Some Gannett Bloggers have been posting comments today in this thread about being hit unfairly with a surcharge for failing to complete an online health assessment survey with this year's medical care enrollment.
The beef: They completed the survey by the deadline they were given, then found out the deadline was, in fact, earlier. Another reader said they called the Gannett Benefits Center and were told many people had called and were being advised there had been a "technical problem."
One reader said the surcharge amounted to $480 a year, or $40 monthly. Another reader said it was $18.36 monthly; a third said $18.46, and a fourth said $20 per paycheck.
Earlier: Amid rising costs, it's open season on employees.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
One reader said the surcharge amounted to $480 a year, or $40 monthly. Another reader said it was $18.36 monthly; a third said $18.46, and a fourth said $20 per paycheck.
Earlier: Amid rising costs, it's open season on employees.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
When is the last time any initiative or program launched by the company has not had major problems when introduced? I can't think of any. They rush to do everything without sweating the details.
ReplyDeleteThere was also the option to get a physical exam from your doctor, rather than filling out the health survey. Employees who chose that option are all being hit with the fee, however. Folks at the benefits number said the problem rests with Gannett HR.
ReplyDeleteI called and was told that there many people that had completed the survey but were still hit with the surcharge (like I was). I was then told that she was going to "escalate" the case and I would receive a call back in 3-5 business days. Hopefully it gets resolved before the benefits registration deadline. If not, I'll have to register as is and then try and deal with it after the fact. Which should be a wonderful adventure because the Gannett HR people are the biggest bunch of incompetent knuckleheads I've ever had the (dis)pleasure to work with. Wish me luck!!!
ReplyDeleteYesterday I called and discussed the health assessment with the benefits center. Today it was all fixed. But most of the people I work with had no problem. Apparently there was a minor glitch with a few people. Lucky me!
ReplyDeleteIt's been fixed. Glitch over. Time to complain about something else.
ReplyDeleteThe glitch has NOT been fixed. I took a physical and still have the surcharge listed.
ReplyDelete10:30 first, when did you take your physical? Second did your doctor code it correctly? What you call a physical may not be what your doctor submitted.
ReplyDeleteThen ya must have gotten physical recently. I think the cut off to be listed on the site was September. At least that is what the reenrolment last year said.
ReplyDeleteActually, the benefits center advises that despite what memos may have said, employees have until the end of the year to complete the survey or get a physical exam.
ReplyDeleteSo now Gannett is taking more money out of their employees' pocket just because they don't fit some definition of health?
ReplyDeleteThis company has no shame.
Well, I understand 8:25 comment, I guess. But I do know my wife's company had this requirement in place for years, I think it was 2004. I remember asking about it at the time, and it's not only legal but good for employee heath. See you find out if you have some problem that needs to be addressed before it's a problem. But in any event, it's simple to fill out a survey or get a physical. I get a physical annually anyway, so what's the big deal?
ReplyDeleteI dropped coverage in May, it took them until August to stop taking the payment out of my check, and I'm being assessed the surcharge, $18.45/mth. I'm to wait 3-5 days for someone to get back to me on why I'm being assessed. It got escalated to adminstration.
ReplyDelete8:25 the company is self insured. It means if you have a heart attack because you are 100 pounds over weight or your blood pressure is 200 over 100 Then it costs the company tens of thousands of mire dollars. So yeah you, we should pay more if our health is poor. But even now that's not the case. They want you to get a physical or take the survey so you can at least be aware you've got a problem. You do that and you still pay the sane as everyone else. So what is your beef?
ReplyDelete10:30 here - took the physical in mid-September. I called Anthem a couple of weeks later and they said the doctor did code the physical correctly. I think seven weeks is plenty of time for Anthem to communicate the info to UHC.
ReplyDelete9:51: That GCI is self-insured is entirely irrelevant. GCI would outsource the benefits liability system if it would save it money, but it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteGCI is self-insured *because* it saves the company money, savings that are not directed back to the health benefits.
In addition, employees who have serious or chronic health conditions do pay far more for their health coverage via out of pocket costs, as you are well-aware.
The posts here are incomprehensible. Try to write in English, with something resembling proper syntax.
ReplyDeleteI just checked mine and found that I had the surcharge even though I took the health survey. I took the survey just before the stated deadline. Obviously, the information has not been fed over to benefits site in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteEnrolled today... (got my physical last August)... Surcharge of $18.46 per paycheck was applied. Called Gannett Benefits... They were very nice and told me that surcharge would be taken care of. Let's see... times this by 30,000 employees and you've got a lot of work on your hands Gannett. BTW... I'm paying $12 more per paycheck for same medical coverage. No change with vision and dental. Tried deleting a dependent, but their webpage wouldn't "allow" it. That's ironic.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI for everyone. : )
11:02: GCI tends to squeeze its money out of employees the way it wants to, regardless of fairness, general incompetence, etc.
ReplyDeleteThat's notwithstanding any vapid riposte attempts that are paid for by Gannett and are intended to distract. Either you've lost your touch, or the other guy did a better job.
I took the survey online & didn't have any problems with it. Didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know - slightly overweight, don't get enough sleep, too much work stress.
ReplyDeleteYou media people need to get a little more in touch. Many companies are evolving to shift the responsibility of an employee's health to the employee. If you choose to smoke and drink yourself to illness, you co-workers should not have to foot the bill for your insurance. Therefore, they're starting to require physicals and impose restrictions such as you pay more for certain "bad" habits. Fair is fair. You play by the rules, you win by keeping more of your own money in your pocket. If you don't, you lose $. I work in a different industry and that's what we're all about and you're all going that way.
ReplyDelete9:51, this is 8:25, my beef is that for what I was ripped off by Gannett for my health insurance. Before I left, I was paying $450 a month for the best family coverage, which included a $500 deductible and $5,000 of out-of-pocket co-insurance expenses (10 percent of usual and customary expenses) for in-network providers.
ReplyDeleteWhere I'm at now, I pay $375 a month, and it only includes a $250 deductible, and $1,000 of out-of-pocket insurance expenses (the same 10 percent) for in-network providers.
So yeah, Gannett's insurance ripped me off. And, from what I've seen, other employers pay a bigger amount of their employees' health insurance rather than the 60-70 percent that Gannett paid.
So that's my beef.
Kinda reminds me of columbia record club's negative option billing practice. You get charged for NOT doing something. Sounds very fishy to me. Yea, I filled out the survey. Yup..., I avoided several questions. The questions were needlessly invasive and give the insurance company more info than they need, but it will come back to haunt you if you ever need to get other insurance. Beware how you answer these. If your doctor doesn't know about it neither does the insurance company. Thus... these surveys are completely bogus.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't this company get something this simple right? There must be several high paid pinheads that were responsible for this.
ReplyDeleteWhat I was told today, true or not, is that the insurance company has not provided the data. I was told to call the benefits hotline and to tell them that I had completed the survey but that I was still seeing the surcharge. When I called, I was told that they would make me a priority case and would contact me within 3 to 5 business days.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the HR department should put this information out in a notification so that those affected will understand what to do without having to call.
I too found while trying to re-enroll for my new "less then before benefit package" that I would be charged this surcharge. I had a physical as REQUIRED by the company to avoid the surcharge,(in addition to almost tripling my paycheck deduction for medical coverage. I am sure this is just another ploy by our Master's to rape an pillage their subjects.
ReplyDeleteIn response to 10:08 why would the company want you to know they are overcharging you. Remember Gannett is self insured, doesn't have to play by the same rules as insurance companies. The extra money they are bilking from us goes into company coffers to help pay for Dubow's retirement package or the Bonus our new Slave Master will receive because she graciously declined a raise.
10:23 10:08 here - I doubt you actually believe what your post says. The bottom line on this is that what I was told is more than likely true. However, that being said, the company should get out in front of this and let people know what the resolution is. My preference would be for the company to make this right without the employee having to do the work but be that as it may, give the employees the information so that it can be made right at the very least.
ReplyDelete