More BJ health care changes coming

Most of you probably got your letter from Beacon Journal Director of Human Resources Aaron Burr about another change in health care coverage for retirees.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the government agency, mandated that the BJ coverage has to be network-based. That switches BJ retirees into the Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO). Your costs will be less if you use network providers, more if you don't.

Burr's letter promised that an Aetna kit with the details will be mailed to BJ retirees in two or three weeks.

Is this another shoe dropping?

After all, in 2004 the BJ stopped paying the 20% that Medicare didn't cover (Medicare paid 80% of what it allowed and the BJ picked up the rest, which meant retirees had the same combined coverage they had while working at the BJ).

The BJ switched to Aetna Medicare from United Health Care in 2007, after the Canadian company, Black Press, bought the Beacon. Since, the annual deductible has gone from $150 to $250.

In my case alone, I've had about $12,000 in extra medical costs over the previous BJ health care coverage since Black Press took over in 2007. Others have had more.

These changes in retirees' health care coverage are at the heart of separate lawsuits filed against Black Press and the BJ by Composing and Guild retirees. The printers won a temporary injunction against the changes for those named in their lawsuit. The Guild lawsuit is at the stage where attorneys for both sides are discussing the financial impact on the retirees.

When we get the Aetna kit with the details, BJ Alums blog will try to analyze and report on it.

Stay tuned, and hang onto your wallet.