JetBlue to cancel traditional healthcare plans

[a320drivr]

And offer a catastrophic plan only. Was announced to pilot committees 2 days ago. Thanks 1193 no voters.

 

[jp1030]

Wow that's horrible... This industry is in the sh!tter

 

[jynxyjericho]

Wait is it done already? What are the details?

 

[MikeSF340]

Really, I haven't read that. Shocker! I'm not saying that it can't be true, but the pro union guys are becoming their own worst enemies. I'm new to the company and would probably vote FOR a union. But, if these sky is falling and blaming the DR for the price of rice in china guys are going to be officers I would definitely have second thoughts. This is a rumor that CANNOT be confirmed and is ment to stir emotions. Awesome!

 

[Lake Alice]

While I doubt that validity of the initial statement Jetblue is transitioning more of the cost to the pilot group. 33% year over year but the values make up for the additional cost. Well, that and free pizza.

 

[cbrown1]

Are they going to those CDHP and HSA things?

 

[Lake Alice]

Are they going to those CDHP and HSA things?

They have their own version of an HSA but the CDHP is strictly a california based initiative. It boils down to passing the additional cost to the employee. Add to that self insured, no access to the actual plan SPD and the Jetblue insurance ranks amongst the worst in the industry which includes regionals and majors.

 

[johnsonrod]

That's JetBlue CRAZY!!!!! I spoke with a JB pilot recently and he repeated what I have heard several times saying, "JetBlue is the Wal-Mart of the airline industry." I guess you can't expect anything at JB to be above average...

 

[pilotpayne]

That's JetBlue CRAZY!!!!! I spoke with a JB pilot recently and he repeated what I have heard several times saying, "JetBlue is the Wal-Mart of the airline industry." I guess you can't expect anything at JB to be above average...

And you fly for who?

 

[Turtle21]

Really, I haven't read that. Shocker! I'm not saying that it can't be true, but the pro union guys are becoming their own worst enemies. I'm new to the company and would probably vote FOR a union. But, if these sky is falling and blaming the DR for the price of rice in china guys are going to be officers I would definitely have second thoughts. This is a rumor that CANNOT be confirmed and is ment to stir emotions. Awesome!

Sounds like ALPA pukes trying to slap you around for dissing them.

 

[cbrown1]

They have their own version of an HSA but the CDHP is strictly a california based initiative. It boils down to passing the additional cost to the employee. Add to that self insured, no access to the actual plan SPD and the Jetblue insurance ranks amongst the worst in the industry which includes regionals and majors.

This happened at skywest a few years ago, however the outcry was pretty strong that they ended up keep one or two ppo options.

 

[The Prussian]

Hmmm...Are we talking Obama-care anytime in the near term future??

 

[flythere]

Hmmm...Are we talking Obama-care anytime in the near term future??

Well,

Mr Buffett is a big Obama supporter, so I would not be surprised! JB maybe better off getting gobbled up by the big Delta machine!

Does Buffett still own/have a majority share in the company?

 

[PCL_128]

Buffett stopped investing in airlines after he got burned by USAirways years ago.

 

[cbrown1]

Well,

Mr Buffett is a big Obama supporter, so I would not be surprised! JB maybe better off getting gobbled up by the big Delta machine!

Does Buffett still own/have a majority share in the company?

Buffett stopped investing in airlines after he got burned by USAirways years ago.

I think you guys are mistaken, it was/is George Soros who owned/owns a big chunk of JetBlue.

 

[OCP]

This happened at skywest a few years ago, however the outcry was pretty strong that they ended up keep one or two ppo options.

No they didn't keep it because they are good guys, it's because the unionized ASA has it in their contract that they can't get rid of the PPO. Jerry doesn't want a union, so he let you keep it too. They tried to get rid of it at ASA as well.

 

[Lake Alice]

That's JetBlue CRAZY!!!!! I spoke with a JB pilot recently and he repeated what I have heard several times saying, "JetBlue is the Wal-Mart of the airline industry." I guess you can't expect anything at JB to be above average...

Ding we have a winner.

 

[Smarta$$]

I believe the company more or less has resolved themselves to the fact that we will unionize soon.

However, regarding health insurance, this country has the WORST health care SYSTEM of any industrialized nation. Period. Obama-care, contrary to standard RHETORIC, barely changed much within our SYSTEM, other than to add some protections and subsidies. The overall system, was mostly maintained due to political opposition and big money interests.

Our health care SYSTEM will continue to collapse under its own weight. The trajectory of costs and loss of coverages will continue as it has for decades to the point of unsustainability....

Anyone who is truly thoughtful and informed knows that our system of private insurance is the WORST in the industrialized world.

With the costs spiraling out of control in the U.S., virtually any company that can (non-union), will shed those costs. Which brings us back to jetBlue.

 

[Fins Up]

Well,

Mr Buffett is a big Obama supporter, so I would not be surprised! JB maybe better off getting gobbled up by the big Delta machine!

Does Buffett still own/have a majority share in the company?

Warren or Jimmy?

 

[B6Busdriver]

Warren or Jimmy?

Both.

 

[DougCorp-9]

I believe the company more or less has resolved themselves to the fact that we will unionize soon.

However, regarding health insurance, this country has the WORST health care SYSTEM of any industrialized nation. Period. Obama-care, contrary to standard RHETORIC, barely changed much within our SYSTEM, other than to add some protections and subsidies. The overall system, was mostly maintained due to political opposition and big money interests.

Our health care SYSTEM will continue to collapse under its own weight. The trajectory of costs and loss of coverages will continue as it has for decades to the point of unsustainability....

Anyone who is truly thoughtful and informed knows that our system of private insurance is the WORST in the industrialized world.

With the costs spiraling out of control in the U.S., virtually any company that can (non-union), will shed those costs. Which brings us back to jetBlue.

The weight that the system is collapsing under is the weight of all the FAT Sh!iTs in this country. All you have to do is sit in the terminal and people watch for 10 minutes to realize the problem. People in this country get out of breath on an escalator.

 

[waveflyer]

Doug-9
Smarta$$ has it-
It is a whole lot harder to stay in shape in this country bc of
-sugar lobbies
-corn lobbies
-processed foods replacing real food
-active jobs- manufacturing and farm going by the wayside-
We better wake up and start addressing issues systemically
--------
But w/o the thread creep- Its amazing that pilots vote to collectively bargain without a union

 

[scoreboardII]

I believe the company more or less has resolved themselves to the fact that we will unionize soon.

However, regarding health insurance, this country has the WORST health care SYSTEM of any industrialized nation. Period. Obama-care, contrary to standard RHETORIC, barely changed much within our SYSTEM, other than to add some protections and subsidies. The overall system, was mostly maintained due to political opposition and big money interests.

Our health care SYSTEM will continue to collapse under its own weight. The trajectory of costs and loss of coverages will continue as it has for decades to the point of unsustainability....

Anyone who is truly thoughtful and informed knows that our system of private insurance is the WORST in the industrialized world.

With the costs spiraling out of control in the U.S., virtually any company that can (non-union), will shed those costs. Which brings us back to jetBlue.

I'm informed, and inside the health industry in the US.

Your statement above is the most uninformed by anyone on this forum in years.

First, prove your statement, how is the US the worst?

Why are all these Canadians walking into our hospitals?

Who says "I think I'll go to Germany or the UK to have that heart transplant"? Thats right, nobody in their right mind.

You want cheap healthcare? You get what you pay for so if you want cheap, move to Thailand, of course, they'll let you sit on the sidewalk till you die.
Stop with the lies.

 

[waveflyer]

Who says "I think I'll go to Germany or the UK to have that heart transplant"? Thats right, nobody in their right mind.

Ok, not heart surgery. But do you think Kobe Bryant is cheap when it comes to his ankle and livelihood.
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/...ers-kobe-bryant-revisited-german-doctor-ankle

Sure you're "informed" Swapa brother?
The US is so corporate it's ridiculous- and political in all the bad ways.
This attitude of "WE'RE NUMBER 1!!" dumb patriotism is why the US has fallen so short of the rest of the world in recent decades.
We have to stop lying to ourselves about our level of greatness and get to work to re-establish ourselves. We can be #1- and we will- but not if we keep fooling ourselves(!)

 

[Fins Up]

Doug-9
Smarta$$ has it-
It is a whole lot harder to stay in shape in this country bc of
-sugar lobbies
-corn lobbies
-processed foods replacing real food
-active jobs- manufacturing and farm going by the wayside-
We better wake up and start addressing issues systemically
--------
But w/o the thread creep- Its amazing that pilots vote to collectively bargain without a union

We're fat because of "sugar lobbies"? Give me a break. How about saying no to that third doughnut, or practicing some parenting skills and making your kids drink milk or water instead of a 16 oz. Mountain Dew. Nobody's forcing these things into our mouths. We are not victims.

 

[Smarta$$]

I'm informed, and inside the health industry in the US.

Your statement above is the most uninformed by anyone on this forum in years.

First, prove your statement, how is the US the worst?

Why are all these Canadians walking into our hospitals?

Who says "I think I'll go to Germany or the UK to have that heart transplant"? Thats right, nobody in their right mind.

You want cheap healthcare? You get what you pay for so if you want cheap, move to Thailand, of course, they'll let you sit on the sidewalk till you die.
Stop with the lies.

No, you're not informed. At best, you're Heritage Foundation, Fox News informed... I don't have the time or the desire to prove someone like you wrong.

But I didn't say you couldn't get great care if you are lucky enough to afford it or have a nice union, executive or government job. I said our SYSTEM was terrible. That includes our laws, structure, access and the way we finance our system. Our outcomes and access to care are NOT justified by the costs. We are not getting good value for our money. We are being ripped off systematically.

You can be manipulated into a false sense of American superiority and puff your chest out at fluff pieces of "journalism" about how America has the best health care in the world by politicians and industry (often they are the same anyway). I will not. I prefer to approach things with an open mind, and not participate in "dumb patriotism" when it isn't deserved.

 

[BoilerUP]

There is no magic bullet for health care, folks. Insurance companies are easy to blame, but one HAS to consider the costs involved with actually providing care.

My wife is Type 1 diabetic; her prescription is 300 monthly test strips and the PPO copay is $30. A blood sugar test strip costs about $0.05 to manufacture, according to a family member who previously worked for a large diabetic care company. Retail cost of those test strips at a pharmacy or retailer is about $1 per strip. And hospitals charge insurance companies $8 for that same test strip.

But hospitals, even for-profit ones, aren't exactly rolling in cash reserves. Their negotiated rates with insurance companies (including Medicare/Medicaid) help cover the cost of indigent care.

Combine this with doctors wanting to run all sorts of expensive (and often unnecessary) tests/procedures and a society that has an unhealthy diet & lifestyle and you get double-digit increases in insurance premiums year after year.

Insurance costs & coverages are a symptom of the problem...not the root cause.

 

[FDJ2]

I believe the company more or less has resolved themselves to the fact that we will unionize soon.

However, regarding health insurance, this country has the WORST health care SYSTEM of any industrialized nation. Period. Obama-care, contrary to standard RHETORIC, barely changed much within our SYSTEM, other than to add some protections and subsidies. The overall system, was mostly maintained due to political opposition and big money interests.

Our health care SYSTEM will continue to collapse under its own weight. The trajectory of costs and loss of coverages will continue as it has for decades to the point of unsustainability....

Anyone who is truly thoughtful and informed knows that our system of private insurance is the WORST in the industrialized world.

With the costs spiraling out of control in the U.S., virtually any company that can (non-union), will shed those costs. Which brings us back to jetBlue.

+1. Well said!

 

[FDJ2]

I'm informed, and inside the health industry in the US.

Your statement above is the most uninformed by anyone on this forum in years.

First, prove your statement, how is the US the worst?

Wake up and smell the coffee. The US Healthcare system is sub par. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, not only did we lag the rest of the industrial world, we're falling further behind.

[FONT=&quot]Ranking 37th — Measuring the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System[/FONT]
Christopher J.L. Murray, M.D., D.Phil., and Julio Frenk, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
N Engl J Med 2010; 362:98-99January 14, 2010

“It is hard to ignore that in 2006, the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy.3 These facts have fueled a question now being discussed in academic circles, as well as by government and the public: Why do we spend so much to get so little?
Comparisons also reveal that the United States is falling farther behind each year.”

 

[StarChecker]

With the costs spiraling out of control in the U.S., virtually any company that can (non-union), will shed those costs. Which brings us back to jetBlue.

Which brings us back to JetBlue indeed...

With no negotiated health insurance premiums included in a CBA....we are an ATM machine for JetBlue. They need more money? No problem, they can just take it out of our pockets by shifting more cost onto the employee.

Once again, to the 1193, the answer is a CBA; a professionally negotiated CBA that includes health insurance premiums that are fixed and a known quantity for the duration of the CBA. JetBlue pilots have no idea what will happen to their health insurance every year because the company can now do ANYTHING they want. And guess what? THEY WILL. Just wait until next year....

But 1193 JetBlue pilots think this is way better than a CBA....