To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
What's behind Door #3, Johnny?
This morning, Hubby and I attended the Benefits Fair at the Place of Employment™ (No, I'm not going to give you the name of The PoE™ - that way, if I ever feel the need to rant about it, Hubby's back is covered.) (R and J went also, which is a good thing, since J works with Hubby. Just makes sense...) Now, I get to sit down, wade through folders full of... stuff... and figure out which plan is best for our family.
The good news is that the mail order prescription program, which I thought was just a waste of time, will help us break even next year on our medications (when compared to our 2004 costs). Took some advanced calculus to figure it out, but...
The bad news... health care costs are going up. There's no way around it. (and, you better believe that I'm going to blame trial lawyers!) The PoE™ honestly does a wonderful job at providing the best possible coverage for their employees. This year is no different. The plans are a little different than before (no HMO anymore, but PPO and "Open Access" plans instead), but I'd bet they are still the envy of most employers in the area.
Not everything is great, of course. They have a weird deal about their vision plan- you can get EITHER contacts or glasses in one year, but not both (this OBVIOUSLY worked out by someone who needs neither, because people who wear contacts almost always have glasses as well...). But, that's ok, according to the nice lady I spoke with- you can always use your discount with a preferred vendor for the one that's not covered. Uh... right... needless to say, I'm making appointments for me and the boys to get our vision checked BEFORE the end of the year when the coverage changes. They need new contacts and glasses- I'm pretty sure of that.
And the allergy shots. They're covered at 100%. That's the good part. The BAD part is that you still have to pay your office co-pay for every shot. Hmmm... that's... $80 a month. Don't think so... Zyrtec is only $35 a month tops ($35/3 months if I use the mail order program). Works for me!
There was one thing that really struck me as just wrong during the meeting. The more I think about it, though, the less I see as "just wrong" and more as a "good idea wrapped in a bunch of fluff." (Hey, that's a step up for me!) The Place of Employment™ is making an Employee Assistance Program available to its employees. No idea what that is? I had no clue, either. An EAP is what it says- a program that strives to assist employees. The good parts of it include counseling (marital, grief, anger management, etc) free of charge to employees (well, 6 sessions per "issue), legal and financial counseling (with referals when applicable- with a discount) also free of charge, and "wellness coaches" to help with goals like weight loss and smoking cessation. In those cases, I can see where it would benefit the Place of Employment™ to provide those services- less stressed, healthier employees make the bottom line a happy line. The "fluff" parts are some of the "Work/Life Services" that they offer- while it's good to have a toll-free number that you can call for a referral if Little Johnny is sick and the daycare center won't let him come because he'll spread The Disease of the Week™ to more little crumb crunchers and you need to find someone to take care of him ASAP, it seems pointless for an employer to pay for a service to find theater tickets for you. They offer referral services for everything from day care to plumbers, scholastic testing and financial aid to volunteer opportunities in your area. Maybe it's just me, but aren't they charging for what I can accomplish with Google™ in about 20 minutes flat? Hmmm... maybe there is a business opportunity in this... but, hey... it's The PoE™ 's bottom line, not mine...
OK... time to go read some Insurance Mumbo Jumbo... anyone seen my lawyer dictionary???
The good news is that the mail order prescription program, which I thought was just a waste of time, will help us break even next year on our medications (when compared to our 2004 costs). Took some advanced calculus to figure it out, but...
The bad news... health care costs are going up. There's no way around it. (and, you better believe that I'm going to blame trial lawyers!) The PoE™ honestly does a wonderful job at providing the best possible coverage for their employees. This year is no different. The plans are a little different than before (no HMO anymore, but PPO and "Open Access" plans instead), but I'd bet they are still the envy of most employers in the area.
Not everything is great, of course. They have a weird deal about their vision plan- you can get EITHER contacts or glasses in one year, but not both (this OBVIOUSLY worked out by someone who needs neither, because people who wear contacts almost always have glasses as well...). But, that's ok, according to the nice lady I spoke with- you can always use your discount with a preferred vendor for the one that's not covered. Uh... right... needless to say, I'm making appointments for me and the boys to get our vision checked BEFORE the end of the year when the coverage changes. They need new contacts and glasses- I'm pretty sure of that.
And the allergy shots. They're covered at 100%. That's the good part. The BAD part is that you still have to pay your office co-pay for every shot. Hmmm... that's... $80 a month. Don't think so... Zyrtec is only $35 a month tops ($35/3 months if I use the mail order program). Works for me!
There was one thing that really struck me as just wrong during the meeting. The more I think about it, though, the less I see as "just wrong" and more as a "good idea wrapped in a bunch of fluff." (Hey, that's a step up for me!) The Place of Employment™ is making an Employee Assistance Program available to its employees. No idea what that is? I had no clue, either. An EAP is what it says- a program that strives to assist employees. The good parts of it include counseling (marital, grief, anger management, etc) free of charge to employees (well, 6 sessions per "issue), legal and financial counseling (with referals when applicable- with a discount) also free of charge, and "wellness coaches" to help with goals like weight loss and smoking cessation. In those cases, I can see where it would benefit the Place of Employment™ to provide those services- less stressed, healthier employees make the bottom line a happy line. The "fluff" parts are some of the "Work/Life Services" that they offer- while it's good to have a toll-free number that you can call for a referral if Little Johnny is sick and the daycare center won't let him come because he'll spread The Disease of the Week™ to more little crumb crunchers and you need to find someone to take care of him ASAP, it seems pointless for an employer to pay for a service to find theater tickets for you. They offer referral services for everything from day care to plumbers, scholastic testing and financial aid to volunteer opportunities in your area. Maybe it's just me, but aren't they charging for what I can accomplish with Google™ in about 20 minutes flat? Hmmm... maybe there is a business opportunity in this... but, hey... it's The PoE™ 's bottom line, not mine...
OK... time to go read some Insurance Mumbo Jumbo... anyone seen my lawyer dictionary???
