Comments on: GM and the Unions… http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/employer/gm-and-the-unions/ Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:48:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: sean grady http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/employer/gm-and-the-unions/#comment-4104 sean grady Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:09:09 +0000 http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/?p=147#comment-4104 Charlie - Caterpillar already tried this back in 1998 and the health trust ran dry in six years. The retirees for Caterpillar are now suing saying they deserve the old benefits they were promised when they retired. The problem is so big you could see the auto makers follow the airlines lead by ducking into bankruptcy to shed their pension and healthcare obligations and come out with a clean balance sheet. Granted they are making big SUVs that nobody wants with $3 per gallon gas but these pensions and healthcare benefits would bring just about any company to its knees. Charlie - Caterpillar already tried this back in 1998 and the health trust ran dry in six years. The retirees for Caterpillar are now suing saying they deserve the old benefits they were promised when they retired. The problem is so big you could see the auto makers follow the airlines lead by ducking into bankruptcy to shed their pension and healthcare obligations and come out with a clean balance sheet. Granted they are making big SUVs that nobody wants with $3 per gallon gas but these pensions and healthcare benefits would bring just about any company to its knees.

]]> By: Charlie Baker http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/employer/gm-and-the-unions/#comment-4103 Charlie Baker Thu, 18 Oct 2007 22:24:59 +0000 http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/?p=147#comment-4103 Mike -- That is one astonishing set of statistics. I said they had issues and problems. Those numbers are far more dramatic than anything I put down. Thanks for sharing. Mike — That is one astonishing set of statistics. I said they had issues and problems. Those numbers are far more dramatic than anything I put down. Thanks for sharing.

]]> By: Mike Stucka http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/employer/gm-and-the-unions/#comment-4097 Mike Stucka Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:04:09 +0000 http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/?p=147#comment-4097 To put some numbers in here, figures that I've read: 73,000 General Motors employees 90,000 General Motors retirees $51 billion obligation $700,000 per current worker To put some numbers in here, figures that I’ve read:
73,000 General Motors employees
90,000 General Motors retirees
$51 billion obligation
$700,000 per current worker

]]> By: Barry Carol http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/employer/gm-and-the-unions/#comment-4078 Barry Carol Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:58:59 +0000 http://www.letstalkhealthcare.org/?p=147#comment-4078 Once the VEBA is funded and the union assumes control over its management, the UAW may develop a new found interest in and different attitude toward the following: 1. Higher co-pays, deductibles, and, perhaps, a higher contribution toward the premium from its retirees. 2. Replace the current medical malpractice system with specialized health courts to reduce defensive medicine. 3. Interoperable electronic medical records, especially in hospitals, in order to reduce duplicate testing and adverse drug interactions. 4. Make living wills and advance medical directives a requirement of insurance in order to reduce futile and often unwanted care at the end of life. 5. Better data regarding the comparative effectiveness of drugs, medical devices and therapies. 6. Robust price and quality transparency tools to allow both patients and referring doctors make more cost-effective medical decisions. The UAW knows that it will be responsible for making the VEBA money last in order to provide health insurance to retirees (especially pre-Medicare eligible retirees) in the future. Any strategy that could lower current medical costs by eliminating waste or low value care and drive future medical cost growth to a lower and more sustainable level will be clearly in its interest to pursue. Moreover, it will presumably not be shy about communicating its new views to our politicians in Washington. Once the VEBA is funded and the union assumes control over its management, the UAW may develop a new found interest in and different attitude toward the following:

1. Higher co-pays, deductibles, and, perhaps, a higher contribution toward the premium from its retirees.

2. Replace the current medical malpractice system with specialized health courts to reduce defensive medicine.

3. Interoperable electronic medical records, especially in hospitals, in order to reduce duplicate testing and adverse drug interactions.

4. Make living wills and advance medical directives a requirement of insurance in order to reduce futile and often unwanted care at the end of life.

5. Better data regarding the comparative effectiveness of drugs, medical devices and therapies.

6. Robust price and quality transparency tools to allow both patients and referring doctors make more cost-effective medical decisions.

The UAW knows that it will be responsible for making the VEBA money last in order to provide health insurance to retirees (especially pre-Medicare eligible retirees) in the future. Any strategy that could lower current medical costs by eliminating waste or low value care and drive future medical cost growth to a lower and more sustainable level will be clearly in its interest to pursue. Moreover, it will presumably not be shy about communicating its new views to our politicians in Washington.

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