WASHINGTON — Long term federal unemployment benefits expired Dec. 1 for hundreds of thousands of jobless as the lame-duck Congress failed to take action to extend them. Millions more will lose benefits if Congress does not act. Federal unemployment benefits had begun af [...]
An agreement was reached with the carriers’ National Railway Labor Conference to extend until Dec. 31, 2010, the deadline for enrolling eligible dependent children for coverage under the National Railway Carriers and UTU Health and Welfare Plan (NRC/UTU) or the Railroad [...]
An educational website focusing on sleep, sleep disorders and fatigue management is being created in a collaborative effort among the UTU, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Federal Railroad Administration, sleep medicine experts at Harvard Medical Scho [...]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says that while the standard monthly Part B premium will rise to $115.40 in 2011, most Medicare beneficiaries will not see an increase in their monthly Part B premiums. This is because of a hold-harmless provision in current la [...]
After a lifetime of hard work, SMART TD rail, bus and airline members look forward to a secure retirement. In an ideal world, it would be that simple. In the real world, careful planning and attention to detail are essential. Topping the list of retirement concerns are money [...]
To apply for Railroad Retirement or Social Security benefits, you must provide certain information, and it is suggested you begin the process at least three months prior to your anticipated retirement date. You will need the following information to register successfully for [...]
How long will you live after you retire, and will you have enough money to live on comfortably? Good question. That’s why – before you retire – you should think about post-retirement economic security, because few things could be worse than money running out [...]
Medicare is the primary health insurance for retirees and their spouses. It is available for those over age 65, those under 65 with certain disabilities, and those of any age with permanent kidney failure. It consists of Parts A, B, C and D. Part A helps cover inpatient care [...]
Although UTU members participating in the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan and the National Railway Carriers and United Transportation Union Health and Welfare Plan (NRC/UTU) have received notices that they must provide Social Security and Medicare Health I [...]
Diabetes is a lifelong disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can affect your heart, kidneys and eyes, and is the number one cause for amputation and blindness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in every 10 Americans now suffe [...]