UTU members covered by the Railroad Employees’ National Vision Plan will see improvements in the program effective Jan. 1 when benefits formerly provided by VSP will be administered by EyeMed Vision Care.
Enhancements include:
• A larger national network of providers, consisting of both independent and retail-affiliated providers;
• Five of the top six eye-care providers – LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, Target Optical and JCPenney Optical – will participate in the program;
• Employees will receive identification cards to ensure eligibility and benefits;
• Those insured will enjoy greater discounts (40 percent versus the current 30 percent) on complete second pair purchases. There are no restrictions on how often or where an insured member can use the EyeMed additional-pairs discount; it applies at all in-network locations, at any time.
• Members are eligible for discounts on LASIK or PRK services;
• During 2013, each member can receive a $60 discount on non-prescription Ray-Ban polarized sunglasses at participating providers. Visit www.rayban.com and click on “store providers” to locate a participating provider;
• A no-cost discount plan for early retirees will be introduced. This plan will not be a part of the Railroad Employees National Vision Plan but will provide early retirees with savings on eye exams and material purchases at EyeMed provider locations.
Workers covered by the vision-care plan should have received a postcard from EyeMed announcing the changeover. Covered participants will receive ID cards, information on participating providers and a summary of benefits by mail in January.
Distractions occur everywhere in our daily lives, but when those in safety sensitive positions are distracted on the job, the results too often result in death or career-ending injuries.
A collaborative effort among the Federal Railroad Administration, rail labor and carriers has been launched to educate and raise awareness through peer-to-peer programs of the dangers of being distracted by using electronic devices while on the job.
Specifically, the FRA has asked carriers to adopt anti-distraction programs and to remind and reinforce among rail workers in safety sensitive positions that use of electronic devices while on the job is not only in violation of federal and carrier regulations, but “socially unacceptable.”
In 2008, the FRA issued an emergency order prohibiting the use of electronic devices by rail operating employees, and it was followed in 2010 by a new permanent regulation that applies to all operating employees.
“Addressing the use of electronic devices as a safety hazard requires integrity in the process, consistency in application to all employees and all devices, and common sense in the design of the process,” said UTU National Legislative Director James Stem. “When we push the decision making process down to the level of local employee representatives and local managers, and a consensus based approach, all hazards will be addressed.”
Stem compares this consensus based approach to the success of Operation Redblock programs and the new model for success known as the Confidential Close Call Reporting system.
Stem also reminds members that in the event of a collision, derailment or fatality, one of the first actions taken by the National Transportation Safety Board is to pull the phone records of all crew members involved, as well as the phone records of crew members on other trains in the area of the event. “You don’t have to be directly involved to have your phone records examined by NTSB investigators,” Stem said.
“A good and safe practice,” Stem said, “is for all conductors and engineers starting their shift to show other crew members that they have turned off their cell phones.”
Click here to view FRA Administrator Joe Szabo’s message.
Medicare beneficiaries will see their standard Medicare Part B monthly premium increase by $5 monthly to $104.90 beginning in January.
A small number of beneficiaries will continue to pay higher premiums based on their modified adjusted gross income, which depends on the extent to which an individual beneficiary’s modified gross income exceeds $85,000 ($170,000 for a married couple). Only about 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries pay higher rates.
As for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, premiums vary among plans. But the Affordable Care Act requires Part D beneficiaries whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $85,000 ($170,000 for married couples) to pay a monthly adjustment amount. They will pay the regular plan premium on their Part D plan and pay an income-related adjustment.
Beneficiaries affected by the 2013 Part B and D income-related premiums will receive a notice before the end of December. The notice will include an explanation of the circumstances where a beneficiary may request a new determination.
The manufacturer of the prescription medication Pradaxa(r) is voluntarily recalling all patient-level lots of 75mg dosage of the medication.
The reason is a potential packaging defect that the manufacturer says may compromise the integrity of the bottle and permit moisture to enter and impair the effective dose.
If you have the 75 mg. dose of Pradaxa (r), you should contact your Medco/Express Scripts pharmacy for further instructions on return/replacement.
Medco customers who have been prescribed that medication by their physicians also will be receiving a letter from Medco/Express Scripts.
One of labor’s strongest friends on Capitol Hill was Rep. Marty Frost, a centrist Democrat from Texas who served in the House of Representatives from 1979 to 2005, and who served two terms as chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Post Election Day, Frost wrote an opinion article published by The Hill, an independent newspaper that circulates primarily on Capitol Hill and is read closely by members of Congress and their senior staff.
Reflecting on the urgency of congressional action to avoid the well-publicized fiscal cliff that could plunge the nation into a severe recession, Frost called for “a big dose of bipartisan adult leadership,” with Democrats and Republicans putting down their partisan polemic swords and embarking on a productive journey of cooperation and compromise.
“President Obama must turn the other cheek and tell Republicans in Congress that he is ready for a serious, ongoing conversation about the major problems facing the country, notwithstanding the fact that they beat the hell out of him during the election,” Frost wrote. And Republican leaders Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, and John Boehner, the House speaker, “must tell the more extreme elements of their own party to sit down and shut up and that they are ready to deal.“
Frost further suggests that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle collaborate in the weeks ahead and “take a serious look at Republican legislation that passed the House in August establishing fast-track procedures for considering tax reform next year.” For that collaborative process to be constructive, he says Republicans must understand that “any new tax legislation would need to be revenue-positive — that is, raise more revenue than the current system no matter what tax rates it establishes.
“Republicans,” says Frost, “will hate the concept of revenue-positive tax reform and Democrats will hate any continuation of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy for any period of time, but no one gets everything they want when you have divided government.
“The alternative is the looming fiscal cliff. Try to sell that at the Rotary Club or in the union hall, particularly at Machinists and United Auto Workers halls where the members work in defense plants,” says Frost.
He adds that while entitlements can be on the table, “any thought of radically changing Social Security and Medicare by moving to privatization or vouchers will not fly.
“Tax deductions can be on the table,” he says, “as long as Congress recognizes that not all tax provisions are equal — some of them actually promote legitimate national policy objectives, like energy independence.”
In support of this cooperation and compromise approach, Frost suggests that Congress “pass a ban on political issue ads during the 12 months following an election. That’s a case I would love to see argued before the Supreme Court.
“It’s time for some adult behavior,” says Frost, and “let’s hope the adults show up.”
UTU members and their dependents insured under the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA) Plan (GA-46000) will have their lifetime maximum amount of coverage increased, effective Jan. 1.
ERMA is a comprehensive benefits plan for employees who retire at or after age 60 with 30 years of service. The plan covers qualified employees, spouses and dependents until the employee reaches age 65. If the employee qualifies for Medicare before reaching 65, ERMA no longer covers the employee, but dependents continue coverage until the employee reaches age 65. ERMA is not applicable when any covered individual becomes Medicare eligible.
The lifetime maximum, effective Jan. 1, 2013, will be $136,200, an increase of $4,700.
The formula for increasing the lifetime maximum under ERMA was agreed upon by labor and management in 2001. The new lifetime maximum was derived by utilizing the October 2011 Consumer Price Index data for hospital and related services and physician services.
For individuals who have reached the lifetime maximum, the incremental maximum available is applied to eligible expenses submitted for dates of service on or after Jan. 1, the effective date of the new maximum.
The national railroad plans (“plan”) allow you to see any doctor in your plan administrator’s network, including specialists, without a referral. This means that you have the freedom to choose a physician or specialist without first seeing a primary care physician.
There are two levels of coverage under the plan. Your level of coverage is determined each time you receive care and whether you use an in-network provider or an out-of-network provider. Your out-of-pocket costs under both levels of coverage may include office visit copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance whether you are using services under the Managed Medical Care Program (MMCP), the Comprehensive Health Care Benefit (CHCB) or the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Care Benefit (MHSA).
MMCP and MHSA benefits
• In-network:This level of benefit will apply when you use a physician, specialist, laboratory or other provider who is a member of your plan administrator’s network. When you use in-network providers, your out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, and coinsurance will be lower than if you use out-of-network providers. Remember, there is no penalty for seeking treatment from a specialist without a referral, providing you with quicker, easier access to health care.
• Out-of-network:This level of benefit will apply when you use a physician, specialist, laboratory or other provider who is not a member of your plan administrator’s network. The plan provides coverage if you use an out-of-network provider, but your out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, and coinsurance will be higher than if you use an in-network provider. In addition, you will be responsible for any amounts in excess of the covered charges. Covered charges are those charges determined to be usual, customary and reasonable for a particular service in a particular ZIP code area. Additionally, out-of-network providers may require you to pay for services at the time of service which means you will have to file your claim with the plan in order to be reimbursed.
CHCB benefit
Under CHCB, the plan pays a percentage of eligible expenses for covered health services. You will pay lower deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses if you use preferred providers, who are health care providers the plan has special arrangements with who agree to discount their charges. By using a provider where a special discount arrangement exists, the amount of the eligible expense that is your responsibility will generally be less than if non-preferred provider is used because the eligible expense will not be subject to a usual, customary and reasonable charge determination for a particular service in a particular ZIP code area. The covered charge will be based on the discounted charge, after your calendar year deductible is satisfied, leaving you with a lower out-of-pocket expense. Your medical ID card shows if you are entitled to these discounts. If you are, you must make sure the provider sees your ID card and knows that you are covered under one of these discount programs.
How to locate in-network providers
Locating in-network providers online for your medical health care needs is easy. Simply follow the instructions outlined below for the plan administrator of your health benefits.
MMCP and CHCB benefits
Plan administrator: Aetna
Customer service: (800) 842-4044 (Railroad Employees National Health & Welfare Plan); (888) 332-8742 (National Railway Carriers / United Transportation Union Health & Welfare Plan)
► Under “Find Providers” click on “Find a Doctor, Hospital or Other Medical Provider”
► Under “I Want to Find A” complete all of the required fields
► To select a plan: if MMCP benefits, select “BCBS PPO”; if CHCB benefits, select “BCBS Traditional”
► Click on “Submit”
Plan Administrator: UnitedHealthcare
Customer service: (800) 842-9905 (Railroad Employees National Health & Welfare Plan); (888) 445-4379 (National Railway Carriers / United Transportation Union Health & Welfare Plan)
► Click on “Find Physician, Laboratory, or Facility”
► If prompted to select plan, select “UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus”
► Under “Physician Specialties,” “Facilities” or “Conditions,” select the choices that apply
► You also may enter the “Name, Facility, Specialty or Condition” and/or ZIP code
MHSA benefit
Plan Administrator: United Behavioral Health
Customer service: (866) 850-6212
► Go to www.liveandworkwell.com and login or register under the heading “Members: Login or Register”
► If you prefer to login anonymously, under the heading “Members: Access Anonymously” enter the access
code “railroad”
► Under the heading “Member Services” (top right-hand side of site), click on “Search for clinician”
► In step 1, under heading “Search for mental health clinicians near you,” click on “Click here to use our free
behavioral health clinician search tool”
► Follow the instructions of the Clinician Search tool to search for a facility or clinician
Note: Provider information, while updated regularly, changes frequently. Always verify directly with your providers, prior to scheduling your appointment or receiving services, that they are still a participating member of your plan administrator’s network.
Discuss in-network services with your doctor
It’s important that your in-network doctor always refers you to in-network providers should you be in need of other medical services, like laboratory work or a referral to a specialist.
► At each visit, ask your doctor to use in-network providers for any medical services you might require from other providers.
► For example, you have the right to ask your doctor to send your laboratory work to an in-network laboratory, thereby allowing you to take a more active role in containing your health care costs.
► If your doctor refers you to another provider, call the number on the back of your member ID card to confirm the provider’s participation in your plan administrator’s network.
If you have any questions or need assistance in locating an in-network provider, or you do not have online capability, please call the phone number located on the back of your member ID card for assistance.
UTU Local 440 represented train and engine workers employed by Central Railroad Company of Indiana have ratified, by a 91 percent approval, a new five-year collective bargaining agreement effective Jan. 1.
The agreement provides for annual wage increases, an additional paid holiday, flex days, enhanced overtime provisions, enhanced instructor allowance, additional meal allowance and improved bereavement leave.
UTU International Vice President John Lesniewski, who assisted with the negotiations, thanked General Chairperson Andy Combs (CIR), Vice General Chairperson Tony Livengood and General Committee Secretary Bruce Huff for their “exceptional dedication and commitment in securing the most beneficial agreement possible for their members, which resulted in substantial improvement of their wages and working conditions.”
Central Railroad Company of Indiana is a RailAmerica short-line that stretches through five southeastern Indiana counties and into Ohio, operating 96 miles of track. It interchanges with Canadian National, CSX, and Norfolk Southern, providing an integral link between Indiana and Ohio in this area. The railroad moves more than 11,000 cars annually, primarily transporting automobiles, chemicals, metals and aggregates.
As we approach year end, I wish everyone happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous new year.
During 2012, we have had wonderful success negotiating 11 new contracts, and others are in the negotiating process.
I could not be more proud of the negotiating and educational skills demonstrated by general chairpersons who protected our members, and efforts of our alternate vice presidents who assisted in some of the negotiations.
As we prepare for 2013, we face seven agreements due to expire next year. Also during 2012, we organized several new properties, and look forward to organizing more bus properties in 2013.
Also on the positive side, public transit ridership has risen substantially as gasoline prices have increased. Agencies nationwide are planning for even more riders in 2013, which will mean more public transit jobs.
Our National Legislative Office, with assistance from state legislative directors, will be working to educate lawmakers at the national, state and local levels to obtain necessary funding for new equipment and routes.
Many localities already are tackling the challenge of finding new sources of public transit revenue in their communities. We can also count on MAP-21 (Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century), which passed Congress in 2012 and was signed into law by President Obama. That law provided a new two-year federal funding stream for mass transit and means more jobs.
As we move forward in 2013 under the new banner of SMART, we will benefit by having a stronger voice in Congress and access to the SMWIA’s numerous training facilities throughout the United States.
As you plan for 2013, keep in mind our regional meetings (July 1-3 in Boston; July 29-31 in Anaheim, Calif.) that will feature improved workshops for local officers and members seeking to improve negotiating, organizing and grievance skills.
For UTU members employed in the airline, rail and transit industries, the Obama/Biden victory and U.S. Senate election results translate to:
* More, and more secure, transportation jobs.
* More support to increase funding for public transit, Amtrak, and high-speed and higher-speed rail.
* Strengthened protections of collective bargaining rights and the right to organize the unorganized.
* Assurance of a safer workplace.
* Protection of Social Security, Railroad Retirement and Medicare programs as we know them.
* Retention of the Affordable Care Act’s provisions that allow children to remain on your health insurance policy until age 26, prohibit insurers from limiting maximum patient care payments to those with serious chronic illnesses, prohibit denial of coverage for pre-existing conditions, prohibit copays for certain preventive care procedures, and require insurance carriers to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on patient care.
Moreover, continued control of the U.S. Senate by labor-friendly Democrats better ensures that presidential nominations to federal regulatory agencies are more likely to be approved, and that anti-labor legislation passed by the House of Representatives more likely will be blocked by the Senate.
We have many contacts within the Obama administration who understand the concerns and needs of transportation workers.
A few of the most outrageous members of Congress were defeated. Our National Legislative Office and state legislative departments look forward to working with the new Congress to help resolve the major issues facing our nation. We will continue to deliver a clear and consistent message to all members of Congress.
The vote re-electing President Obama and Vice President Biden was a clear victory for the middle class over the privileged landed gentry’s candidate, who was out of touch with working families.
We will continue to develop good working relationships with the leadership of Congress on both sides of the aisle, and our partners in the rail and public transit industries to grow our transportation alternatives with improvements in rail passenger service, rail freight service and all public transportation services.
We are thankful that many of our friends in the Republican leadership in the House were returned to office.
The most important function of a labor union is to advance the job security, wages, benefits, working conditions, and retirement security of its members. The re-election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and the continued labor-friendly control of the Senate, will help to advance those objectives.
UTU members covered by the Railroad Employees’ National Vision Plan will see improvements in the program effective Jan. 1 when benefits formerly provided by VSP will be administered by EyeMed Vision Care. 
Distractions occur everywhere in our daily lives, but when those in safety sensitive positions are distracted on the job, the results too often result in death or career-ending injuries.
One of labor’s strongest friends on Capitol Hill was Rep. Marty Frost, a centrist Democrat from Texas who served in the House of Representatives from 1979 to 2005, and who served two terms as chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
UTU members and their dependents insured under the Railroad Employees National Early Retirement Major Medical Benefit (ERMA) Plan (GA-46000) will have their lifetime maximum amount of coverage increased, effective Jan. 1.
The national railroad plans (“plan”) allow you to see any doctor in your plan administrator’s network, including specialists, without a referral. This means that you have the freedom to choose a physician or specialist without first seeing a primary care physician.
By Bonnie Morr
By UTU International President Mike Futhey –