The Beacon Journal’s
reimbursement checks for those Composing and Guild retirees who won their healthcare lawsuit have begun arriving in the mail. The 50 retirees
and spouses are being reimbursed for the difference between what they paid after
the BJ unilaterally changed healthcare coverage for prescriptions and medical
care and what they would have paid under the UnitedHealthcare AARP Plan N and
Medicare supplement package set up as part of the settlement.
The reimbursements are
for 2005 through 2012. The BJ set aside $100,000. Since that total was not exceeded, the BJ paid 100% of the accepted claims amount.
The prescription co-pay
cards revert to $2 (Guild) and $5 (printers) for 30 days, or $4 and $10 for 90
days if the lawsuit beneficiaries use Medical Mutual (Medco) prescription
mail-ins. That was the retirement day coverage before Black Press made its 2007
changes after purchasing the Beacon Journal.
In John Olesky’s case,
his first round of 90-day prescriptions had a value listed in excess of $1,000
but John paid only $44.
Those effected by the prescription co-pay restoration
also no longer need to worry about hitting the donut hole (usually in
mid-year), when they had to pay 100% and later 50% of the prescription’s costs.
In Olesky’s case, this means a savings of $2,000 to $3,000 a year for prescriptions alone.
Some
probably will save more.
Benefitting from the settlement
are Gina White, of Venice, Florida, who with the late Dave White, her husband,
began the lawsuit on behalf of the printers; Bob and Linda Abbott, Massillon;
Ruth and Tom West, Rittman; Sid Sprague, Loveland, Colorado; Hugh and Sharon
Downing, The Villages, Florida; Larnie and Stephanie Greene, Hartville; Joe
Catalano, Akron; Lloyd and Claudine Bigelow, Cuyahoga Falls; John Costello,
Akron; Dick Gresock, Medina; Henry and Kathleen Heinbuck, North Canton; Denzil
Parker, Wadsworth; Francis and Rita Reeves, Akron; Bob Walker, Medina; Cecil
and Josephine Santaferro, Akron; Isabel Watson (Blanton’s widow), Naples,
Florida; Janice Hogg (Trammel’s widow), Waynesville, North Carolina; Russ and
Martel Bendel, Wadsworth; Eunice and Bonnie Collins, Copley; Richard and
Patricia Fair, Akron; Marjorie Hanna, Wadsworth; Ed Hanzel, Barberton; Bob
Kendall, Berlin Center; Harriet Ledbetter, Canton; Norm and Naomi Mattern,
Wellsville; Charles O’Neill, Akron; Fred Pollack, Akron; Don Reppart, North
Canton; Ron Sanderlin, Canton; Charles Stadelman, Tallmadge; and Ray and
Amaryllis Wolfe, Greentown.
Eligible on the Guild
side are John Olesky, of Tallmadge, who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Guild
retirees; retired reporter Dick McBane, Lilburn, Georgia; maintenance retiree
Harold Bailey and wife Elizabeth, Kent; copy desk retiree Dick McLinden, North
Canton, and retired photographer Don Roese, Cuyahoga Falls.
If you are part of the class action and filed reimbursement
claims, and don’t receive your check within the next 7 days, contact BJ
Settlement Administrator Roger Messmore, BJ Comptroller, at the Beacon.
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