Local letter carriers hold rally
The Houma rally was one of hundreds nationwide organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers, the American Postal Workers Union, the National Postal Mailhandlers Union and the National Rural Letter Carriers' Association.
The groups' claim that USPS' projected $9.2 billion budget shortfall this fiscal year could easily be shored up by repealing a portion of the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. The law requires that USPS funnel about $5.5 billion annually through 2016 into a retirement health-insurance account that would set aside enough to pay benefits for 75 years. Since 2006, the retiree benefit fund has nearly doubled, totaling more than $42 billion, according to March 2011 figures from the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Protesters said that without the onus of the 2006 law, the Postal Service could address its immediate costs without cutting services, jobs or branches.
“This would simply allow the Postal Service to have access to its own money,” said Laura Pontiff, of Houma, who has been a letter carrier for 17 years.
Several proposals to save the Postal Service have surfaced since Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announced earlier this month that the agency would not be able to make its next $5.5 billion health-care benefit payment, which is due Friday, and that debt could force it to shut down by the winter.
Donahoe has suggested eliminating Saturday delivery, closing 3,700 locations and laying off 120,000 employees. A Republican proposal would allow the Postal Service to break union contracts, paving the way for as many as 200,000 layoffs.
Last week, the Obama administration announced its opposition to breaking the union contracts. Alternative suggestions include cutting Saturday mail service, raising the cost of stamps, using $7 billion from the agency's pension account and postponing the annual $5.5 billion health-insurance payment.
No Terrebonne or Lafourche post offices are on the list of those that could be closed or consolidated, according to a Sept. 15 release from the American Postal Workers Union. Louisiana branches on the list include some in Lafayette and New Orleans.
Mail Handlers Benefit Plan Health Insurance - News
Several proposals to save the Postal Service have surfaced since Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe announced earlier this month that the agency would not be able to make its next $5.5 billion health-care benefit payment, which is due Friday,
Recently, the Postal Service put the Fayetteville transfer on hold, announcing it was studying the possibility of instead moving mail processing in Little Rock. “They've given us a good livelihood,” she said. “I have excellent benefits, health
From the Christian Science Committee on Publication (publicity wing ...
Here are some examples that may be of interest to you:
• 17 Christian Science nursing facilities are Medicare providers. So, individuals who are eligible for Medicare Part A coverage can receive reimbursement for Christian Science nursing care at those facilities. This benefit has been in place for over forty years.
• If you work for the federal government as a civilian employee you have the option of choosing from four Federal Employee Health Benefit (FEHB) plans that cover Christian Science nursing/practitioner care: 1) the Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) plan; 2) the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan; 3) the Compass Rose Health Plan; and 4) the Special Agent Mutual Benefit Association (SAMBA) plan.
• If you are a member of the armed forces or a dependent of a member of the armed forces, you may qualify for the TRICARE insurance program, which covers Christian Science nursing care and Christian Science practitioner treatment.
• If you are a state employee in the following states, then Christian Science nursing and practitioner services may be available to you under your state employee insurance plan: California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas.
• Christian Science practitioner and nursing services also qualify as tax-deductible medical expenses under the income tax deduction provided for in Section 213(d) of the IRS code. Because of this designation individuals who have health savings accounts (HSAs) or flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and contribute money to them, may use pre-tax dollars to pay for Christian Science practitioner and nursing services.
• Several private insurance plans and self-insured companies include Christian Science nursing and practitioner services as a reimbursable benefit including AETNA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, CIGNA, Ford, GE, IBM, Intel, and the Tufts Health Plan.
Currently, trying to get a claim processed for Christian Science nursing and practitioner services under any of these public or private insurance plans is difficult. There are a number of reasons for this. Overall, a small number of claims are made for Christian Science health care services, so public and private insurers are unfamiliar with them. In addition, the health care industry’s coding system for electronically processing these claims does not contain accurate codes for Christian Science health care services. As a result, Christian Science insurance claims have to be processed manually, which is a time consuming and expensive process for insurance providers. We are diligently working to remove these barriers to achieve the efficient processing of health insurance claims by Christian Scientists.
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Mail Handlers Benefit Plan: Home
MHBP offers health plans nationwide to federal and postal employees and annuitants. We aim to deliver the very best for our members. ...
Mail Handlers Benefit Plan
Important Notice from the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan about ... This Plan is underwritten by First Health Life and Health Insurance Company/Cambridge ...
FEHB Patient Safety Information for Mail Handlers Benefit Plan
Information on the patient safety incentives of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program plan Mail Handlers Benefit Plan.
Mail Handlers Benefit Plan
Important Notice from the Mail Handlers Benefit Plan About ... This Plan is underwritten by First Health Life and Health Insurance Company/Cambridge ...
Different Plans Offered by Federal Mail Handlers' Health ...
What are the benefits and options of mail handlers health insurance, and who qualifies? ... The Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP) is a nationwide health coverage provider for ...