Uaw Retiree Medical Benefits Tr

Programs: The uaw retiree medical benefits trust (the "trust") provides health care benefits to eligible current and future uaw retirees from general motors, ford, and chrysler (now known as fca us llc), along with their eligible dependents. The trust is an independent entity and is not governed by, or a part of, the uaw or the auto companies. This arrangement was established through a provision in the 2007 collective bargaining agreements between the uaw and the three auto companies. Under these agreements, all of the retiree health care liabilities were transferred to a new and independent voluntary employees' beneficiary association (veba). The federal courts approved these agreements in a series of class action settlements, and the arrangements were also approved by the bankruptcy courts in the general motors and chrysler chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings during 2009. The trust is governed by an 11-person committee comprised of five independent members and five independent members appointed by the uaw. Additional subcommittees of the committee exist for plan administration, investment, and audit. All committee members and trust staff adhere to a strict code of ethics. The purpose of the trust is to serve as a source for retiree health care coverage for its members. Separate trust accounts are maintained for each auto plan (gm, ford, and chrysler) from which benefits are paid. When the trust launched in january 2010, it became the largest non-governmental purchaser of retiree health care in the united states, providing health care benefits to more than 860,000 persons. In 2014, the trust provided coverage for approximately 747,000 members. The trust continues to serve its mission of providing health care benefits to retirees and reviews the benefit design each year to make any adjustments that are necessary. In 2014, the trust paid more than $3. 8 billion in individual health care claims, premiums, and filling over 16 million prescriptions for members during the plan year. Retiree health care connect, the call center for trust members, handled more than 294,000 calls in 2014. For 2014, the trust member benefits experienced modest changes in cost share levels while avoiding increases to monthly contributions, coinsurance and copays for office visits, urgent care and generic prescription medications. The trust also made modifications to shingles vaccination coverage to make the vaccine widely accessible for members. The vaccination was added to the pharmacy benefit coverage in addition to the medical benefit to remove access barriers relative to site of care. A choice of medical plan options is highly valued by trust members. Medicare advantage ppo plans were retained in all states previously offered and newly introduced in michigan. Medicare members in 30 states now have the opportunity to select a medicare advantage ppo plan, offering enhanced coordination with medicare while providing additional benefits at a lower cost compared to traditional offerings. These plans have received high satisfaction and retention among members who have enrolled. The trust membership is geographically and demographically diverse. The trust maintains robust communication with membership in order to operate in a transparent fashion. The goal is to keep the trust's beneficiaries fully informed on the trust activities, as well as the benefits provided by the trust. The trust conducted two member research projects to gain insight of member understanding, awareness and perceptions relative to the trust, benefits offered and factors that influence plan selection. The research has helped enhance the clarity and readability of trust communications and presented opportunities to further educate members on a wide range of health topics. Printed mailings were distributed by the trust to nearly 500,000 contract holder participants on two (2) occasions during 2014. These mailings updated the trust membership on benefits provided by the trust, and provided information regarding the trust's financial position. The trust identified nearly 172,000 members with specific gaps in care and sent targeted outreach letters to encourage members to take specific preventive measures to improve their health status or help manage their condition. In addition, the trust's partners communicated directly with members, on behalf of the trust, during the course of 2014 regarding benefits, prevention, chronic conditions and disease management where appropriate. The trust continues to leverage communication formats to complement mailings, including the trust-branded website (www. Uawtrust. Org), videos, and presentations at retiree meetings throughout the country. The trust and associated partners conducted presentations at 767 meetings with an estimated outreach to over 100,000 members. In addition to benefit information, senior-centric health/wellness information such as managing chronic conditions, preventive vaccinations (flu, shingles and pneumonia) and blood pressure screenings were provided at several locations.

effective january 1, 2013, the trust enrolled its medicare participants in a medicare prescription drug employer group waiver plan (egwp), plus supplemental wrap program. Egwp is a federal subsidy program under the medicare part d program. The plan is eligible for egwp since it provides prescription drug coverage to retirees, surviving spouses, and their dependents that are medicare eligible participants.