There is quite a bit of detail in the Snopes link in the referenced post (House
bill numbers, etc). You can actually read the text of the bill. If you aren't
satisfied with those details, how about posting some opposing references.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@...> wrote:
>
> Rather than relying on Snopes whom I do not trust, just try it to see if you
could help with USA employment.
>
> When I was employed by IBM and unionization always came up, my colleagues
always took the position of unquestionable "trust" of management rather than
even considering a union and you saw what happen when trust was given without
question to IBM Management.  Here again you are suggesting trust Snopes and
total reliance on their comments.  I say try it and see what happens.
>
> --- On Thu, 7/28/11, nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@...> wrote:
>
> From: nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@...>
> Subject: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Thursday, July 28, 2011, 7:21 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       In a previous posting, a member stated that it is the law that a foreign
call center must transfer you to a US-based center if you request.  According to
Snopes, that is FALSE.  For more information, you can read this:
ttp://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp
>
>
>
> N. Teeter
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

These are the same kind of arguments I heard when the issue of union and
management trust always came up at IBM.  "Where is the proof?' When it came to
unions, I was told "look at the IBM History". It was highlighted that during the
depression, IBM management fired no one. So where was the proof that you should
not trust the IBM Management. Look what happen. It appears people don't even
want to try but would rather see jobs transferred abroad. It appears that one
would rather argue among ourselves rather than trying to do something.

Rather than continuing question, just give it a try,  Please note that all of
APPLE's call centers are in the US.

Ken

--- On Mon, 8/1/11, orsonbear <orsonbear@...> wrote:

From: orsonbear <orsonbear@...>
Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
Date: Monday, August 1, 2011, 4:47 PM
















 









       There is quite a bit of detail in the Snopes link in the referenced post
(House bill numbers, etc). You can actually read the text of the bill. If you
aren't satisfied with those details, how about posting some opposing references.



--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@...> wrote:

>

> Rather than relying on Snopes whom I do not trust, just try it to see if you
could help with USA employment.

>

> When I was employed by IBM and unionization always came up, my colleagues
always took the position of unquestionable "trust" of management rather than
even considering a union and you saw what happen when trust was given without
question to IBM Management.  Here again you are suggesting trust Snopes and
total reliance on their comments.  I say try it and see what happens.

>

> --- On Thu, 7/28/11, nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@...> wrote:

>

> From: nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@...>

> Subject: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers

> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com

> Date: Thursday, July 28, 2011, 7:21 PM

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>  

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>       In a previous posting, a member stated that it is the law that a foreign
call center must transfer you to a US-based center if you request.  According to
Snopes, that is FALSE.  For more information, you can read this:
ttp://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp

>

>

>

> N. Teeter

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

>



























[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Rather than continue to curiously push your silly post, why don't you let us
know how it worked out for YOU when YOU tried it?

Thanks ever so much.




--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@...> wrote:
>
> These are the same kind of arguments I heard when the issue of union and
management trust always came up at IBM.  "Where is the proof?' When it came to
unions, I was told "look at the IBM History". It was highlighted that during the
depression, IBM management fired no one. So where was the proof that you should
not trust the IBM Management. Look what happen. It appears people don't even
want to try but would rather see jobs transferred abroad. It appears that one
would rather argue among ourselves rather than trying to do something.
>
> Rather than continuing question, just give it a try,  Please note that all of
APPLE's call centers are in the US.
>
> Ken
>
> --- On Mon, 8/1/11, orsonbear <orsonbear@...> wrote:
>
> From: orsonbear <orsonbear@...>
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, August 1, 2011, 4:47 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       There is quite a bit of detail in the Snopes link in the referenced post
(House bill numbers, etc). You can actually read the text of the bill. If you
aren't satisfied with those details, how about posting some opposing references.
>
>
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Rather than relying on Snopes whom I do not trust, just try it to see if you
could help with USA employment.
>
> >
>
> > When I was employed by IBM and unionization always came up, my colleagues
always took the position of unquestionable "trust" of management rather than
even considering a union and you saw what happen when trust was given without
question to IBM Management.  Here again you are suggesting trust Snopes and
total reliance on their comments.  I say try it and see what happens.
>
> >
>
> > --- On Thu, 7/28/11, nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > From: nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@>
>
> > Subject: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
>
> > To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
>
> > Date: Thursday, July 28, 2011, 7:21 PM
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >  
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >       In a previous posting, a member stated that it is the law that a
foreign call center must transfer you to a US-based center if you request. 
According to Snopes, that is FALSE.  For more information, you can read this:
ttp://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > N. Teeter
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable.  Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?



Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing.  Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.



Nancy


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I agree.

This is anecdotal but I escalated the call centers at HP after hours of being
dissatisfied with the help received outside of the US.  I complainted about how
they used easily understood US salespeople but only provide hard to understand
helpdesk personnel outside of the US.  That is Bait & Switch, IMO.  Eventually
they had  someone at a domestic location call me. She had a deep south accent
but at least I understood her.

It may not be the law to forward customers to domestic call centers but I know
it works if you complain loudly and escalate.

And I love Apple's US Support.

Beryl

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@...> wrote:
>
> These are the same kind of arguments I heard when the issue of union and
management trust always came up at IBM.  "Where is the proof?' When it came to
unions, I was told "look at the IBM History". It was highlighted that during the
depression, IBM management fired no one. So where was the proof that you should
not trust the IBM Management. Look what happen. It appears people don't even
want to try but would rather see jobs transferred abroad. It appears that one
would rather argue among ourselves rather than trying to do something.
>
> Rather than continuing question, just give it a try,  Please note that all of
APPLE's call centers are in the US.
>
> Ken
>
> --- On Mon, 8/1/11, orsonbear <orsonbear@...> wrote:
>
> From: orsonbear <orsonbear@...>
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, August 1, 2011, 4:47 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>  
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>       There is quite a bit of detail in the Snopes link in the referenced post
(House bill numbers, etc). You can actually read the text of the bill. If you
aren't satisfied with those details, how about posting some opposing references.
>
>
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Kenneth Pilipshen <test2btrue@> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > Rather than relying on Snopes whom I do not trust, just try it to see if you
could help with USA employment.
>
> >
>
> > When I was employed by IBM and unionization always came up, my colleagues
always took the position of unquestionable "trust" of management rather than
even considering a union and you saw what happen when trust was given without
question to IBM Management.  Here again you are suggesting trust Snopes and
total reliance on their comments.  I say try it and see what happens.
>
> >
>
> > --- On Thu, 7/28/11, nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@> wrote:
>
> >
>
> > From: nancy.teeter <tucsonteeter@>
>
> > Subject: [IBM Pension] Misinformation about call centers
>
> > To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
>
> > Date: Thursday, July 28, 2011, 7:21 PM
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >  
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >       In a previous posting, a member stated that it is the law that a
foreign call center must transfer you to a US-based center if you request. 
According to Snopes, that is FALSE.  For more information, you can read this:
ttp://www.snopes.com/politics/business/servicerep.asp
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > N. Teeter
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, "divaberyl" <ladyberyl@...> wrote:
> And I love Apple's US Support.
>
> Beryl
I know a retired IBM executive who raves about the technical support he got for
his brand new MacBoo Air running Lion.  It reminded him of the quality of the
service from the "old IBM".

I just got off the phone with ESC rep. This is a known issue and they have a
ticket open. No estimated fix date. I indicated that it has been over a week
now. In addition, the rep could not provide the balance to me at this time.

To compound things, go check your EARNINGS HISTORY on the Savings & Retirement
tab. That seems to have disappeared as well.

I provided feedback on both these items and suggested that they might try some
call avoidance by posting a daily message on the status of these. We shall see.

Keep checking the website. YMMV

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, "Nancy Ross" <nancy_ross10@...> wrote:
>
> Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable.  Has this been
fixed for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out
when they plan to fix it?
>
>
>
> Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing.  Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
>
>
>
> Nancy
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to someone
who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the online
system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said the problem
was reported last Friday. 
 
Regards,
Dan

From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@...>
To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable


 
Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?

Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending any
new info about what's going on.

Nancy

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

As our rules state, there will be no discussion about unions.  If you would like
to discuss unions, please go to
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/ibmemployeeissues/

I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?



________________________________
From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@...>
To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable


 
I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to someone
who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the online
system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said the problem
was reported last Friday. 
 
Regards,
Dan

From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@...>
To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable

 
Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?

Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending any
new info about what's going on.

Nancy

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

What company do you work for?  IBM?  If so, how many years do you have with us?

Not being nosey, just trying to find my best answer based on your work
experience.



--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@...> wrote:
>
> I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@...>
> To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>
>  
> I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to someone
who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the online
system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said the problem
was reported last Friday. 
>  
> Regards,
> Dan
>
> From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@...>
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>  
> Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?
>
> Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
>
> Nancy
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

FHA is described here: 
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090427/BIZ/904270317/-1\
/BIZ2101


Gary, 2000 retiree


________________________________
re:


 
I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Gary,

Interesting link.  Here is the paragraph I found most pertainent to Brian's
question:

[Excerpt]

The Future Health Account, or FHA, was begun in 1999, when IBM overhauled its
retirement plan. As part of the change, IBM created the FHA as a way for [some]
retirees to pay for medical coverage. Opening balances are determined by age and
length of service, and IBM adds to the balance monthly. Once retired, money from
that account is used to pay for premiums on IBM's medical insurance.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Gary Brown <k4gpb@...> wrote:
>
> FHA is described here: 
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090427/BIZ/904270317/-1\
/BIZ2101
>
> Gary, 2000 retiree
>
> ________________________________
> re:
>
> I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
>

Yep, and all that FHA balance, etc. healthcare stuff is requiring more IT, per:
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care-IT/Health-Care-Is-Becoming-the-FastestGrowi\
ng-Vertical-in-IT-InStat-149207/

...maybe a bunch of us (in USA) can get 1099 contractor jobs working in the
cloud! ;-)

-Gary

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I have just received a notice from John Hancock Life Insurance (U.S.A.), saying
that they have asked the regulators to approve a "material rate increase".  I
have written to the NY State insurance department to ask it to reject the
request for a rate increase for existing IBM Group policy-holders.  If you have
received a similar notice, you might consider writing to your State insurance
department.  In NY State, this can be done using an on-line form at
http://www.ins.state.ny.us/nyins_super.htm

34 yrs IBM and still going



________________________________
From: justa_bean_counter <no_reply@yahoogroups.com>
To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 7:48 PM
Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable


 
What company do you work for?  IBM?  If so, how many years do you have with us?

Not being nosey, just trying to find my best answer based on your work
experience.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@...> wrote:
>
> I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@...>
> To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>
>  
> I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to someone
who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the
online system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said
the problem was reported last Friday. 
>  
> Regards,
> Dan
>
> From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@...>
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>  
> Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?
>
> Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
>
> Nancy
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Back in 1999, when IBM changed the pension plan, they also changed medical
benefits for retirees.  First Choicers (those who were within 5 years of being
eligible to retire as of 7/1/99) got to keep the old pension plan and also the
old medical benefits.  All other employees were switched to a new retiree
medical plan called the Future Health Account, or FHA.

Under the FHA, IBM places $2500 a year into a notional account each year for 10
years, starting when you reach 40 years of age.  Each year, the money in the
account earns interest at a rate equivalent to the average of the 1-year
treasury bill rate for the months of August, September and October, plus 1
percent. For 2011, the rate is 1.3%.

Employees who were already over the age of 40 on 7/1/99 received an opening
balance credit to their accounts to take a bit of the sting out of the
conversion to the FHA. This credit ranged from $120 for someone who was just
over 40 to around $20,000 for someone who was age 49.

When you leave IBM, you can use the FHA money to purchase medical insurance only
from IBM.  But to qualify, you have to be at least age 55 with 15 years of
service, or, if you had at least 1 year of service on 7/1/99, you can use the
FHA if you leave at any age with 30 or more years of service.

Based on the cost of IBM retiree medical insurance and the typical FHA balance
that a retiree can expect to have, the money in the FHA will be enough to pay
for medical coverage for 4 to 5 years for a single person, or 2-3 years for a
retiree + spouse.

Once the money in the FHA account runs out, you can still purchase retiree
medical coverage out of your own pocket.  In 2011, this costs around $6500 per
year for a single person on the high deductible plan and $10,000 a year for the
low deductible plan.  Double those numbers for retiree + spouse coverage.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@...> wrote:
>
> I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@...>
> To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>
>  
> I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to someone
who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the online
system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said the problem
was reported last Friday. 
>  
> Regards,
> Dan
>
> From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@...>
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>  
> Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been fixed
for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out when
they plan to fix it?
>
> Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
>
> Nancy
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

Interesting.  I received a notice from them suggesting I up my daily coverage by
5% to account for increased care costs.  The charge? An additional 20% on top of
the current annual premium. The flier went into the trash.  I don't recall
seeing anything mandatory...or did I miss something?

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, "mwecker1" <mwecker@...> wrote:
>
> I have just received a notice from John Hancock Life Insurance (U.S.A.),
saying that they have asked the regulators to approve a "material rate
increase".  I have written to the NY State insurance department to ask it to
reject the request for a rate increase for existing IBM Group policy-holders. 
If you have received a similar notice, you might consider writing to your State
insurance department.  In NY State, this can be done using an on-line form at
http://www.ins.state.ny.us/nyins_super.htm
>

I'm retired and qualify for FHA... Does the balance disappear with my death or
does it pass to my wife (I assume disappear)?  Thx!
(Just in case it survives longer than me ;-(  )

This is great.  Just a couple more points:

1.  IBM does not place any money into an account for FHA.  It is a credit (on
paper).  It is not real money like a 401K account.  This is in part why you have
no right to the "money" if you leave IBM before 15 years of service, etc.

2.  Those who otherwise are eligible for FHA, but with less than 15 years
service, still have "access only" and can buy FHA by paying the full premium
(just as those who run out of FHA money can continue with an FHA plan if they
pay the full premium).

3.  The intent of the FHA money is to help an early retiree bridge the cost of
payments until Medicare kicks in. The money was never intended to pay for
retiree health insurance.

4.  The FHA premium cost is still a group plan and is still a better deal than
buying insurance on the open market.  Checking around, including
ehealthinsurance.com (a program IBM participates in and will send a letter to
leaving employees, that guarantees insurance without exceptions for pre-existing
medical conditions for some time frame), the open market plans for a similar
cost are inferior.  Be sure you get a plan with a cap on the annual out of
pocket cost, and has a prescription feature that is not limited to $x a year.

5. The FHA plans are more expensive and inferior in features to the IBM employee
plans.  Retiree plans are exempt from the Health Reform passed by Congress.  The
employee plans are no deductible or copay cost if you go to your primary care
physician even for other than preventative. My former employee plan, the IBM
PPO, was zero premium (single person) and I had that while on TMP after being
RA'd from IBM.  Employee plans also have co-pays, versus the FHA plans that have
you pay % of costs - my FHA plan requires I pay 20% of bills which is costlier
than a simple fixed $25 co-pay.

6.  If you have the access only FHA feature, and you drop it, you cannot get
back in (unlike those who still have some money left in the plan).  Consider
that there are retiree plans (Medicare eligible) that I am told access only
participants can buy.  Given the above, it may be advisable to not drop FHA
(which is better than the open market) if you intend to continue FHA when you
begin Medicare.


--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, madinpok <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Back in 1999, when IBM changed the pension plan, they also changed medical
benefits for retirees.  First Choicers (those who were within 5 years of being
eligible to retire as of 7/1/99) got to keep the old pension plan and also the
old medical benefits.  All other employees were switched to a new retiree
medical plan called the Future Health Account, or FHA.
>
> Under the FHA, IBM places $2500 a year into a notional account each year for
10 years, starting when you reach 40 years of age.  Each year, the money in the
account earns interest at a rate equivalent to the average of the 1-year
treasury bill rate for the months of August, September and October, plus 1
percent. For 2011, the rate is 1.3%.
>
> Employees who were already over the age of 40 on 7/1/99 received an opening
balance credit to their accounts to take a bit of the sting out of the
conversion to the FHA. This credit ranged from $120 for someone who was just
over 40 to around $20,000 for someone who was age 49.
>
> When you leave IBM, you can use the FHA money to purchase medical insurance
only from IBM.  But to qualify, you have to be at least age 55 with 15 years of
service, or, if you had at least 1 year of service on 7/1/99, you can use the
FHA if you leave at any age with 30 or more years of service.
>
> Based on the cost of IBM retiree medical insurance and the typical FHA balance
that a retiree can expect to have, the money in the FHA will be enough to pay
for medical coverage for 4 to 5 years for a single person, or 2-3 years for a
retiree + spouse.
>
> Once the money in the FHA account runs out, you can still purchase retiree
medical coverage out of your own pocket.  In 2011, this costs around $6500 per
year for a single person on the high deductible plan and $10,000 a year for the
low deductible plan.  Double those numbers for retiree + spouse coverage.
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@> wrote:
> >
> > I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@>
> > To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> > Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> >
> >
> >  
> > I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to
someone who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in the
online system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent said the
problem was reported last Friday. 
> >  
> > Regards,
> > Dan
> >
> > From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@>
> > To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> > Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> >
> >  
> > Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been
fixed for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out
when they plan to fix it?
> >
> > Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
> >
> > Nancy
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

i took the buy out in 1993 after being with ibm for 13 years. am i fully vested
and qualify for a pension plan? i am 55 years old.
Rick
Austin, tx

so I am 54 with 33 years in IBM, and still working, and pan to work another 7 or
8 years God willing.  I suspect I qualify for this, but how do I check if I
have such a balance?



________________________________
From: netmouser <lindawebbie@...>
To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, August 8, 2011 8:24 AM
Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable


 
This is great.  Just a couple more points:

1.  IBM does not place any money into an account for FHA.  It is a credit (on
paper).  It is not real money like a 401K account.  This is in part why you have
no right to the "money" if you leave IBM before 15 years of service, etc.

2.  Those who otherwise are eligible for FHA, but with less than 15 years
service, still have "access only" and can buy FHA by paying the full premium
(just as those who run out of FHA money can continue with an FHA plan if they
pay the full premium).

3.  The intent of the FHA money is to help an early retiree bridge the cost of
payments until Medicare kicks in. The money was never intended to pay for
retiree health insurance.

4.  The FHA premium cost is still a group plan and is still a better deal than
buying insurance on the open market.  Checking around, including
ehealthinsurance.com (a program IBM participates in and will send a letter to
leaving employees, that guarantees insurance without exceptions for pre-existing
medical conditions for some time frame), the open market plans for a similar
cost are inferior.  Be sure you get a plan with a cap on the annual out of
pocket cost, and has a prescription feature that is not limited to $x a year.

5. The FHA plans are more expensive and inferior in features to the IBM employee
plans.  Retiree plans are exempt from the Health Reform passed by Congress.  The
employee plans are no deductible or copay cost if you go to your primary care
physician even for other than preventative. My former employee plan, the IBM
PPO, was zero premium (single person) and I had that while on TMP after being
RA'd from IBM.  Employee plans also have co-pays, versus the FHA plans that have
you pay % of costs - my FHA plan requires I pay 20% of bills which is costlier
than a simple fixed $25 co-pay.

6.  If you have the access only FHA feature, and you drop it, you cannot get
back in (unlike those who still have some money left in the plan).  Consider
that there are retiree plans (Medicare eligible) that I am told access only
participants can buy.  Given the above, it may be advisable to not drop FHA
(which is better than the open market) if you intend to continue FHA when you
begin Medicare.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, madinpok <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Back in 1999, when IBM changed the pension plan, they also changed medical
benefits for retirees.  First Choicers (those who were within 5 years of being
eligible to retire as of 7/1/99) got to keep the old pension plan and also the
old medical benefits.  All other employees were switched to a new retiree
medical plan called the Future Health Account, or FHA.
>
> Under the FHA, IBM places $2500 a year into a notional account each year for
10 years, starting when you reach 40 years of age.  Each year, the money in the
account earns interest at a rate equivalent to the average of the 1-year
treasury bill rate for the months of August, September and October, plus 1
percent. For 2011, the rate is 1.3%.
>
> Employees who were already over the age of 40 on 7/1/99 received an opening
balance credit to their accounts to take a bit of the sting out of the
conversion to the FHA. This credit ranged from $120 for someone who was just
over 40 to around $20,000 for someone who was age 49.
>
> When you leave IBM, you can use the FHA money to purchase medical insurance
only from IBM.  But to qualify, you have to be at least age 55 with 15 years of
service, or, if you had at least 1 year of service on 7/1/99, you can use the
FHA if you leave at any age with 30 or more years of service.
>
> Based on the cost of IBM retiree medical insurance and the typical FHA balance
that a retiree can expect to have, the money in the FHA will be enough to pay
for medical coverage for 4 to 5 years for a single person, or 2-3 years for a
retiree + spouse.
>
> Once the money in the FHA account runs out, you can still purchase retiree
medical coverage out of your own pocket.  In 2011, this costs around $6500 per
year for a single person on the high deductible plan and $10,000 a year for the
low deductible plan.  Double those numbers for retiree + spouse coverage.
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@> wrote:
> >
> > I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@>
> > To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> > Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> >
> >
> >  
> > I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to
someone who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in
the online system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent
said the problem was reported last Friday. 
> >  
> > Regards,
> > Dan
> >
> > From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@>
> > To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> > Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> >
> >  
> > Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been
fixed for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out
when they plan to fix it?
> >
> > Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for sending
any new info about what's going on.
> >
> > Nancy
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Perhaps I got a different "offer" than what was contained in your
notice. My offer would increase my coverage (daily and lifetime) by
15%. So I would be getting something for the extra payment.

Should I just keep my current coverage?

Is there any way to calculate whether the extra 25-30% per monthly
payment is worth it?

In any case, this is insurance. Either way I will not be disappointed
if I never get to use this benefit.






On Aug 7, 2011, at 12:12 PM, finitewisdom wrote:

> Interesting. I received a notice from them suggesting I up my daily
> coverage by 5% to account for increased care costs. The charge? An
> additional 20% on top of the current annual premium. The flier went
> into the trash. I don't recall seeing anything mandatory...or did I
> miss something?
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, "mwecker1" <mwecker@...> wrote:
> >
> > I have just received a notice from John Hancock Life Insurance
> (U.S.A.), saying that they have asked the regulators to approve a
> "material rate increase". I have written to the NY State insurance
> department to ask it to reject the request for a rate increase for
> existing IBM Group policy-holders. If you have received a similar
> notice, you might consider writing to your State insurance
> department. In NY State, this can be done using an on-line form at
http://www.ins.state.ny.us/nyins_super.htm
> >
>
>

michaelb
espressoperson@...





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

You should have a vested pension coming.

There is a possibility that if the value of your vested pension was below $5000,
IBM may have paid you a lump sum at the time you left.

Call the IBM Employee Services Center at 800-796-9876 and check with them.


--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, rico.suave1999 <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> i took the buy out in 1993 after being with ibm for 13 years. am i fully
vested and qualify for a pension plan? i am 55 years old.
> Rick
> Austin, tx
>

Based on your age and years of service, you should be in the FHA plan.

To check your balance, log on to Fidelity NetBenefits at
http://netbenefits.com/

Then, select the "Health and Insurance" tab.

You should see a heading of "More Benefit Resources" with an entry labeled
"Future Health Account" and a balance.

As of right now, mine still shows $0.00.

But if I scroll down to "More Benefit Resources" and click on "Future Health
Account Details" I do see the correct balance.  (For the past week or so, this 
link had been returning an error message that the information wasn't available.

If you don't see the results you expect, call the Employee Services Center at
800-796-9876 and ask them what your balance is.

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@...> wrote:
>
> so I am 54 with 33 years in IBM, and still working, and pan to work another 7
or 8 years God willing.  I suspect I qualify for this, but how do I check if I
have such a balance?
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: netmouser <lindawebbie@...>
> To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, August 8, 2011 8:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
>
>
>  
> This is great.  Just a couple more points:
>
> 1.  IBM does not place any money into an account for FHA.  It is a credit (on
paper).  It is not real money like a 401K account.  This is in part why you have
no right to the "money" if you leave IBM before 15 years of service, etc.
>
> 2.  Those who otherwise are eligible for FHA, but with less than 15 years
service, still have "access only" and can buy FHA by paying the full premium
(just as those who run out of FHA money can continue with an FHA plan if they
pay the full premium).
>
> 3.  The intent of the FHA money is to help an early retiree bridge the cost of
payments until Medicare kicks in. The money was never intended to pay for
retiree health insurance.
>
> 4.  The FHA premium cost is still a group plan and is still a better deal than
buying insurance on the open market.  Checking around, including
ehealthinsurance.com (a program IBM participates in and will send a letter to
leaving employees, that guarantees insurance without exceptions for pre-existing
medical conditions for some time frame), the open market plans for a similar
cost are inferior.  Be sure you get a plan with a cap on the annual out of
pocket cost, and has a prescription feature that is not limited to $x a year.
>
> 5. The FHA plans are more expensive and inferior in features to the IBM
employee plans.  Retiree plans are exempt from the Health Reform passed by
Congress.  The employee plans are no deductible or copay cost if you go to your
primary care physician even for other than preventative. My former employee
plan, the IBM PPO, was zero premium (single person) and I had that while on TMP
after being RA'd from IBM.  Employee plans also have co-pays, versus the FHA
plans that have you pay % of costs - my FHA plan requires I pay 20% of bills
which is costlier than a simple fixed $25 co-pay.
>
> 6.  If you have the access only FHA feature, and you drop it, you cannot get
back in (unlike those who still have some money left in the plan).  Consider
that there are retiree plans (Medicare eligible) that I am told access only
participants can buy.  Given the above, it may be advisable to not drop FHA
(which is better than the open market) if you intend to continue FHA when you
begin Medicare.
>
> --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, madinpok <no_reply@> wrote:
> >
> > Back in 1999, when IBM changed the pension plan, they also changed medical
benefits for retirees.  First Choicers (those who were within 5 years of being
eligible to retire as of 7/1/99) got to keep the old pension plan and also the
old medical benefits.  All other employees were switched to a new retiree
medical plan called the Future Health Account, or FHA.
> >
> > Under the FHA, IBM places $2500 a year into a notional account each year for
10 years, starting when you reach 40 years of age.  Each year, the money in the
account earns interest at a rate equivalent to the average of the 1-year
treasury bill rate for the months of August, September and October, plus 1
percent. For 2011, the rate is 1.3%.
> >
> > Employees who were already over the age of 40 on 7/1/99 received an opening
balance credit to their accounts to take a bit of the sting out of the
conversion to the FHA. This credit ranged from $120 for someone who was just
over 40 to around $20,000 for someone who was age 49.
> >
> > When you leave IBM, you can use the FHA money to purchase medical insurance
only from IBM.  But to qualify, you have to be at least age 55 with 15 years of
service, or, if you had at least 1 year of service on 7/1/99, you can use the
FHA if you leave at any age with 30 or more years of service.
> >
> > Based on the cost of IBM retiree medical insurance and the typical FHA
balance that a retiree can expect to have, the money in the FHA will be enough
to pay for medical coverage for 4 to 5 years for a single person, or 2-3 years
for a retiree + spouse.
> >
> > Once the money in the FHA account runs out, you can still purchase retiree
medical coverage out of your own pocket.  In 2011, this costs around $6500 per
year for a single person on the high deductible plan and $10,000 a year for the
low deductible plan.  Double those numbers for retiree + spouse coverage.
> >
> > --- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, Brian McGowan <briannut52@> wrote:
> > >
> > > I guess I am a litte ignorant.  What is an FHA balance?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: Don Jackson <cisg8r@>
> > > To: "ibmpension@yahoogroups.com" <ibmpension@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 12:35 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> > >
> > >
> > >  
> > > I called yesterday, and, after being transferred around a bit, got to
someone who could tell me my current balance.  I asked when the errors in
the online system would be resolved.  They had no idea.  One agent
said the problem was reported last Friday. 
> > >  
> > > Regards,
> > > Dan
> > >
> > > From: Nancy Ross <nancy_ross10@>
> > > To: ibmpension@yahoogroups.com
> > > Sent: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 4:48 PM
> > > Subject: [IBM Pension] FHA balance still unavailable
> > >
> > >  
> > > Our FHA balance is still showing up online as unavailable. Has this been
fixed for anyone yet, or has anyone tried calling the service center to find out
when they plan to fix it?
> > >
> > > Kind of scary when stuff like this suddenly goes missing. Thanks for
sending any new info about what's going on.
> > >
> > > Nancy
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

I remember when the first of IBM's three basic core values was "Respect for the
individual". Since the 100th anniversary, I have heard Palmisano make reference
to these values as not being part of human relationships, but rather a "Business
srategy". Later on, I read excerpts from one of IBM's anniversary celebrations
indicating, "Palmisano returned to the stage for closing remarks and to talk
about IBM's future of leadership. He spoke of how IBM as a global company needed
to evolve its values and in 2003 he decided to call on IBMers around the world
to participate in that process. That resulted in three new values: Dedication to
every client's success; Innovation that matters -- for our company and for the
world; and Trust and personal responsibility in all relationships. Those values
carry IBM into its next century". This is the first time I heard anything about
what happened to the old basic values we once knew. At least we can say it
brought great value to the stockholders and to the IBM leaders.

Yes I am a Watson fan.  I am not a Gerstner fan nor a Palmisano fan.
I think Watson is turning over in his grave after what IBM has turned into. 
After being a member here since August 27 1999 I am now ready to forget all
about IBM.  I just wish I could find a way to resign my membership in this Yahoo
group.  Can anyone help me?

Sign into Yahoo.   Find the Groups application ( under Yahoo sites )
and enter it.   Open up this group.

Click EDIT MEMBERSHIP on the top  at the bottom right there is a button
LEAVE GROUP ...

Have a good life.


On 8/10/2011 5:13 AM, watsonfan wrote:
>
> Yes I am a Watson fan. I am not a Gerstner fan nor a Palmisano fan.
> I think Watson is turning over in his grave after what IBM has turned
> into. After being a member here since August 27 1999 I am now ready to
> forget all about IBM. I just wish I could find a way to resign my
> membership in this Yahoo group. Can anyone help me?
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com <http://www.avg.com>
> Version: 10.0.1392 / Virus Database: 1520/3823 - Release Date: 08/09/11
>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

At 06:13 AM 8/10/2011, you wrote:
>
>
>Yes I am a Watson fan. I am not a Gerstner fan nor a Palmisano fan.
>I think Watson is turning over in his grave
>after what IBM has turned into. After being a
>member here since August 27 1999 I am now ready
>to forget all about IBM. I just wish I could
>find a way to resign my membership in this Yahoo group. Can anyone help me?

Just click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every message


>


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Watson was not the prince that you think. He was as tough as Lou and Sam but the
company had enough money to carry lessor performers. As to resigning just stop
looking .    LG

--- In ibmpension@yahoogroups.com, watsonfan <no_reply@...> wrote:
>
> Yes I am a Watson fan.  I am not a Gerstner fan nor a Palmisano fan.
> I think Watson is turning over in his grave after what IBM has turned into. 
After being a member here since August 27 1999 I am now ready to forget all
about IBM.  I just wish I could find a way to resign my membership in this Yahoo
group.  Can anyone help me?
>