I am experiencing 2 huge problems with getting medical expense claims processed by Hewitt through Benefits Express, as follows:

1. Multiple claims dating back to Dec. 1, 2011, that total to nearly $1000, have still not been reimbursed.  Thus, over 2 months have lapsed without reimbursement.
2. However, funds have been taken from my Merrill Lynch Chrysler Stable Value Fund over the past 2 weeks that total over $1750.  Thus, my concern here is what will happen with the excess funds?

 I spoke with a Supervisor at Hewitt 2 days ago, and some sort of “problem ticket” has been initiated, with the promise of some sort of answer in 48 hours.  It is now 48 hours later, and no answer yet.  I have no recourse but to continue to wait.

If other retirees are having a similar problem, then there is really something wrong at Benefits Express that needs attention directly from someone in power at Chrysler.  Can someone help???

Andrew Foster
afoster08@charter.net

I have been trying to get the money from the St Joseph/Henry Ford Health System for three months.  There always seems to be a problem and they will need to resubmit the claim or they will get the problem to the attention of a supervisor.  All the steps take 30 days to evaluate.  During all this we have incurred additional charges which they conveniently deduct from amount wed to me. Seems like a scam, if no one is paying attention they could pocket some money and no one would be the wiser.

Barack Obama
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

The National Chrysler Retirement Organization (NCRO), made up of nearly 7000 salaried, non-union Chrysler retirees in the United States, join with you in celebrating the return of Chrysler to financial viability and express our deep appreciation for the critical leadership that your administration provided when it was most needed to keep Chrysler alive. Your June 3rd appearance at the Chrysler Group LLC Supplier Park plant in Toledo, Ohio was a momentous occasion for the extended family of Chrysler employees, suppliers, dealers, and retirees.

We also commend your recent appointment of David Blitzstein as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). With his strong record of oversight on behalf of food industry workers, we are confident that Mr. Blitzstein will be a staunch advocate for the protection of workers’ pension benefits.

As new appointments are considered for similar PBGC policy positions, we would strongly encourage the selection of similarly qualified individuals who can add substantive knowledge and awareness of the precarious position in which many non-union retirees in the United States exist today. Non-union workers make up 92% of the workforce and should have specific representation on the PBGC Advisory Committee. The continuing economic downturn has accelerated the trend to push many white-collar middle management employees – creative workers like engineers, designers, researchers, plant managers, marketing and sales people and others – into an early retirement with reduced income and medical care benefits (even as their obligations for care of family members remain the same or increase), at a time of reduced private sector hiring. We believe that protection of the pensions and benefits earned by these non-union workers, as well as for hourly represented workers, is a vital part of what PBGC Director Joshua Gotbaum calls “the enhancement of retirement security.” And a greater measure of financial security for retired non-union employees should be seen as yet another component of our nation’s economic recovery.

We are grateful for your support of our company and our industry. We also hope that the concerns of millions of salaried retirees and their families across the United States will be considered as your administration works to protect pension benefits, not just for retirees but for the workers of today and tomorrow.

On an additional related issue, the NCRO has grave concern for your administration’s plan to give the PBGC the ability to set the premiums that retirement plan sponsors pay. We believe this action along with allowing rates to be based on the credit risk of plan sponsors will be detrimental to both the long term viability of the plans and to the retirees covered by these plans. And it will not fix the issues facing the PBGC. We prefer to continue to have Congress set the premiums.

To affect the needed improvement in the PBGC, we agree with the statement made by the GAO in its December report; the PBGC is “in need of urgent attention and transformation to address economy, efficiency or effectiveness.” To start, the PBGC needs to change the way it values assets and liabilities using much more reasonable and relevant interest rates. This would greatly reduce the stated deficit and reflect a more realistic situation. We urge you and your administration to address this matter instead of letting the “fox guard the hen house“ by letting the PBGC set its premiums.

We would welcome an opportunity to review this situation and our other concerns with the overall operation of the PBGC with you and/or your designated representative at your convenience.

Sincerely,
Jay Kuhnie
President-NCRO

cc:
David Blitzstein – Advisory Committee, PBGC
Timothy Geithner – US Secretary of the Treasury
Joshua Gotbaum – Director, PBGC
Senator Carl Levin
Senator Debbie Stabenow

When is NCRO going to discuss/ explain as best they can why/how Fiat did not contribute to the Pension plan last year?
Why is Fiat allowed to do this?
Also, what happens in 5 years when, I believe, they must pay all monies do to bring up the pension plans to 100% funded according to U.S. law?

Benefits Express was closed on 12/23 & 12/24. To my surprise, before I could call on Monday 12/27, a BE Supervisor called me to clarify the whole matter. Even though it does not appear anywhere in writing, I was told we are entitled to return to Retiree Health Care Benefits at any time prior to age 65 1) if non-Chrysler benefits are lost or 2) at annual enrollment.

Apparently you or someone else at the NCRO notified Chrysler who told BE to get my issue resolved. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am for your intervention. Contact information for the appropriate personnel within Chrysler is difficult for the average retiree to discover. Your assistance not only got me the correct information, it also put my mind at ease.

Thanks Again and Happy New Year,

Benefits Express was closed on 12/23 & 12/24. To my surprise, before I could call on Monday 12/27, a BE Supervisor called me to clarify the whole matter. Even though it does not appear anywhere in writing, I was told we are entitled to return to Retiree Health Care Benefits at any time prior to age 65 1) if non-Chrysler benefits are lost or 2) at annual enrollment.

Apparently you or someone else at the NCRO notified Chrysler who told BE to get my issue resolved. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am for your intervention. Contact information for the appropriate personnel within Chrysler is difficult for the average retiree to discover. Your assistance not only got me the correct information, it also put my mind at ease.

Thanks Again and Happy New Year,

NCRO Member

My wife is on SS disability and as a result she will be eligible for medicare in April of 2011. She won’t turn 65 until October. According to what I read in the Chrysler benefits info this means that medicare will become her primary insurance and Chrysler will be secondary. There is no detailed info on what this really means or what happens to the premiums I am paying for the BCBS PPO she currently has. Talking to BE did not help a lot . anyone have more info or know who I can talk to???

I just took my 2010 Caliber to Southfield C-J for 6000 mile service. The recommended service includes rotating the tires. The write up people said that my service contract did not cover that.

The contract says it covers all recommended services but the Chrysler computer system on lists oil and filter changes.

After about 45 minutes of discussion Southfield did the rotation at no charge. I contacted the service contract people at 800- 521-9952 and they confirmed that almost all normal maintenance as listed in the manual is covered.

So if you have your retiree lease vehicle serviced be sure to double check what is covered. The dealers honestly are confused by some of the contracts.