Airtran health insurance costs

[commuterguy]

I was looking through the Airtran info. As a pilot you pay 50% of your health insurance costs for year one. 40% there after. Can any current Airtran guys/gals share what their portion of the cost is? I currently pay about $160 a month for a family plan which is a 90% coverage, and am just trying to compare. Thanks all for any info.

 

[humveedriver]

AirTran's health insurance program is not a selling point when it comes to working at the airline. I paid about 360 a month last year, and I think I am around 425 this year. Thats with a family of three, and decent coverage with an HMO that doesn't require a primary care physician. If your spouse works and has cheaper coverage it may be an option for you. Hope that is useful for you.

 

[TV9Driver]

i pay about $550 a month including dental - for a family of 4. We are out of state and can't use an HMO so we are stuck with the more expensive PPO. Way too expensive I think.....

 

[bestpilot]

Duuudez, I tinks dat wee be covverd at a hunnerd percent an stuff.

 

[gatorbird]

i pay about $550 a month including dental - for a family of 4. We are out of state and can't use an HMO so we are stuck with the more expensive PPO. Way too expensive I think.....

Ya think? Holy smokes...one can only hope you guys are addressing this in the negotiation process.

As you may know, most airlines choose to cover your medical costs themselves, only using the larger medical company as an "underwriter". SO, this means you guys are getting hosed by your company; they aren't even close to competitive.

I'm with my second airline that's about a fourth of the size of AirTran and my medical costs (for my son and me) never came close to that amount.

As an option (if you guys haven't reached a TA on this subject yet), my current company offered an option (I believe it's called an EPO option; paperwork's at the crashpad) that allows me to choose whatever MD I wish. I am also encouraged to negotiate for a better price. The cheaper the better; I'm alloted a bank of $5000/yr for each of us to pull funds out of (I can use all of it on one of us, if needed). And, just like Cingular, I've got rollover money--what I don't use goes into next year's bank. There are less exclusions, too; I'll be able to use the money on lasik and a hysdirectomy.

Sure, there are greater risks; if one of us gets really sick then it could cost more. However, the total out-of-pocket is around $1500/yr for each of us, so it works out.

The cost? A hundred bucks a month for both of us. Heck, that's a $2400 raise!

gator

 

[tubelcane]

For a family of 4 I pay $145 per pay.
They have tried to address this issue. Seeing how our management is so willing to work with us Im expecting free healthcare in the next TA.

Of course Im kidding they won't budge saying they are'nt going to increase their costs. We have tried, I believe, with no success to separate the pilots from other employee groups again no dice.

This is my 3rd airline and the worst healthcare. It's also my 5th flying job and by far the worst coverage. The union is trying to address this along with many other issues.

 

[gatorbird]

There are less exclusions, too; I'll be able to use the money on lasik and a hysdirectomy.

Okay...the girlfriend is laughing her a$$ off at my expense/lack of knowledge on medical verbiage. What I meant was a VASectomy...sheesh.

gator

 

[Ty Webb]

With spelling skills like that, I'LL pay for your vasectomy . . . it'll be my contribution to humanity.

Heh-heh . . . just kidding . . . . I'm way too cheap for that.


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[njcapt]

With spelling skills like that, I'LL pay for your vasectomy . . . it'll be my contribution to humanity.

Heh-heh . . . just kidding . . . . I'm way too cheap for that.


.

Funny you should say that. My PPO while at Vanguard paid for my vasectomy 100%. I just paid 10 bucks recreational drug copay when it was over. At AirTran it would probably cost me several hundred bucks.

 

[-9Capt]

The coverage is good, the premiums are very expensive.