Retiree Medical Update

[Anonymous]

Who in Pfizer is in charge of contracting with and helping to execute the best medical coverage with the best premium for its Retirees? Quite honestly, I feel like chopped liver that's been thrown to the wolves. We Retirees are at the mercy of United Healthcare, who year after year, raises their premiums while restructuring their policy to include a higher deductible with less coverage.

After working for Pfizer for over 25 years, I expected better, much better. The Retiree medical is a disaster. Why doesn't someone who gives a sh** get in there and negotiate, or look for other companies who can offer us better coverage? Oh wait, could it be that someone is getting paid off? Could be, we'll never know. Why else does Pfizer keep shoving this crap down our throats. Meanwhile, the top salaried positions can't decide which harbor to moor their yachts in.

 

[Anonymous]

Add it to the list of lies and broken promises from this POS company. Unfortunately, this is happening all over corporate America. One of the first things to go, and totally legal on their part, is cost cutting retiree benefits. If you are in decent health, shop around for better deals, say AARP. If you have a pre-existing condition, try pciplan.com. Good luck to all of us who gave much and expected better.

 

[Anonymous]

Add it to the list of lies and broken promises from this POS company. Unfortunately, this is happening all over corporate America. One of the first things to go, and totally legal on their part, is cost cutting retiree benefits. If you are in decent health, shop around for better deals, say AARP. If you have a pre-existing condition, try pciplan.com. Good luck to all of us who gave much and expected better.

Slow down just a minute. Americans idolize their corporations. They believe with almost religious fervor that Government can do nothing right and big corporations can do nothing wrong. What the free market does is always the right thing.

Yes we are really being taken to the cleaners by Pfizer and other corporations but Americans believe this is the right thing. We wouldn’t want to be like those crazy Europeans with their worker protections, socialized healthcare and peaceful societies. We want to struggle every day and that’s what we will vote for!!!

 

[Anonymous]

Slow down just a minute. Americans idolize their corporations. They believe with almost religious fervor that Government can do nothing right and big corporations can do nothing wrong. What the free market does is always the right thing.

Yes we are really being taken to the cleaners by Pfizer and other corporations but Americans believe this is the right thing. We wouldn’t want to be like those crazy Europeans with their worker protections, socialized healthcare and peaceful societies. We want to struggle every day and that’s what we will vote for!!!

+1

 

[Anonymous]

Who in Pfizer is in charge of contracting with and helping to execute the best medical coverage with the best premium for its Retirees? Quite honestly, I feel like chopped liver that's been thrown to the wolves. We Retirees are at the mercy of United Healthcare, who year after year, raises their premiums while restructuring their policy to include a higher deductible with less coverage.

After working for Pfizer for over 25 years, I expected better, much better. The Retiree medical is a disaster. Why doesn't someone who gives a sh** get in there and negotiate, or look for other companies who can offer us better coverage? Oh wait, could it be that someone is getting paid off? Could be, we'll never know. Why else does Pfizer keep shoving this crap down our throats. Meanwhile, the top salaried positions can't decide which harbor to moor their yachts in.

UHC is giving the coverage that Pfizer is willing to pay for! Don't blame United because Pfizer wants to keep it's costs down.

 

[Anonymous]

UHC is giving the coverage that Pfizer is willing to pay for! Don't blame United because Pfizer wants to keep it's costs down.

KODAK!

 

[Anonymous]

UHC is giving the coverage that Pfizer is willing to pay for! Don't blame United because Pfizer wants to keep it's costs down.

Agree. UHC only gives us what Pfizer pays for them to give us, which is not much. Not much at all.

 

[Anonymous]

Just retired a few months age, started in 82 with Upjohn. I was always told that retirement benefits would be great. From what I see every month, they suck. I am in my own business and I thought that the medical would carry me thru. It is not. Every Dr visti is a craps shoot. Fidelity gives a different answer every time I call.

Does anyone have "the plan" in more detail for medical? Is there a super secret web site that I could log onto?

 

[Anonymous]

Just retired a few months age, started in 82 with Upjohn. I was always told that retirement benefits would be great. From what I see every month, they suck. I am in my own business and I thought that the medical would carry me thru. It is not. Every Dr visti is a craps shoot. Fidelity gives a different answer every time I call.

Does anyone have "the plan" in more detail for medical? Is there a super secret web site that I could log onto?

When you retired were you not assigned to a benefits co-ordinator? The lump sum benefit potentially (but not always) changes every 3 months. It's tied to an interest rate. When the interest rate goes up, the lump sum goes down and vice versa. Legacy Wyeth people had this pretty much down to a science. For example the lump sum figure I was given if I retired in June 2011 went up about $25K by September (due to the interest rate drop from 2.5% to 2.25%). Then went down again 4th quarter (due to the drop from 2.25% to somewhere around 1.7%. All in all that added nearly $100K to my lump sum by just waiting 6 months. Then when you add in the sweet insurance deal we got - the timing was perfect. my Fidelity benefits co-ordinator helped me with this strategy but I had to let her know that I was aware of the (potential) quarterly) rate change and I had to request new estimates evbery time there was a change. II had friends who retired in December and lost $90 to $100K in their lump sum just because they didn't arm themselves with the facts and then work those facts.

The Wyeth Legacy insurance deal was likely orchestrated to flush out some of the tenured 30 year type reps making $140 - 150K per year. Sure, we get our insurance for $150/mo instead of $650 per month but they are now replacing us with someone at $50K per year and therefore saving $100K per year - just for shelling out $6K per year. In the coming years they can bump that cost up anyway their hearts desire. They ain't dumb.

 

[Anonymous]

Oops! typo, the following sentence should be:
Then went UP again 4th quarter (due to the drop from 2.25% to somewhere around 1.7%)

 

[Anonymous]

UHC is giving the coverage that Pfizer is willing to pay for! Don't blame United because Pfizer wants to keep it's costs down.

Absolutely correct. Pfizer is self insured and makes the rules.

 

[Anonymous]

While Pfizer is to blame for the crappy coverage they offer their Retirees; high deductibles, no co pay, many drugs not covered, or if they are, coverage is minimal, one must keep an eagle eye on United Health Care. They routinely send stmnts where certain items are not covered, labs, for instance, in a yearly wellness visit. If you don't call and set them straight, you'll really get raked over the coals, in the wallet, where it hurts.

 

[Anonymous]

If you don't call and set them (United Healthcare) straight, you'll really get raked over the coals, in the wallet, where it hurts.

Don't I know it. In 2008 United Healthcare took me to the cleaners for over $3000. They turned down all my appeals and the Pfizer Employee Advocate program available at that time was completely useless. I couldn't even prevent the same thing from happening to other employees. I send the information to HR but nothing changed at all. The same thing could happen to you tomorrow. A classic example of life in Pfizer.........

 

[Anonymous]

Pfizer has given its Warner Lambert Retirees the rawest of raw deals, health coverage wise. Not sure what it's like for Legacy Pfizer, probably very nice, very nice indeed.

 

[Anonymous]

Legacy Pharmacia and Pharmacia & Upjohn received the WORST package.

 

[Anonymous]

Just retired a few months age, started in 82 with Upjohn. I was always told that retirement benefits would be great. From what I see every month, they suck. I am in my own business and I thought that the medical would carry me thru. It is not. Every Dr visti is a craps shoot. Fidelity gives a different answer every time I call.

Does anyone have "the plan" in more detail for medical? Is there a super secret web site that I could log onto?

Seriously I don't get how some of you people survived for as long as you did! First of all, you received an entire book from Pfizer about your choices for medical coverage, what your costs would be, what is covered, etc. If you can read, you should be able to figure this out! Secondly, there are web sites for UHC, Horizon, etc. that you can go to that explain your coverage and you can view every single cotton pickin claim as it moves through the system. As a Wyeth legacy retiree, it's pretty easy for me to understand that I have a $500 deductible, a maximum $3500 out-of-pocket per year, no-cost mammogram and physical annually, no cost Pfizer drugs, etc. For pete's sake-use a little initiative! There is no reason you should even have to call Fidelity if you would just do your onw legwork and not wait to be spoonfed.

 

[Anonymous]

Seriously I don't get how some of you people survived for as long as you did! First of all, you received an entire book from Pfizer about your choices for medical coverage, what your costs would be, what is covered, etc. If you can read, you should be able to figure this out! Secondly, there are web sites for UHC, Horizon, etc. that you can go to that explain your coverage and you can view every single cotton pickin claim as it moves through the system. As a Wyeth legacy retiree, it's pretty easy for me to understand that I have a $500 deductible, a maximNeum $3500 out-of-pocket per year, no-cost mammogram and physical annually, no cost Pfizer drugs, etc. For pete's sake-use a little initiative! There is no reason you should even have to call Fidelity if you would just do your onw legwork and not wait to be spoonfed.

Please, dont't be so selfrighteous. That $500 deductible is a joke. It's more like $4000 out of your pocket expenses before our great insurance starts to kick in. While at the same time, we pay big bucks now for our insurance premiums. The only good thing is the prescripton coverage costs. Before our next enrollment period, I am probably going to look outisde if Pfizeer for better coverage at less costs. This company has completely broken any trust that they had with me.

 

[Anonymous]

Seriously I don't get how some of you people survived for as long as you did! First of all, you received an entire book from Pfizer about your choices for medical coverage, what your costs would be, what is covered, etc. If you can read, you should be able to figure this out! Secondly, there are web sites for UHC, Horizon, etc. that you can go to that explain your coverage and you can view every single cotton pickin claim as it moves through the system. As a Wyeth legacy retiree, it's pretty easy for me to understand that I have a $500 deductible, a maximum $3500 out-of-pocket per year, no-cost mammogram and physical annually, no cost Pfizer drugs, etc. For pete's sake-use a little initiative! There is no reason you should even have to call Fidelity if you would just do your onw legwork and not wait to be spoonfed.

Sorry that I didn't put the entire story on CP. It would be nice if everything was as simple as you claim. I went out on STD due to an aggressive cancer and moved onto LTD and was then moved onto SSI & Medicare A&B. The BOOK from pfizer that you mention does not give any guidance. STD is one paragraph. Medical coverage is just as short and the end of the book gives Pfe the right to change the plan for any reason.
The ever moving medicare coverage determines what UHC pays for, but only in different medical needs. For example dur med eqpt is not covered in full by UHC, but it is with medicare. I found this out after I got a $4k bill for a wheel chair rental. I have been getting the same treatment for two years, by the same doc and she gets a different fee amount from UHC on each visit. It is like being in Vegas when I open up these bills, it keeps costing me more and more. There must be a simple way to trek costs.
Keep in mind that retirement was not my plan. It happened over a weekend. Besides, How many people actually retire from Pfizer anyway? I have never heard of someone lasting long enough to retire from here. Look at your next meeting to see if anyone has white hair. My face may still be on a wall at 245 E.42nd street, but Most of them and myself never got the BOOK !!!

 

[Anonymous]

Pfizer has given its Warner Lambert Retirees the rawest of raw deals, health coverage wise. Not sure what it's like for Legacy Pfizer, probably very nice, very nice indeed.

You are so wrong. Not a nice deal at all. Expensive and covers nothing.

 

[Anonymous]

You are so wrong. Not a nice deal at all. Expensive and covers nothing.

Many companies are dramatically reducing or eliminating healthcare benefits for retirees but the dumb-ass retirees aren't using their brains. They are fighting Obamacare as hard as they can even though that's what is going to save them from poverty and bankruptcy. Dumb, dumb, dumb!