Did you have BCBS insurance in 2011?

If you had BCBS insurance in 2011 you may have already received a letter from BCBS of North Carolina stating your coverage with them ended on December 31, 2011. This is a notification that is required by law. Be assured you coverage is in place with Anthem BCBS and this notification from North Carolina does not jeopardize your current coverage. You should have received your new BCBS card from Anthem BCBS in December 2011.

New Code on Your Paycheck

Due to the Health Care Reform legislation, US Airways is now required to report the full value (both the employee and employer's share) of an employee's medical coverage on their W-2 beginning in 2012. For East flight attendants, the non-taxable earnings code, HC COST, will be used to capture this information each pay period and will appear on your paycheck stub. This is a non-taxable earning and is for informational reporting purposes only. This code has no impact on your earnings, deductions or take-home pay.

Please be aware that in 2017 there is an excise tax that is applied to health insurance if the total cost for a single person is above $10.700 or 2 or more people (Employee + spouse, Employee + child(ren), Family) of $27,500. For every dollar ($) above the limit the employee pays a 20% excise tax. Currently the 100% family plan is above this limit. If this were 2017 and you were on the 100% family plan you would pay an extra $218 to the IRS for having a "Cadillac plan" - not my term, but the one in the Affordable Health Care Act law. This may not even go into effect as there are a variety of legal cases challenging the constitutionality of this law including one at the Supreme Court level. As changes occur I will update you.

Fit for US: Schedule your Free Biometric Screening Today

Did you know that blood pressure is the #1 cause of stroke and you are 2x greater risk of a heart attack if you have high cholesterol? Knowing your numbers is the first step in becoming Fit for US, so attend a free screening event near you or schedule a screening at one of the 2,000 Quest Diagnostic Patient Service Centers. Look for locations, dates and time and how to register on the Benefits Page of WINGS for on-site screenings for eligible employees near you or for more information about the new Wellness Program. Good health is everything. (You'll need to present your US Airways badge and current medial insurance card the day of the event). Do not forget to compete the on-line assessment and check in with the wellness coach after your results come back. Remember you just might win the red Mustang convertible, one of 10 trips to Hawaii or one of twenty $500 gift cards from Apple.

In Solidarity,

Paul H. Frishkorn
AFA MEC Benefits Chairperson
PFrishkorn@afausairways.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

www.afausairways.org

Accessing Wings:

https://wings.usairways.com
Questions about WINGS? Please contact the EDS Help Desk at (480) 693-6029 for assistance. More information can also be found HERE.

AFA Local Numbers
 
Council 41 DCA 724-544-6979
Council 70 PHL 215-492-0840
Council 89 CLT 704-527-0325

US AIRWAYS Benefits Information 800-872-4780

Reply to Inflight: askinflight@usairways.com

Got Questions? Get Answers

Got questions about This *E-Line* from AFA - US Airways or any other Union matter? Do NOT REPLY to the *E-Line*. PLEASE contact your local AFA officers or committee chairs directly.

Information contained within, provided by your MEC officers Mike Flores, Mark Gentile, and Glenda Talley. See local information, on your respective local page. All information posted by the Communications Chair.

Your MEC Officers
Association of Flight Attendants
Hotline & *E-Line* - US Airways