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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)

► Go to www.aetna.com

► Click on “Find a Doctor”

► Under “Search by Location”, fill in required items

► Click on “Search”

► You may also search by entering the Provider or Facility name

 

Plan Administrator:  Highmark BCBS

Customer service: (866) 267-3320

► Go to www.highmarkbcbs.com

► 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)

► Go to www.myuhc.com

► 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.                                                                                                    

Lesniewski

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.

By Bonnie Morr
Vice President, Bus Department

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.

By UTU International President Mike Futhey – 

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.

RRB logo; Railroad Retirement BoardFor rail workers furloughed as a result of Hurricane Sandy, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) advises those victims may qualify for railroad unemployment benefits.

Following a request by UTU International President Mike Futhey to RRB Labor Member Walt Barrows, the RRB has agreed to waive a time-consuming requirement that claims be verified by the carrier, thus expediting the claims procedure for members adversely impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Those furloughed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy may thus file claims by telephone or electronically via the Railroad Retirement Board’s website.

To file claims for benefits, affected railroaders should call the RRB’s toll-free telephone number at 877-772-5772, or visit its website at www.rrb.gov/

To qualify for normal railroad unemployment benefits in the benefit year that began July 1, an employee must have had railroad earnings of at least $3,325 in calendar year 2011, counting no more than $1,330 for any month. Those who were first employed in the rail industry in 2011 must also have at least five months of creditable railroad service in that year.

Railroad unemployment benefits are normally paid for the number of days of unemployment over four in 14-day registration periods. The maximum daily benefit rate is currently $66, so maximum benefits for biweekly claims will total $660.

In addition, during the first 14-day claim period in a benefit year, benefits are payable for each day of unemployment in excess of seven, rather than four, which basically creates a one-week waiting period.

To file an application for benefits online via the website, a furloughed worker must have an Internet Services Account with the RRB. For security purposes, first-time users must obtain a unique password, which they can do by clicking on the link for requesting a Password Request Code (PRC) in the Benefit Online Services login section at www.rrb.gov

Individuals who have already established an Internet Services Account and password can go online to file applications and claims for biweekly unemployment benefits.

Disaster relief grants of $500 are available from Union Plus to help eligible participants in the Union Plus credit card, insurance or mortgage programs who are facing financial hardship due to the Hurricane Sandy disaster.

The money does not have to be repaid.  Funds are limited to the nearly $370,000 available in the Union Plus Disaster Relief Fund. 

To qualify for a Union Plus disaster relief grant, you must: 

  1. Have been a victim of the severe weather in counties designated by FEMA as qualifying for individual assistance. (List of qualifying counties available at UnionPlus.org/Sandy.)
  2. Have experienced a significant loss of income or property within the last six months due to the disaster.
  3. Have had a Union Plus credit card, Union Plus insurance policy or Union Plus mortgage for at least 12 months with the account or policy in good standing (be up-to-date on payments).
  4. Describe his or her circumstances and document the income or property loss. 

To apply for a disaster relief grant, union members who participate in any of the following programs can call:

  • Union Plus credit card: (877) 761-5028
  • Union Plus insurance: (800) 472-2005
  • Union Plus mortgage: (800) 472-2005 

Credit card holders are also eligible for Union Plus grants that help union members who lose their job, are recently disabled, face high hospital bills or are forced to go on strike. The mortgage program also offers assistance that includes interest-free loans and grants for union members who are unemployed, recently disabled, locked out or on strike. 

Union Plus credit card holders are encouraged to contact Capital One, the new Union Plus credit card issuer, at (877) 761-5028, if you need additional assistance. Capital One has programs in place to help customers who are experiencing difficulties due to the storm. 

Union Plus mortgage holders, including anyone who is in the process of receiving a new Union Plus mortgage, are encouraged to contact Chase, who provides Union Plus Mortgages, at (888) 356-0023 or tweet @ChaseSupport, for additional assistance and information.

For more information about the Union Plus disaster benefits, visit UnionPlus.org/Sandy.

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated families in the Northeast, we again are reminded we are a nation of one people.
Just as we see President Obama, a Democrat, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, working together to address the needs of those suffering, UTU members can collectively do our part by helping our brothers and sisters as we have in past disasters.
Hurricane Sandy caused significant property damage and loss to scores of UTU members in the Northeast, and we are soliciting donations in order that funds are available to assist our struggling brothers and sisters get back on their feet.
We encourage all UTU members, locals, general committees, and state legislative boards to give generously to help our brothers and sisters in need.
The UTU disaster relief account was established in 2005 to aid our brothers and sisters in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and has retained that identity as a reminder that we can all do something to lessen the pain and suffering of others.
Contributions should be sent to:
Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund
United Transportation Union
Attn: Cheryl Sneed
Suite 340
24950 Country Club Blvd.
North Olmsted, OH 44070-5333
Current contributors include:
GO 225 (M. Reedy)
Texas State Legislative Board (C. English)
Kim N. Thompson (General Secretary & Treasurer)
Freda Wyckoff & Douglas Devasher (retired, L-1813)
Blalock & Blalock (Designated Legal Counsel)
Joseph Boda (retired, L-1928)
Nebraska State Legislative Board (B. Borgeson)
Norbert & Patricia Shacklette (retired, L-1823)
Todd Kester (Local Chairperson, L-324)
GO 769 (D. Sampson)
UTUIA Unit 1
Gillian Turner
Rabb & Beal (Designated Legal Counsel)
Art Rayner (UTUIA Field Supervisor, L-1374)
Local 1908, Buffalo, N.Y.
Charles Skidmore (UTUIA Field Supervisor, L-204)
James Stem (National Legislative director)
Patrick Reilly (General Chairperson)
Guy Frederick (L-225)
Local 781, Shreveport, La.
Iowa State Legislative Board (Garrett)
Illinois State Legislative Board (R. Guy)
Local 313, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Manuel Villalobos (retired, L-113)
Local 1136, Sterling, Col.
Mark Archibald (Local Chairperson, L-166)
GO-898  (M. Cook)
Local 1525, Carbondale, Ill.
Bernie Moran-Zarefoss (UTU employee)
Roger Field (L-171)
Petro Law Firm (Designated Legal Counsel)
William Thompson (Former Ohio State Legislative Director, retired)
GO-569 (C. A. Nowlin)
GO-927 (T. Johnson)
Oklahoma State Legislative Board (D. Scholle)
Missouri State Legislative Board (K. Menges)
Roy Neslund (retired, L-1365)
John Risch (Alternate National Legislative Director)
Local 311, La Crosse, Wis.
Local 597, Des Plaines, Ill.
Mark Schroeder (L-1402)
UTUIA
Local 1402, Dupo, Ill.
Thomas Krohn (L-1433)
M. B. Futhey, Jr. (President, SMART Transportation Division)
Kathy Morfier, Bellevue, Ohio
Local 243, Fort Worth, Texas

Thompson
Kim Thompson, general secretary & treasurer of the UTU International and the UTU Insurance Association since 2008, will retire Dec. 31.

The UTU Board of Directors has elected International Vice President Delbert Strunk to succeed Thompson Jan. 1. Strunk will retain his position as an International vice president.

Also, International Vice President Paul Tibbit will retire Dec. 1, but the UTU board has not yet elected a successor.

UTU International President Mike Futhey praised Thompson as “one of the most dedicated union officers I have had the honor and privilege to work with. Kim’s stewardship of UTU and UTUIA finances is a principal reason both organizations have meaningfully improved their bottom lines in spite of this lengthy economic downturn.

“Delbert Strunk is one of the most loyal and hardworking of International officers,” Futhey said. “His experience at all levels and facets of this organization will ensure a seamless transition.

“The retirement of Paul Tibbit will be felt throughout the UTU, as his assistance to general committees in negotiating contracts and successfully pursuing grievances has earned him deep respect from all who have benefited from his expertise and advice,” Futhey said.

Thompson, who will be 65 in January, began his railroad career in 1966 as a brakeman on the Moberly Division of the former Wabash Railway (later merged into Norfolk & Western, and now part of Norfolk Southern). He was promoted to conductor in 1972 following four years of U.S. Navy service.

In 1975, Thompson was elected president and chairperson of Local 226, Moberly, Mo., representing conductors, brakemen and yardmen, and was elected by his local as a delegate to two UTU conventions. He was elected legislative representative of his local in 1976.

In 1985, Thompson was elected a full-time vice general chairperson (GO 719, merged in 1998 into GO 687), and elected general chairperson of GO 719 in 1989, representing conductors, brakemen, yardmen, firemen and engineers on the former Wabash lines of Norfolk Southern.

Thompson was elected to the UTU International’s Executive Board in 1987, and served as board chairperson for eight years. In 1995, he was elected UTU International first alternate vice president for the South; and elevated to UTU International vice president in 1997.

He served as vice president until he was elected general secretary & treasurer at the UTU International convention in 2007. He took office Oct. 1, 2007, upon the retirement of GS&T Dan Johnson.

From 1988 through 1997, Thompson served on the board of the Wabash Memorial Hospital Association in Decatur, Ill.

“My impending retirement comes with mixed feelings,” Thompson said. “There is always another task to do. There is always someone in need of help. But I have learned that there is someone to step up as I once did and the time comes for them, just as it did for me.

“I am indebted to Jim Oliver, former Local 881, Montpelier, Ohio, a vice general chairperson who taught me that preparation fosters success. I am also thankful for Tom DuBose, who taught me to take care of business and the rest will take care of itself. And I will forever be thankful to Mike Futhey for his leadership through the most challenging time faced by this organization.

“I am thankful for the love and support of my bride, Connie, and her sacrifices in following my dream and I look forward to our time being ours.”

Thompson and his wife, Connie, have five children and five grandchildren.

DELBERT STRUNK

Strunk

Strunk, 62, began his career in 1973 as a brakeman on the Cleveland Division of New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate, which later merged into Norfolk & Western and is now part of Norfolk Southern.) He was promoted to conductor in 1977.

In 1975, Strunk was elected legislative representative of Local 225, Bellevue, Ohio, which represents conductors, trainmen, yardmen and engineers. Over the next 35 years, Strunk held the offices of vice local chairperson, local chairperson, alternate legislative representative, legislative representative, general secretary (GO 687) and delegate to the 2007 UTU convention.

In 1983, Strunk was elected as general secretary of GO 687; he was elected full-time general chairperson of the general committee in 1989. Strunk served as general chairperson, representing conductors, trainmen, yardmen and engineers, for the next 20-plus years.

In 1998, Strunk merged GO 719 (former Wabash) into GO 687 (former Nickel Plate), forming what is now one of the largest general committees on Norfolk Southern. Strunk was elected alternate vice president-East in 2007, was elevated to International vice president in July 2009 and was re-elected International vice president in 2011.

He was elected as vice chairperson for the District No. 1 General Chairpersons’ Association and was elevated to the position of chairperson when the former chairperson retired.

Strunk has been appointed to the last three UTU national negotiating committees, as well as appointed to the National Wage and Rules Panel. He served as chairperson of the 2007 UTU Constitution Committee and is a member of the UTU Board of Directors.

Strunk and his wife, Diane, have four children and 16 grandchildren.

PAUL TIBBIT

Paul Tibbit; Tibbit, Paul
Tibbit

Paul Tibbit, 65 and from Texarkana, Tex., is a member of Local 331 at Temple, Tex.

He served in the U.S. Navy from 1965 to 1968 and began his rail career with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (now part of BNSF) in 1971.

He has served the UTU as a local secretary & treasurer, local chairperson and general chairperson of GO 393.

Tibbit was elected alternate vice president-West in 2007, elevated to International vice president in 2009, and elected an International vice president at the 2011 quadrennial convention.

Wier

UTU-represented yardmen, hostlers and yardmasters employed by Gary Railway and members of UTU Local 1383 have ratified separate six-year agreements.

The contracts provide for annual wage increases, lump-sum percentage back-pay, improved bereavement leave, sickness/disability insurance and a reduced monthly health and welfare contribution. Also included is enrollment in the Transtar insurance benefit program.

UTU International Vice President Dave Wier, who assisted with the negotiations, congratulated General Chairperson Cory Mayberry (GO 329), Local 1383 Chairperson Tommy Collins, and Vice Local Chairperson Brian McWilliams for “the exceptional effort put forth during the negotiations and ratification process that resulted in agreements with substantial improvements in wages and benefits.”

Gary Railway, a Transtar property, is a Class III switching carrier operating 63 miles of yard track in Gary, Ind., primarily serving U.S. Steel

 

By James Stem – 
UTU National Legislative Director – 

UTU endorsements for President of the United States and election to Congress are undertaken with considerable thought, responsibility and accountability.

Prior to issuing these endorsements, we did an exhaustive job evaluating the candidates’ positions on transportation, collective bargaining, workplace safety, pensions and benefits, and Medicare.

The endorsements for President Obama and congressional candidates (which appear in the October issue of the UTU News and which also are accessible on the UTU home page) are based on the following:

* President Obama has demonstrated by action his strong support for Amtrak, transit, high speed rail, Social Security, Railroad Retirement, Medicare, workplace safety, collective bargaining and the right to organize and belong to a labor union.

* President Obama dedicated billions of dollars for high- and higher-speed passenger rail and public transit.

* President Obama supported and approved grant and loan programs for new and expanded freight transportation that railroads have used to improve operations, which have added hundreds of construction and operating jobs.

* President Obama supports a “hands-off” approach to Railroad Retirement, opposes privatization of Social Security, opposes the Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it, and supports public-employee pension plans and collective bargaining rights.

* Vice President Biden, who as a U.S. senator for 30 years, rode Amtrak more than any other fare-paying person in America, commuting daily between Washington, D.C., and his Delaware home. He has a lifetime UTU Senate voting record of 97 percent on issues vital to UTU members.

* Mitt Romney, by contrast, emphatically promises to eliminate all funding for Amtrak and high-speed rail.

* Mitt Romney supports the Republican platform approved in Tampa in August, which takes money from transit and rail to pour more concrete for highways.

* Mitt Romney has pledged to eliminate regulations that benefit unions and to regulate unions so they cannot effectively represent their members. He supports national right-to-work (for-less) legislation, which would drive down wages across America. 

* Mitt Romney’s vice presidential choice, Paul Ryan, is the author of a conservative Republican budget proposal that turns Medicare into a voucher program.  Instead of guaranteed lifetime medical benefits, beneficiaries would be given an inadequate lump sum to buy private insurance, and pay the rest out of pocket.
 
* The Paul Ryan-authored budget proposal would “conform Railroad Retirement benefits to those of Social Security.”  If this becomes law, our retirement date would move from age 60 to 67, and we would lose our occupational disability and other Railroad Retirement benefits.  
   
Returning President Obama and Vice President Biden to office is not enough. We must also work to prevent conservative Republicans from gaining control of the Senate and retaining control of the House of Representatives.

After reviewing the records and pledges of President Obama and Gov. Romney, the choice was an easy one and is why we proudly endorse Barack Obama and Joe Biden for another term.

President Obama cannot fulfill his promises to working families without the support of Congress.

We encourage you to consider your job security, wages, benefits, Railroad Retirement, Social Security, Medicare, workplace safety and collective bargaining rights carefully prior to casting your vote Nov. 6.