AT&T, Located worldwide First Quarter Newsletter …...AT&T Ameritech /SBC Retirees Proudly working on behalf of retirees of the Bell System and successor companies of the New AT&T,

AT&T Ameritech /SBC Retirees Proudly working on behalf of retirees of the Bell System and successor companies of the New

AT&T, Located worldwide

First Quarter Newsletter March 31, 2017

What’s New in This Issue?

From the Desk of Carole Lovell, President Carole comments on the results of investigating the legality of recent changes in healthcare coverage for grandfathered retirees and those under 65 but on Medicare due to disability.

News Register March 2017, No 001 AT&T Introduces a New Retiree Website

Legislative Ledger 2017 03, No 002 From the Desk of Larry Smith: Big Pharma Tips the Scale on Importation of Drugs from Canada ---------------------------------- Previously Published at AASBCR.org The following bulletins have previously been published electronically for AASBCR® members with email and are available on the website. They are included here for members without email capability.

Blue Bulletins: Vol 12, No 001 Care Plus - an AT&T Healthcare Benefit

Vol 12, No 002 Reminder for Medicare Retirees with AON Retiree Healthcare Vol 12, No 003 AASBCR Veteran Members Legislative Ledgers: 2017 01, No 001 From the Desk of Larry Smith News Register: 2017 13, No 001 New AT&T Website All published documents are also available to members on the website at http://aasbcr.org !

AASBCR® Staff AASBCR® Executive Board Carole Lovell President and Director of Membership & Benefits Richard Runge Secretary Chet Przybyslawski Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Larry Smith Vice President - Legislation & Regulation Mary Foley Vice President - Communications Martha Neville Vice President – Technology Ben A. Goodin Attorney – Agent AASBCR® Directors/Volunteers Pat Doucette Benefits Director Diana Sabon Benefits Director Kathy Nehrenz Database Administrator David Blakeley Website Document Manager Al Schwartzenberg Planning Calendar Manager AASBCR® State Representatives Florida, Louisiana Pat Reichard Illinois Donna Cummings, Robert Hiemenz Indiana Doug Ledgerwood Kansas, Missouri, Texas Rene Miller Michigan Eugene Oakie Ohio Lee Grimes, Wisconsin Carol Linder Remaining States Pamela Zitron !

From the Desk of Carole Lovell, President March 2017

My fellow retirees, For those retirees who are under 65 and on Medicare due to disability, and for those Grandfathered” retirees who retired on or before 1989, 1990, or 1991, depending on from where you retired, AASBCR® has asked questions of appropriate support organizations and has found no party indicating that AT&T has done something illegal. One group said “While I sympathize, I hear nothing that is illegal”.

I would again like to express the thanks of the AASBCR® Board and Directors to all members who have given over and above the annual dues. We appreciate all your donations and will put your donations to good use.

AASBCR® has been blessed to have a number of new members join our organization. Welcome to all of you. Many of you are newly retired and are knowledgeable in areas such as Benefits, IT, Marketing and Sales. AASBCR® is always looking for more volunteers. Please consider offering your services and assisting the group of volunteers who assist all our retiree members. The National Retiree Legislative Network (NRLN) is our national partner. The NRLN works in Washington DC with our Congress and is always fighting for retiree friendly legislation. When you receive an Action Alert from the NRLN, please reply to it and call or send an email to your Senators and Representative. Congress does respond to calls and emails/letters regarding legislation and retirees are a very large group. Together we can move our Congress to work for us, rather than the lobbyists. I hope that you all can enjoy Easter. Enjoy getting together with friends and family. Stay healthy, safe, and happy. Carole Lovell

Office / Fax Number (312) 962-2770 P.O. Box 7477, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-7477

http://aasbcr.org/

PO#Box#7477#Buffalo#Grove#IL###6008977477####Phone/FAX#(312)#96272770######http://aasbcr.org/##

This communication is Private and Confidential. It is intended only for viewing by AASBCR® Members. Copying or forwarding of this communication is not authorized by AASBCR®.

AT&T Ameritech /SBC Retirees - We are AASBCR® Blue Bulletin

VOL 012 NO 001 January, 2017

Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. Remember, there is more to AASBCR® than information. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree Legislative Network - NRLN and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight. Care Plus – an AT&T Healthcare Benefit Many retirees have had changes to their medical coverage this year. Before accepting that a procedure or therapy is not covered, check out Care Plus benefits. Care Plus is the supplemental benefit program usually offered at $1 per person per month. In 2017, AT&T is providing Care Plus to retirees at no cost. For more information, refer to the SPD dated September 2016. You should have received it either in email or by U.S. mail. You can also download the SPD at the AT&T Benefit Center website https://leplb0760.portal.hewitt.com/web/att/login?forkPage=false

Here are a few of the many procedures, therapies and items covered by Care Plus: - Diabetes Supplies needed to use the Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device, which paired with the Insulin Pump, is also known as “Closed System,” (e.g., Medtronic’s MiniMed 530G Artificial Pancreas Device). - Hearing Aid Allowance - Care Plus will reimburse up to $1,000 toward

the purchase of hearing aid(s) for routine hearing loss during a rolling 36- month period beginning on the first date of purchase. This benefit is available only if you are eligible for expanded benefits and the following conditions are met:

•You have exhausted your base medical program benefits for hearing aids or benefits for hearing aids under other health coverage in which you are enrolled. •The hearing aid must be determined by an Audiologist to be medically necessary.

- Orthopedic Procedures, Devices and Therapies, including hand transplant to replace all or part of a person’s hand.

- Stem Cell Transplant (including bone marrow) for some cancers. - Active Immunotherapy and/or Vaccines for treatment of some cancers. - Gene Transfer Therapy for some cancers as well as Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, hereditary anemias and other hereditary diseases. - Gene Transfer Therapy for cardiovascular disease and other vascular

procedures, devices, and therapies.



To receive benefits under the traditional benefit provisions of Care Plus, you must receive prior approval from the benefits administrator. You must receive written confirmation of approval before you incur expenses in connection with a covered procedure or covered service, including evaluation or acceptance into a treatment program. If you do not receive the required prior approval, the procedure or service will not be covered. To request prior approval, you or your provider must contact the benefit administrator’s customer service center. To reach a customer care professional (to confirm whether a specific procedure is covered or to obtain prior approval for a covered procedure) the telephone number 877-261-3340. The customer service center is available Monday through Friday from 7 AM. to 7 PM. central time, except some holidays. You will be asked to provide the following: - A complete diagnosis of your condition, where required under the program, - An explanation of benefits or prior claim denial showing that the covered procedure or covered service is not covered under your base medical program or other medical coverage, or that benefits available under your base medical program or other coverage have been exhausted, - The recommended procedure or treatment, - The complete name of the facility where the treatment or procedure will be performed as well as the treatment protocol. If you use an approved provider for treatment, the program will cover 100 percent of the negotiated rate for the covered procedure or service for which you have received prior approval. If you use a non-approved provider, the benefits paid by Care Plus are generally less than if you used an approved provider. In that case the provider may bill you for the balance. Please check with the Care Plus customer service group before assuming there is no coverage for your procedure or service. AASBCR® is always working for its retiree members.

Proudly working on behalf of retirees of the Bell System and successor companies of the

New AT&T, located worldwide




VOL 012 NO 002 January, 2017

Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. Remember, there is more to AASBCR® than information. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree Legislative Network - NRLN and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight. Reminders for Medicare Retirees With the Aon Retiree Health Exchange A similar bulletin was published in January, 2016 For 2017, retirees with the Aon Retiree Health Exchange should be aware that: - Eligible 2016 medical expenses must be submitted to Aon Hewitt for reimbursement by March 31, 2017. Expenses can be submitted electronically at Aon Hewitt’s website, https://retiree.aon.com/att. If you do not have internet access, you may call Aon Hewitt at 1-800-928-8027 and ask for the YSA - Your Spending Account Team. - AT&T offers a Catastrophic Prescription Drug Benefit. If you or your eligible dependent are enrolled in a Medicare Part D Plan, and your actual out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs totaled more than $5,000 during 2016, you may be eligible for additional HRA credits under the program. Requests for credit must be submitted by March 31, 2017 for eligible 2016 expenses. Refer to the Monthly Prescription Drug Summary from your provider of the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The summary will provide your actual out-of-pocket prescription drug expenses.

You must send a copy of the Monthly Prescription Drug Summary, and

the Catastrophic Drug Credit Request Form, to the YSA Service Center. Instructions are shown on the form. The Claims Administrator will determine your eligibility for additional HRA Crediting under the Program.

You may access the form by calling the Aon Retiree Health Exchange at 800-928-8027, or on the YSA Service Center web page (https://retiree.aon.com/att). After logging in, click My Account, at the top of the page. Then click The HRA on the left side of the page, and select the green box, Manage My AT&T Account, in the center of the page. At the top of the page choose the tab Knowledge Center. Under the heading Other Documentation, select Catastrophic Prescription Drug Credit Request Form. Page forward to page 4 to see the form.



Only those prescription drugs included in the approved formulary list of the Medicare Part D Plan in which you or your eligible dependent are enrolled are eligible under the Catastrophic Prescription Drug Benefit. If you are not enrolled in a Medicare Part D Plan, you are not eligible for the Catastrophic Prescription Drug Benefit. - Any money left in your 2016 HRA will roll over, and will be accessible in 2017 for eligible medical expenses. - Tax form 1095c, regarding medical coverage, shows the months of the year that you and/or your dependents were offered or enrolled in medical coverage including coverage through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange. This form will not replace any state forms you may receive providing proof of medical insurance. Tax forms, W-2, reporting imputed income for healthcare benefits, as well as form 1095c, should be mailed no later than January 31. Please allow seven to ten business days for delivery. We have no information from AT&T at this time about how, or if, online access will be available to retrieve these tax forms.

SUMMARY • Eligible 2016 expenses must be submitted by March 31, 2017. • The Catastrophic Prescription Drug Benefit may offer additional HRA

Crediting Amounts. Be sure to fill out the proper form and send all needed documents to the YSA (Your Spending Account) Service Center.

• Remaining money from the 2016 HRA can be used in 2017 for eligible medical expenses.

• Look for forms 1095c, confirming medical coverage and W-2, reporting imputed income, in the mail in late January or early February.

AASBCR® is always working to keep you informed and to assure that our members receive all benefits to which they are entitled.






VOL 012 NO 003 February, 2017

Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. Remember, there is more to AASBCR® than information. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree Legislative Network - NRLN and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight. AASBCR® Veteran Members

As a reminder, for retirees to receive the total HRA (Health Resources Account) of $2,700.00 they must purchase a Medicare Supplement Plan or a Medicare Advantage plan and/or a Medicare D prescription drug plan. Those retirees who are enrolled in TriCare For Life (TFL) usually have no need to purchase such plans. As a consequence, dependents of such retirees are denied HRA funds of $1,500 because the retiree has not purchased the required insurance.

Please keep in mind that AT&T has offered a small HRA of $300 for a TFL retiree who purchases dental and/or vision insurance through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange. If the dependents of retirees who have purchased dental and/or vision insurance through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange also purchase dental and/or vision insurance through the Aon Exchange, they would receive an HRA of $200. As to medication coverage for those veterans on TFL, you don't need to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to keep your TriCare benefits. For most TriCare beneficiaries, there is very little advantage to enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan. Before deciding whether or not to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan, you should compare it with your TFL prescription drug plan. Be sure to compare monthly premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and drug coverage. If you do decide to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan remember:

• TFL will pay second after Medicare. • You can enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period or the Open

Enrollment Period each year. • The Open Enrollment Period is October 15 to December 7, with

prescription drug coverage beginning the next January 1st.



• In the Medicare coverage gap - donut hole - Medicare pays nothing, beneficiaries pay 100%. TRICARE becomes the primary payer - beneficiaries pay the TRICARE copays

For all retirees who utilize the VA medical care facilities, due to the issues surrounding Veterans Affairs and delays in seeing veterans, Congress passed a law called Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA). The following is an explanation of a part of this new law called the Veterans Choice Program by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

If you are already enrolled in VA health care, the Choice Program allows you to receive health care within your community. Using this program does NOT impact your existing VA health care, or any other VA benefit. You are eligible if any of these situations apply to you:

• You have been (or will be) waiting more than 30 days for VA medical care

• You live more than 40 miles away from a VA medical care facility or face one of several excessive travel burdens.

If you’d like to talk to someone about the VA Choice program, call the US Department of Veteran Affairs at 1-866-606-8198. Remember that the Choice Program does not impact your existing VA health care or any other VA benefit. If you are satisfied with your wait time at a VA facility and wish to continue waiting for VA care, there is nothing you need to do at this time. Care in the community is only covered by VA for medical needs which have been approved by your VA physician. The Veteran Choice Program is part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA). To learn more about VACAA, go to the VA website at www.http://va.gov/opa/choiceact AASBCR® always working to keep all of its retiree members informed.



AT&T Ameritech /SBC Retirees – We are AASBCR® Proudly working on behalf of the Bell System and successor companies of the New AT&T, located throughout the World

PO Box 7477 Buffalo Grove IL 60089-7477 Phone/FAX (312) 962-2770 http://aasbcr.org/ This communication is Private and Confidential. It is intended only for viewing by AASBCR® Members. Copying or forwarding of this communication is not authorized by AASBCR®.

Legislative Ledger

January 2017, NO 001

Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. Remember, there is more to AASBCR® than information. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree legislative Network - NRLN and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight.

From the Desk of Larry Smith, VP Legislation If you are reading this bulletin a few things are certain. You have survived one of the rowdiest Presidential Elections in modern history. Secondly, that this election produced the first President who, at least verbally, has declared, “The drug companies are getting away with murder. We're the largest buyer of drugs in the world, and yet we don't bid properly, and we're going to save billions of dollars." AASBCR® and the NRLN have had prescription drug prices as a top priority for the past three years. It has been a significant and sometimes frustrating learning curve to find that the rules and values most of us grew up with in the "telephone company" simply don't apply. For example, Americans in general pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, particularly for drugs manufactured within the United States. The difference between what we pay and what those in other countries pay for prescription drugs isn't even close. Americans often pay more than 30%-80% more, even when compared with our neighbor to the North whose population is roughly 10% the size of our own. We have provided Senators and Representatives and their staffs with detailed "white papers" describing the pricing abuse and its impact on seniors. We've provided prototype Congressional Bills that would address the problems, ready for filing and we have met with leadership in the FDA and the Department of Commerce. The result was a great number of warm handshakes, Bills filed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and all of them were dispatched to the dreaded Committees where even many of the best of the Bills die. In my opinion, pharmaceutical drug pricing in America today is a direct result of two things. The first is the truly stunning amount of lobbying the



pharmaceutical and medical service industries do, as well as the money they spend. The second as noted in a New York Times article last December, is "Medicare's inability to negotiate over prices is one of the biggest tragicomedies in all of government." The situation stems from the 2003 law that created the Medicare Part D drug benefit, but mandated that the job of negotiating would be farmed out to myriad insurance companies that don't approach government's pricing power to buy in bulk. According to the New York Times the argument used by Big Pharma and its congressional allies to sell this unusual procedure was (and we're not making this up) that negotiating directly to save taxpayer money constituted Big Government. It appears that the Government negotiating directly for new aircraft, naval vessels, highway bridges and other construction projects doesn't count. We are poised at an unprecedented point to get significant relief from pharmaceutical drug prices through Congress. The work that AASBCR® and the NRLN have done these past three years including proposing Bills, personal visits to Congressmen, White Papers and your improved willingness to contact Congress in support of our efforts, is making a difference. The recent petition to then President - Elect Trump resulted in over 5,800 signatures being placed in Trump’s office. Of the 50 States and Puerto Rico who responded, Michigan was number 2 and Illinois was number 5 in total responses. In our most recent Action Alert AASBCR had a response rate of just over 9% of our membership. I've been in Congressional offices and watched as they count and categorize every call, email and letter. I can't tell you how important your participation is. What I can say to you is thank you for helping us help you.



Legislative Ledger

March 2017, NO 002 Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree legislative Network - NRLN and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight. From the Desk of Larry Smith, VP Legislation: Big Pharma Tips the Scales on Importation of Drugs from Canada For the first time in memory, the President of the United States has proactively, publicly and repeatedly identified drug pricing as abusive and needing to be addressed. Additionally, members of both the Republican and Democratic leadership have gone on record in support of addressing the runaway and abusive pricing of pharmaceuticals. On March 20th at a rally in Louisville, President Trump once again committed to "lowering pharmaceutical prices by implementing a competitive bidding process," a process used by every Western nation except for the United States. Your AASBCR® and NRLN staffs have been getting face to face with your elected officials and their legislative aides for the past three years on this issue. While this issue is a hot topic in Washington we need your support like never before. Please, contact your Senators and Representatives regardless of political affiliation and let them know you want the abusive prices of pharmaceuticals fixed and you want it fixed now. To find your Congressmen, go to the NRLN website at NRLN.org. On the right side of the front page, enter your zip code and it will identify your Congressional representatives and how to reach them. If you need help feel free to call me at 815-498-3508. Thank you in advance for helping us to help you. Larry Smith VP - AASBCR® The following is an excerpt from the NRLN: It is amazing that we have recently seen in at least one state (Washington) TV ads sponsored by BIG PHARMA (PhRMA - pharmaceutical industry group) asking constituents to call their Senators' offices and thank them for voting against an amendment to a budget bill that would have allowed



importation of prescription drugs from Canada. (The bill lost in the senate 52 to 48 with 13 Democrats among those against.) What Chutzpah! This is somewhat incredulous, as many of these Senators have already been generously rewarded with big campaign contributions from this industry. Don't be misled by BIG PHARMA's propaganda on this matter. Scare tactics in the form of misleading information, stating the danger of drugs imported in person or over the Internet from certified pharmacies, as proposed by bills in Congress, was exaggerated. The NRLN has supported bills and initiatives that have garnered bi-partisan support from Senators McCain, Klobuchar, Grassley, and Sanders. http://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/senators-ask-hhs-secretary-price-to-sign-off-canadian-imports . These bills would allow importation under strict rules including having a prescription and would mandate the FDA to oversee it working with Canadian authorities, government and industry. We also have written Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price as have the Senators mentioned above to allow such importation. Trump, while campaigning, was in favor of importation of prescription drugs. For over a decade Americans have crossed the border to get their meds for much less than half the cost in the USA and several border states passed bills allowing it. It is time to allow controlled importation over the Internet of such medication. Senators, like Patty Murray from Washington state turned coat on retires and threw them under the bus now that she has received nearly $674,000 from Pharma. She voted no to an amendment to a bill, which called for safe prescription drug importation from Canada. As for campaign donations by the pharmaceutical industry (or any industry) to your politicians, check them for yourselves at http://www.opensecrets.org/. View an example showing that Senator Patty Murray (WA) has received $673,669 in campaign and Leadership PAC (Political Action Committee) contributions from the Pharmaceutical and Health Products Industry. Bill Kadereit - President - National Retirees Legislative Network Bob Martina, VP - National Retiree Legislative Network

PO Box 7477 Buffalo Grove IL 60089-7477 Phone/FAX (312) 962-2770 http://aasbcr.org/


The News Register We are AT&T Ameritech/SBC Retirees - AASBCR®

March 2017 NO 001

Reminder to AASBCR® retiree members - Bulletins and the website are paid for by AASBCR® members. Please do not share with non-members. Remember, there is more to AASBCR® than information. We work with AT&T HR and with the National Retiree Legislative Network ( NRLN) and Congress in support of retirees. Our dues pay for all of this. Encourage retiree friends to join and support AASBCR® in our fight. AT&T Introduces a New Retiree Website AASBCR® has been informed by AT&T HR that the new Retiree Website will be opening soon. AASBCR® Benefit Directors had the opportunity to preview the website. AT&T will send out an Announcement Letter to all retirees. Retirees will begin receiving the letters after March 20. Please read the letter as it explains how to register for the Global Log-on and provides your PIN. Keep the information for future use. It is important to note that the logon retirees may have had for the old Access website will not work. If you already have a Global Logon for Equifax to receive your W2s and 1095Cs electronically, that logon will work for this new website. The letter will also provide information on HR OneStop Assistance with your one-time PINs that are needed to login. The new website offers portals to the AT&T Benefit Center, Fidelity, retiree discounts. It also offers access to Equifax for those retirees who receive W2s and/or 1095Cs electronically. There is a Retiree News section available. You can also sign up or remove yourself from EBenefits and the Retiree News Letter. Finally, there is a section titled In Memory. It has downloadable lists of both active and retired employees who have passed away. Please be sure to check out this new website as it is an upgrade from the former Access website. AASBCR® is always working to keep its members informed.

Documents

AT&T, Located worldwide First Quarter Newsletter …...AT&T Ameritech /SBC Retirees Proudly working on behalf of retirees of the Bell System and successor companies of the New AT&T,