4 replies to this topic

[RG]

Have any of your fellow workers had to attempt to get UPS's long term disability? What a rip off AETNA is. A guy in our local has been ruled medically unfit to work for the company by the Company Doctor. He did his 26 weeks short term disability and the Company would not let him apply for Long Term Benefits until AFTER the short Term expired. Therefore he was already 45 days behind getting benefits. Then the AETNA took 45 more days and disapproved the brother for future benefits. Not only that AETNA says that the COMPANY Doctors diagnosis was unsupported. So, now the brother has management in his center agreeing he cannot do the work, the Company Doctor saying he cannot do the work, and then AETNA says he can, so UPS will not allow the brother to return to work and AETNA is continuing to deny his benefits.
The Union has suggested that all members in our district NOT give to United way but to take care of our own first. In addition we are writing to all internet forums and newspapers, we are filing against AETNA with the STATE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER and are passing out flyers at any community gatherings.
We have just begun our fight. The grievance is in the grievance proceedure but out Union says this thing has taken too long by AETNA causing the grievance to be slowed down. We have to fight for the brother now.
Will you reprint this and send it all over the system.

All UPSers should know that they too could get screwed when they REALLY need help. Save your UNITED WAY money and put it in a fund for yourself and or other fellow workers, tell your management to DUMP AETNA and demand fair treatment of our membership.

Also, if anyone from Lexington, Ky reads this, please reply because we want to handbill the AETNA office there that is screwing this member of our Union.

Thanks.

[TeamsterOne35]

 RG, on July 15 2010 - 07:01 PM, said:

Have any of your fellow workers had to attempt to get UPS's long term disability? What a rip off AETNA is.

You should check in your state to see if UPS is "self-insured". We had that same type of thing happen here in Indiana where UPS's doctor would put a member on restrictions so they weren't allowed to work and then the disability carrier would say their injuries weren't bad enough to keep them them from working and deny their disability!

The trick is that these companies are actually just administrators of the insurance programs. Since UPS is self-insured you are actually dealing with UPS on both sides...so this is just a major insurance scam as far as I am concerned. There are a lot of rules pertaining to a company being allowed to be self-insured and it saves UPS a lot of money to have this status I believe. Check with the State Insurance Commission to see if they can get you a list of those rules and see if you can get them to investigate if UPS is breaking any of them. Maybe you can get their privileges revoked that way. I bet they would be willing to bargain then.

The other problem I have heard about when it comes to the long term disability is that the company takes the stance that just because you can't work at UPS does not mean that you are so disabled that you can't work SOMEWHERE (Think Wal-Mart Greeter) so they don't have to pay you disability. Even if you are considered "totally disabled" I hear they will then push you off on social security disability and drop you from the UPS long-term program also.

Let's face it, this company cares about no one that works for them...

[RG]

 TeamsterOne35, on July 16 2010 - 09:08 AM, said:

You should check in your state to see if UPS is "self-insured". We had that same type of thing happen here in Indiana where UPS's doctor would put a member on restrictions so they weren't allowed to work and then the disability carrier would say their injuries weren't bad enough to keep them them from working and deny their disability!

The trick is that these companies are actually just administrators of the insurance programs. Since UPS is self-insured you are actually dealing with UPS on both sides...so this is just a major insurance scam as far as I am concerned. There are a lot of rules pertaining to a company being allowed to be self-insured and it saves UPS a lot of money to have this status I believe. Check with the State Insurance Commission to see if they can get you a list of those rules and see if you can get them to investigate if UPS is breaking any of them. Maybe you can get their privileges revoked that way. I bet they would be willing to bargain then.

The other problem I have heard about when it comes to the long term disability is that the company takes the stance that just because you can't work at UPS does not mean that you are so disabled that you can't work SOMEWHERE (Think Wal-Mart Greeter) so they don't have to pay you disability. Even if you are considered "totally disabled" I hear they will then push you off on social security disability and drop you from the UPS long-term program also.

Let's face it, this company cares about no one that works for them...

[ArmyOfOne]

I have just one word to say: MetLife

http://www.metlife.c...tion/index.html

Or any other insurance company. If you want to protect yourself then don't rely on UPS or the Teamsters. Its not that there bad but your just a tiny fish in there ocean and when your not earning anymore and worse a COST then its walk the plank.

[RG]

 TeamsterOne35, on July 16 2010 - 09:08 AM, said:

You should check in your state to see if UPS is "self-insured". We had that same type of thing happen here in Indiana where UPS's doctor would put a member on restrictions so they weren't allowed to work and then the disability carrier would say their injuries weren't bad enough to keep them them from working and deny their disability!

The trick is that these companies are actually just administrators of the insurance programs. Since UPS is self-insured you are actually dealing with UPS on both sides...so this is just a major insurance scam as far as I am concerned. There are a lot of rules pertaining to a company being allowed to be self-insured and it saves UPS a lot of money to have this status I believe. Check with the State Insurance Commission to see if they can get you a list of those rules and see if you can get them to investigate if UPS is breaking any of them. Maybe you can get their privileges revoked that way. I bet they would be willing to bargain then.

The other problem I have heard about when it comes to the long term disability is that the company takes the stance that just because you can't work at UPS does not mean that you are so disabled that you can't work SOMEWHERE (Think Wal-Mart Greeter) so they don't have to pay you disability. Even if you are considered "totally disabled" I hear they will then push you off on social security disability and drop you from the UPS long-term program also.

Let's face it, this company cares about no one that works for them...

THANKS 135. Yes, the local checked and UPS is not Self INsured for Long Term diability. They have AETNA hired as a HIRED GUN. Now AETNA has taken to belittling and attacking the brother with the claim. Said they "knew people that had diabetes that were still working". They ignored the fact that he has had 2 lazer surgeries on his eyes in 3 weeks and they cannot stop the bleeding. They ignore the fact that he was found unconscious in his apartment from a huge Sugar level drop. They ignore his requests to talk to a friend because he cannot focus to write when they call and start badgering and threatening to NEVER give him benefits. The State Insurance is now looking into it. The Local is having dialog with Blue Cross to better understand the Aetna UPS duet.
The Teamsters at the Local, region and National are doing everything possible to solve this before this brother goes blind or passes away. To UPS's credit, at least a three people are trying to help that are in UPS managemetn I am told. Our local won't release their names because they figure UPS would fire anyone trying to help.