IBM Retirees Shunted To Health Exchanges, Obamacare Inevitably Blamed
News this week that IBM retirees will be moved off existing health plans and into health care exchanges was met with inevitable blame of Obamacare, and provisions in the law creating the new insurance market feature.
As The Inquisitr reported earlier, 110,000 IBM retirees eligible for Medicare will be affected by the move to exchanges, but a spokesman for IBM insists that saving money is not the motivator for the change:
“IBM didn’t make this change to save money – it does not reduce our costs.”
In a statement, the company says that IBM retirees will have more choice and better options with the move to exchanges, and that initial skepticism belies a plan that is actually more attractive to retiring workers:
“This transition provides more choice and flexibility at equal or better costs to our retirees… While some retirees may be skeptical today, studies show that the majority of people who are presented the concept of an exchange are skeptical at first, but once they understand the options available to them through these exchanges, they have a more positive outlook.”
IBM retirees themselves aren’t the only ones skeptical about the change — many Obamacare detractors took to Twitter to point to the news as more evidence the new healthcare laws are mucking up the insurance landscape.
Users opined:
Wonder how many of these #IBM retirees who’ll now lose their health benefits because of #Obamacare -voted for him http://t.co/JSIFhRm42C
— ? Megan ? (@MeganSmiles) September 8, 2013
Joined #IBM 1983 partly for health plans. Now switching retirees to #Medicare plus. Won’t cover wife’s $400k/yr nursing bills?
— Douglas W. Cooper (@douglaswcooper) September 5, 2013
@kesgardner obamacare also means BUISNESS dropping their retirees into exchanges. Latest is IBM.
— Patricia Foht (@P00dy) September 2, 2013
IBM retirees aren’t the only block being moved to exchanges, and it was reported Time Warner is also switching up healthcare in the same way.
