.
Here what the MA PPO provides: Deductible, $245/person; coinsurance (amount paid after deductible is met) 10%; out-of-pocket max before the plan covers 100 of covered costs, $630/person; primary care physician (PCP) office visit, $20 copay; specialist office visit, $25 copay; emergency room (waived if admitted), $50 copay.
ECP PPO provides: Deductible, $400 single, $675 family; coinsurance, 10%; out-of-pocket max, $800 single, $1,475 family; PCP office vsit, $25 copay; specialist office visit, $35 copay; urgent care, $50 copay.
Regardless of the medical plan option, the copay amounts for prescription drug benefits are the same. For a month supply: Tier 1 generics, $14; Tier 2 preferred brand, $45; Tier 1 non-preferred brand, $115.
The trust also provides hearing aid, vision and dental benefits. So what are the UAW workers and retirees going to do, play Russian roulette?
The progressives also demand the abolition of the use of fossil fuels and internal combustion engines. But with gasoline and an internal combustion engines gone, what's going to happen to auto worker jobs?
If we go to electric-powered or wind-powered cars, will auto workers even have to worry about Medicare-for-All wiping out their private health insurance? Do permanently laid-off workers still get company-provided health benefits? And if you get rid of internal combustion engines, what happens to the jobs of workers in the gasoline production industry? To their insurance?
And if you abolish all private insurance, what becomes of the jobs of workers who work for private health insurance companies? Of their private health insurance? In the past, the Democrats' answer has been to "set up new job-training classes."
A vote for any of these Democrats should mean job re-training will become the new growth industry" What, me worry?
Sanders has another brilliant plan: "Give everybody a $15 per hour government job!" That should really appeal to GM workers.
Posted: QCOline.com October 17th, 2019
Copyright 2019, John Donald O'Shea
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