UPS to drop 15,000 spouses from insurance; cites Obamacare

[PapaG]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/08/21/ups-to-drop-15000-spouses-from.html

By Carla Caldwell, Atlanta Business Chronicle

United Parcel Service Inc. — one of Colorado's largest private employers — plans to remove thousands of spouses from its medical plan because they are eligible for coverage elsewhere.

The Atlanta-based shipping and logistics company points to the federal Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as a big reason for the decision, reports Kaiser Health News.

UPS, locally based in Commerce City, employs some 4,664 people in Colorado, ranking it as the state's 12th largest private employer, Denver Business Journal research director Connie Elsbury reports.

The UPS decision comes as many analysts are downplaying the Affordable Care Act's effect on companies such as UPS, noting that the move reflects a long-term trend of shrinking corporate medical benefits, Kaiser Health News reports.
But UPS repeatedly cites Obamacare to explain the decision, adding fuel to the debate over whether it erodes traditional employer coverage, Kaiser says.
Rising medical costs, “combined with the costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, have made it increasingly difficult to continue providing the same level of health care benefits to our employees at an affordable cost,” UPS said in a memo to employees.

UPS expects the move, which applies to non-union U.S. workers only, to save about $60 million a year, company spokesman Andy McGowan said.

 

[Eastoff]

Well this is more disappointing news. I guess I can not use UPS ever again.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

I thought this wasn't supposed to happen? :MARIS61:

 

[HailBlazers]

Well this is more disappointing news. I guess I can not use UPS ever again.

Reallly dude? Your blaming the USPS for this one? pull your head out of the sand.

 

[EL PRESIDENTE]

Well this is more disappointing news. I guess I can not use 'Murrica ever again.

FTFY

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I thought this wasn't supposed to happen? :MARIS61:

Just the opposite. Obamacare is to be the only healthcare offered in this country plan in time.

 

[HailBlazers]

Just the opposite. Obamacare is to be the only healthcare offered in this country plan in time.

Yup, along with a required microchip implant

 

[DaLincolnJones]

I thought this wasn't supposed to happen? :MARIS61:

yeah...was not that long ago I had a conversation with our resident UPS driver..he seemed to believe that their union was too big for thistohappen..and that there was no way they would lose benifits etc etc..I am of the opinion that this is the tip of the iceberg..

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Wait? What? No...... I just had dviss1 (I'm pretty sure it was him/her, but apologies in advance if it was a different poaster) in here telling me how wrong I was about health care, and how Obamacare was greater than God.

But... but.... but.... :MARIS61:

So people are being negatively effected by Obamacare after all?

 

[Eastoff]

Reallly dude? Your blaming the USPS for this one? pull your head out of the sand.

UPS.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Well this is more disappointing news. I guess I can not use UPS ever again.

ok, I know better, but I have to ask..

was this intended to be funny?

was this to have been in green?

was this just snark?

were you serious?

help a brother out and clue me in..

 

[Eastoff]

Let me just clarify how I perceive this. A law was passed to try to make healthcare more affordable, republicans say "No companies will just cheat and drop people from health coverage because it will get more expensive for them." Then companies to actually do drop health coverage and you (plural reader) say the law is to blame, and not the companies?

 

[Eastoff]

ok, I know better, but I have to ask..

was this intended to be funny?

was this to have been in green?

was this just snark?

were you serious?

help a brother out and clue me in..

Sure, my point is that, I guess "HAHA jokes on me, I trusted Obama to be honest. But the law is in place now, and Obama is in office, so maybe I can do something else like use my money to vote on business actions."

 

[ABM]

Yup, along with the requisite mark on the right hand and/or forehead.

FIFY

 

[PapaG]

yeah...was not that long ago I had a conversation with our resident UPS driver..he seemed to believe that their union was too big for thistohappen..and that there was no way they would lose benifits etc etc..I am of the opinion that this is the tip of the iceberg..

Teamsters aren't affected.

UPS expects the move, which applies to non-union U.S. workers only, to save about $60 million a year, company spokesman Andy McGowan said.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Let me just clarify how I perceive this. A law was passed to try to make healthcare more affordable, republicans say "No companies will just cheat and drop people from health coverage because it will get more expensive for them." Then companies to actually do drop health coverage and you (plural reader) say the law is to blame, and not the companies?

what? republicans were the first to say that the losers would be the employees..it was the left who claimed just what you say the right did..bull shit, dont change the facts to cover your ass over some dumb fucking quip...and yeah...obamacare is to blame, not the companies that got exceptions from obama, not the congresional aids that recieved exceptions..none of the people who have done theirbest to avoid this disaster...it is the disaster that is to blame..

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Teamsters aren't affected.

ahh, thanks, I missed that.

 

[blazerboy30]

Let me just clarify how I perceive this. A law was passed to try to make healthcare more affordable, republicans say "No companies will just cheat and drop people from health coverage because it will get more expensive for them." Then companies to actually do drop health coverage and you (plural reader) say the law is to blame, and not the companies?

 

[Eastoff]

what? republicans were the first to say that the losers would be the employees..it was the left who claimed just what you say the right did..bull shit, dont change the facts to cover your ass over some dumb fucking quip...and yeah...obamacare is to blame, not the companies that got exceptions from obama, not the congresional aids that recieved exceptions..none of the people who have done theirbest to avoid this disaster...it is the disaster that is to blame..

http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/8465-employer-health-benefits-20131.pdf

Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $16,351 this year, up 4 percent from last year, with workers on average paying $4,565 towards the cost of their coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) 2013 Employer Health Benefits Survey.

http://kff.org/private-insurance/report/2013-employer-health-benefits/

 

[DaLincolnJones]

http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/8465-employer-health-benefits-20131.pdf


http://kff.org/private-insurance/report/2013-employer-health-benefits/

interesting..but it has nothing to do with what I said, or for that matter, what you said

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Health care is going to haunt this country for the next decade.

 

[Eastoff]

interesting..but it has nothing to do with what I said, or for that matter, what you said

The original article suggests Obamacare is causing UPS costs for healthcare to rise so much, they can't afford to supply healthcare for spouses. My point, and based off that study, is that companies may be paying more, 4% more on average; however, it seems like they are saying "sorry we can't be decent human beings because that's too expensive and we'd rather make extra money.

 

[Eastoff]

Health care is going to haunt this country for the next decade.

Nah, once the baby boomers die, we'll be fine ;]

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Nah, once the baby boomers die, we'll be fine ;]

Which is in about 10-20 years

 

[Eastoff]

Which is in about 10-20 years

And of course this is the first time in history the next generation has a lower expected life rate than the previous. So there's that to thank as well.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

The original article suggests Obamacare is causing UPS costs for healthcare to rise so much, they can't afford to supply healthcare for spouses. My point, and based off that study, is that companies may be paying more, 4% more on average; however, it seems like they are saying "sorry we can't be decent human beings because that's too expensive and we'd rather make extra money.

hmm blame the right..get called on it, so you pivot away..whatever..

I know that you are not dumb enough to base your arguement on this crap from Kaiser health..first and foremost, these are figures based on PROJECTED costs IF everyone were to join the collective..but guess what? The young people that the success of this program is hinged upon, are reluctant to pay more than they should to cover the costs of their elders. No one really knows what the final costs of a policy will actually be. In a few months you willget to sign up, but even then, costs will not have been determined and policies will not be issued for months to come.

 

[Denny Crane]

Let me just clarify how I perceive this. A law was passed to try to make healthcare more affordable, republicans say "No companies will just cheat and drop people from health coverage because it will get more expensive for them." Then companies to actually do drop health coverage and you (plural reader) say the law is to blame, and not the companies?

The law is so awful that more than 1/2 of it is being deferred until after the 2014 election so it's not an anchor around Democratic Party candidates.

 

[MARIS61]

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/08/21/ups-to-drop-15000-spouses-from.html

...plans to remove thousands of spouses from its medical plan because they are eligible for coverage elsewhere.

 

[blazerboy30]

The original article suggests Obamacare is causing UPS costs for healthcare to rise so much, they can't afford to supply healthcare for spouses. My point, and based off that study, is that companies may be paying more, 4% more on average; however, it seems like they are saying "sorry we can't be decent human beings because that's too expensive and we'd rather make extra money.

I'm curious...where did you get the idea that companies exist for some reason other than making profit?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'm curious...where did you get the idea that companies exist for some reason other than making profit?

This is why privatization is so scary to humans with souls: If profit is the only goal, people suffer. We wouldn't be in this problem if health care wasn't so stupidly tied to employers.