BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD (BCBS)

Questions concerning your Blue Cross Blue Shield explanation of benefits, or inquiring about charges on a bill?  BCBS can be reached at 1(800) 482-2210. 

 *  Here’s a tip:  Once you are welcomed to the BCBS phone tree, do nothing.  Do not push any phone prompts and eventually a customer service representative will come on the line. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield pays for procedures according to Procedure and Diagnosis Codes.  To be sure you are not agreeing to the charges for the procedure and facility charges, ask the ordering physician to preauthorize the procedure with BCBS.  This is the way to know if you will be responsible for payment.

 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT CHARGES

Retirees billed for covered procedures by a Physician Assistant will be responsible for the bill unless the Physician Assistant charge is billed along side a bill from the MD or DO.  Remember that a Physician Assistant is just that – an assistant.  They cannot bill separately and be covered under the retiree healthcare plan. 

  DELPHI PENSION UPLIFT

General Motors is planning to implement the increase to the Delphi portions of the hourly pension benefits as agreed upon during the 2007 bargaining for the vast majority of retirees and surviving spouses effective October 1, 2008. 

 In implementing this plan, eligible retirees and surviving spouses will receive a retroactive payment on Friday, September 26, 2008 for the amount of the increase for the period from October 1, 2007 through September 1, 2008.  Then effective October 1, 2008, the monthly pension payment will be adjusted to include both the October 1, 2007 increase and the October 1, 2008 “rolling rate” increase. 

We anticipate that there will be a limited number of retirees and surviving spouses who will receive the retroactive payment and pension adjustment after October 1, 2008.  These are retirees and surviving spouses who have QDRO’s, service at a divested unit other than Delphi or other issues that require manual review and processing.  

It is anticipated that these retirees and surviving spouses will receive these retroactive adjustments and pension increases by December 1, 2008.  If you have questions regarding the detail of your payment, please call GMBSC at 1(800) 489-4646.

 PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE

(PAI)

The rates for PAI have increased.  In the last contract if you were carrying $100,000 of PAI, the cost would have been $.20 per $10,000 or $2 per month.  The rate now is $.43 per $10,000 or $4.30 per month.  Beware of what you are buying and the cost of each insurance being offered.  To verify coverage and rates, please call Metropolitan at 1(888) 543-3461.

 PSP CATCH UP

Have you maxed out your PSP for the year and would like to contribute more?  That is possible if you are age 50 or over by the end of 2008, you may be eligible to make an additional $5,000 catch up contribution in 2008 into your PSP account.  Please contact Fidelity at 1(800) 489-4646 to take advantage of the catch up.

Your UAW Local 730 Benefit Reps

Lauri Veneman and Grant Holst

Alternate Benefit Reps

Denise DeBoer, Sylvia Lillard, and Mike Cook