RETIREE NEWSLETTER Nov/Dec 2019 (from PGE Corporate)
See full newsletter for the rest of this article and many others too. (download the PDF)
PGE Retiree Benefit Transitions
By Anne Mersereau, PGE Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?
Over the last few months, PGE has been looking at ways to improve some retiree benefit programs. We discovered that our retirees were looking for more flexibility, control and choices, so we are implementing several changes to the administration of some retiree programs.
Reasons for Transition
I feel that it is very important for you to understand why PGE is making these transitions, so we covered three main points:
Flexibility: PGE is limited in the number and types of plans offered in the current group plan offering. The individual marketplace has grown, expanded and improved over the years and now offers many more plan options. These options allow you greater flexibility in selecting a plan to better match your lifestyle.
Control: PGE previously selected the plans that would be offered to our non-represented retirees and controlled the available choices. With the individual marketplace, plan selection is in your hands, giving you control over which plan is right for you.
• Expertise: Via Benefits, a health plan coordinator, is a market leader in this field. Their licensed, trained (and noncommissioned) USA-based representatives fully understand health plans for both “65 and older” and “younger than 65” age groups. By using advanced analytic tools, they can help you understand the true and total cost of health care and are better able to assist you in making better plan choices for you.