BLACKDODOGE

I'm considering joining the operator engineer union, any members? How is everything? From all the reading it seems that the medical lifetime max is $500,000. Well my wife has brain cancer we found out this year and her monthly chemo alone is over $2k and surgery was over 200k. So if I did join and get the medical benefits what happens when I met the lifetime max? Shes very young (23) so it might not take long to meet the 500k. I believe all construction unions are the same so any info would help.

gerry

Read the fine print ... alot of times Pre Existing conditions are not covered under a new health plan....

Gerry

Burpl

Black the union will have phone numbers for people that can answer your questions and/or a rep that will sit down and talk with you and tell you who you need to talk to about your questions.

Most pre existing conditions such as your wifes are NOT covered, but you would have to ask them flat out to find out .

BLACKDODOGE

ok thanks, I knew pre-existings are not covered under personal plans, what I should of asked is if unions are a group policy? For example my dad is a real estate broker and everyone that works for him pre-existing condition or not has to be accepted if employee chooses.

vzdude

Pre-existing conditions ARE covered as long as you had coverage previously. If you went without coverage for any length of time then it would not. I went through this a while back, and let me tell you , it can get nerve racking! But talk to the right people and show them the right documents ( IF you had coverage ) and you'll be fine.

BLACKDODOGE

vzdude,

Are you talking about the union, a group policy, or a new personal policy. She has always had coverage.

belgianmagic

that union will help you make lots of $$ just let them pay the $500,000 then worry about it ..you (by law) can send $10 a week to pay a bill and they can't do anything ...as long as you make a "constant effort"
join, take care of her, and worry about the rest later ...

I sent you a PM to tell you what we went through when My wife got it a second time......
DON'T WORRY YOU TWO have a long life ahead of you ...whats $10.00 a week for life...you will still have her
and they CAN NOT deny coverage for cancer (pre existing)

rustyshakelford

holy smokes blackdodge. im so sorry to hear about that. a few weeks ago i thought i had cancer and it really made me take another step back and re-evaluate where i was going! shes young and shell be 100% in no time! ill keep you two in my prayers!

brett

vzdude

Any coverage as long as there were no lapses without. God's speed in a recovery as well.

biododge1

first, my thoughts and prayers go to your wife and you. keep your hopes high and the big guy will do the rest. as for coverage, the unions ( at least the locals around here) are not to worried about pre existing stuff. my wife has had asthma, bronchitis, and a bunch of other "smaller" problems before we wed. not even so much as a question was asked about it. as for the 500,000 limet. that could be just a part of a overall coverage. like said above, call the union and ask about that.

linetrash75

Sounds to me like $500k would be the most you would ever have to pay for 1 illness in your entire lifetime and the rest is on the insurance. If the construction union is anything like the IBEW gett on board that is the best free insurance I ever had, better than the stuff I now pay $200 a month for. The best of luck to you and your wife.

Jed

West Coast

I am in the Operating Engineers Union Local #3 and the benefits are no where close to free. The union is in business to make money no loose it. Black Dodge what part of the West do you live in? If the union can get you work then you will like the union. But if you just sit on the "out work' list you will hate the union. The union is just like any other business. It's all about who you know.....

BLACKDODOGE

im in So. CA. I have friends and family that are in the union local 12 been there 20 plus years and even though they said times are a little slow, they feel they can get me in., can you tell me the steps in wages? Since they are family, (wifes side) I didn't want to ask them to explain wages yet. I'm not asking for your amount, but the amounts they have set, 1st year,jouneymen, etc. The reason I ask is because the same people feel they can get me hired as a carpenter union at a higher rate because of my past work in construction. thank you

Lary Ellis (Top)

My father was a member of local #3 for many many years. When he was diagnosed with a brain tumor the Union conveniently lost about 3 years worth of his dues payments and cheated him out of his health insurance.

I remember the look on his face in that wheel chair when they pulled that crud on him. He would have choked that Business Agent to death if he could have got a hold of him.

This was back in the 60's and records were not as easily obtained as they are today. Do I now think that all Unions are crooked? No..But like anything else they can have their good and bad apples.

Be sure you keep every single payment receipt for your Union dues, and it would not hurt to have an extra copy in a safe deposit box. This isn't just about Operating Engineers, do this no matter who you pay Union dues to.

Good luck with what ever you do and your wife is in our family prayers.

txfiremedic

That is soooooooo wrong I can only speak for myself and my union, Im secretary/treasurer and all records are kept up impeccably. Also, most union dues are payroll deducted now so I just don't see something like that happening in this day and age. So sorry to hear that happened to your Dad, I just can't get over that, what scumbags!!!