If you have any questions or concerns about benefits. You may contact your benefits coordinator Scott Mackeil 352-377-3105
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Subject: 2021 AT&T Prescription Drug Benefit Program Updates
**This email has been sent to AT&T Mobility Local Presidents, D3 Staff and Secretaries**
Please see the below information we have received from the company.
In Unity,
Angie Wells
Administrative Director to the Vice President
**************************************************
"Updates for 2021 AT&T Prescription Drug Benefit Program:
Effective January 1, 2021
- HIV Updated Program, ~500 Participants Impacted Mobility wide
Allows AT&T participants to fill up to 90-days supply for HIV Oral Medication via the CVS Specialty Pharmacy. Because of the need to closely monitor and change dosages, Specialty Drugs fills are currently limited to a 30-day supply (except cancer which is a 15-day supply). HIV oral medications have become more stable and require less dose/medication changes, therefore reducing the risk of waste, therefore allowing for this change.
- Diabetic Supplies (Disposable Insulin Devices) Updated Coverage, No Current Participants Impacted
Update coverage for disposable insulin devices under the prescription drug benefit. CVS implemented this coverage under their standard formulary. These disposable insulin devices will be covered as of 2021 as a preferred drug in the formulary and will be covered under the applicable copay/coinsurance amount. These new disposable devices are not considered traditional durable medical equipment (DME) and are not covered under medical, therefore, it is appropriate that they are covered under the Prescription benefit.
- Allergy Immunotherapy Updated Category, No Current Participants Impacted
Include a new category of drugs for allergy oral immunotherapy medications (e.g., pet allergies, peanut allergies), to the Personal Choice provision. Currently, these medications are excluded from coverage in the medical plan. Like other Personal Choice Drugs, coverage will not be provided under the Plan, however, participants may have access to discounts offered by CVS Caremark. Amounts paid by the participant will be excluded from accumulators and any participant spend in this category will not go toward deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums.
Effective July 1, 2021 (administrative feasibility, notify participants of update)
- Migraine Updated Program~300+ participants Mobility wide
The existing step-therapy program which requires trial of lower cost products of equivalent clinical value, includes drugs prescribed to treat headaches. Emerging Migraine medications will fall under this program, a notice is planned to participants about the process required to obtain coverage for these new drugs."
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AT&T sent out a letter to "Select AT&T Bargained employees" (please see letter to the right)
They make it sound like something more than it is, this is from CWA's HR representative for D3: "This letter is stating that if you retire after Jan. 1, 2021 you will not be eligible for the HRA money the company is now giving to retirees. This does not affect the company subsidy that is in place now, or the future, only your eligibility for the HRA money. So if you retire after Jan. 1, 2021, and you are/or become Medicare eligible during the life of this contract, AT&T will still be your secondary medical coverage, and will also cover your drugs. Once you reach Medicare eligibility you MUST enroll in Medicare part A & B to keep AT&T coverage. Once the contract ends then you will need to find other secondary coverage and it does not have to be through AON.
The letter was sent out company wide to craft and management, but with the Southeast, it may not make much difference. We are guaranteed AT&T coverage for the life of the contract. For example, if you retiree today, and are Medicare eligible, you would not be eligible for the HRA subsidy until after the end of the 2024 contract, the same rule would apply if you waited until after Jan. 2021. So since the company only guaranteed the HRA money until the year 2023, it would not make much of a difference to us in the Southeast because of the contract."
Also, please see the attached Q&A regarding this issue - to the right--->
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HRA update bargained employees |
HR retirement change Q&A |
**This message is being sent to All AT&T SE Local Presidents & copied to District 3 Staff & Secretaries**
Please see notice below and attachment we received from the company.
In Unity,
Billy O'Dell
Administrative Assistant to the Vice President
**************************************************************
Attached is the dependent verification letter that will be sent to the 14 participants who may not have received the notification via U.S. mail during the initial verification period. Due to HIPPA, they don’t provide the names or locations.
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Second Chance Verification |
7/3/2017
"Due to a system error, some participants over contributed to the BSSP between 2010 and 2016. The BSSP plan states that employee before-tax and/or after-tax contributions have a limit where employees cannot contribute more than 70% of their eligible compensation. Most of these over contributions were as a result of retro activity such as a change in disability status.
Affected individuals will be notified to inform them of the exact dollar amount and that we will be returning the excess contribution and earnings from their BSSP by mid-July 2017. If applicable, company match on these excess contributions will be forfeited. I have attached a copy of the letter that will be sent to those affected.
We will continue to monitor and review participant data 2 – 4 times per year until a long-term system fix can be made."
Please Contact your Local's Benefits Coordinator for questions. You may also contact Fidelity.
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BSSP Error Regarding Over Contributions |
Communications Workers of America
Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,Decatur,Georgia30032 Alabama,Florida,Georgia 3516 Covington Highway
June 9, 2016
TO: District 3 Administrative Directors, Staff, and AT&T SE Local Presidents
FROM: Nicholas E.M. Hawkins, Assistant to the Vice President
SUBJ: AT&T Healthcare Plan – Option #2 – HSA
Over the last few weeks we have received several inquiries about the availability of HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) to our members who have elected participation in the AT&T Southeast Healthcare Plan Option #2. The following is an explanation of how this process works for our members.
The AT&T Southeast Healthcare Plan Option #2 is a low premium/high deductible healthcare plan available to our members. Participation in this plan qualifies our members, under federal guidelines, for participation in an HSA. An HSA is a trust or custodial account set up with a qualified HSA trustee to pay or reimburse certain medical expenses you may incur. A qualified HSA trustee can be a bank, an insurance company, or anyone already approved by the IRS to be a trustee of IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts). In 2015 bargaining, we were not successful in securing access to an HSA through Fidelity that would allow for pre-tax payroll deductions. Our members who participate in the AT&T Southeast Healthcare Plan Option #2 can open an HSA (Health Savings Account) through a local bank, credit union, or any other qualified HSA trustee but their participation would be post-tax. To manage tax implications, our members should discuss participation in an HSA with their tax preparer. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Anne Strickland at es7769@att.com.
cc: R. Honeycutt, Vice President B. Lester, Administrative Director
T. Dunlap, Administrative Director
J. Quinn, District Counsel
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FMLA Process Changes
To: AT&T Employees
What: Recent Changes to FMLA Regulations
When: May 17th
Note: Supervisors, please share this information with employees who do not have access to email.
The U.S. Department of Labor issued revisions to FMLA regulations earlier this year. The complete complement of regulatory revisions introduced a number of changes to FMLA and provided clarification on many FMLA issues. AT&T immediately implemented compliance-related changes on January 16, as required by law.
AT&T will adopt other regulatory changes effective May 17:
In states other than California, employees must take FMLA leave for a minimum of one hour, unless the need for leave occurs within the last hour of a work shift.
The AT&T Certification of Healthcare Provider Form (FMLA4) will be revised to request medical facts such as symptoms and diagnosis for employees in states that do not have state leave laws that preclude employers from requesting this information. Additionally, employers may request the healthcare provider indicate which essential job functions an employee is unable to perform.
NOTE: The Certification of Healthcare Provider Form (FMLA4) for California employees will not change.
Employers may contact healthcare providers to clarify or authenticate the FMLA medical certification form. Under internal policy, only FMLA Operations will have authority to conduct clarification and authentication. Under the revised regulations, employees who do not authorize FMLA Operations to clarify their certification may be denied FMLA leave.
Additionally, permission by an employee to contact a healthcare provider will not be required for purposes of authenticating a certification form. This provision may not apply to employees in states with existing leave laws that prohibit this practice.
The federal FMLA definition of a serious health condition has also changed with respect to incapacity and treatment for conditions categorized as absence plus treatment. For absences consisting of incapacity of more than three full consecutive calendar days and two treatments, the 1st treatment must occur within 7 days of the first date of incapacity and the 2nd treatment must occur within 30 days of the first date of incapacity. For absences consisting of one treatment visit and a regimen of treatment (e.g. antibiotics), the one visit must occur within 7 days of the first date of incapacity.
Under the revised regulations, employees referred to a 2nd opinion who fail to release all relevant medical information pertaining to a serious health condition may be denied FMLA leave. This provision may not apply to employees in states with existing leave laws that prohibit this practice.
To access information regarding FMLA policy and process, visit http://hronestop.att.com > Your Time & Attendance > FMLA.
If you have additional questions not addressed on the Web, please call HROneStop at 888-722-1787 and say FMLA at the prompt.
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