Sick? Hurt? Can't Work?

You may be eligible to receive benefits, regardless of whether you are sick, injured, furloughed or suspended. Lower in the page are phone numbers and web links for the various BMWED Healthcare and Benefit Providers and Approved Work Place Accident Lawyers. Please contact these providers for answers to your benefit questions.

Don't Delay!

January 1, 2024 - Frontline Retiree Benefits Guide.

January 1, 2015 - BMWED Cash and Non-Cash Compensation as of January 1, 2015. Illustrated herein is the annual and monthly values attributed to cash and non-cash compensation accorded to Maintenance of Way employees under the terms of the April 25, 2012 National Agreement, and statutory benefits provided by applicable Federal law.

A chart was constructed using an average hourly wage of $25.59, the figure used by National Division to calculate National Division dues for Class I railroad employees for the calendar year 2015, and all figures are computed on the basis of an employee working straight time only on a twelve (12) month no-furlough basis. 

Obviously, figures for taxes paid by the Carrier and employee towards Railroad Retirement will vary based upon each employee's actual hourly rate of pay and number of hours worked in any calendar year. The point of the chart is to provide a reasonable example of economic value provided to BMWED members under the terms of the National Agreement and applicable Federal law. Also note that, the values for the health insurance include the actual amounts paid by the carriers to the various health insurance providers and administrators, including on-duty injury coverage. As you can see, those figures are greater than the amounts used to calculate the employee cost-sharing contribution. The employee cost sharing contribution remains the same as it did for 2013 and 2014 at $198.

Read the National Division's correspondence and view value chart here.

November 9, 2012 - Vision care for the National railroad plan GA23000 will be changing  from VSP to EyeMed effective January 1, 2013. Benefits will be managed exactly as outlined in the Railroad Employees National Vision Plan Summary meaning there will be no change to our plan's benefits or coverage. Call EyeMed's customer service at 855-212-6003 or visit their web site at www.eyemedvisioncare.com/railroad View a plan summary including in-network and out-of-network costs, along with a Q&A sheet here.

September 26, 2011 - Information concerning Freight members covered under the Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan (GA-23000). In late September, an enrollment notice will be mailed to our members who are covered. Reference is made to the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act which provides for enrollment of children to age 26. The PPACA (the Act) only applies to Medical care coverage, and not to Dental or Vision. View Enrollment notice here.

January 20, 2010 NEW YORK -- Managed care company UnitedHealth Group said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit jumped 30 percent on higher premium revenue, despite a continued decline in commercial enrollment, the Associated Press reported. Read More...

November 30, 2009 Guidelines for determining when employee cost-sharing contributions are required under the railroad employees National Health and Welfare Plan (GA-23000)

January 2009  Lancaster, Pennsylvania - update on the status of the United Health Care (UHC) network in the Lancaster area. UHC has established a special “800" number for our Lancaster members to address problems.  This service will provide the list of medical providers, but is also required to call these doctors for you and make sure that they will accept new patients. The number is 1-800-382-8131.

read General Chairman Dodd's letter updating UHC status.

The Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan Announces Effort to Collect Dependent Social Security Numbers To Comply With New Federal Law. Consequently, The Railroad Employees National Health and Welfare Plan (The Plan) is participating in an all-out effort to obtain Social Security Numbers (SSNs) for all covered dependents (wives, husbands and children) in order to achieve compliance with these new reporting requirements. In addition, the Medicare Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) will also be required for any dependent eligible for Medicare.

In order to get this initiative underway, Railroad Enrollment Services will begin mailing information to those members identified with missing dependent SSNs and/or HICWs. The members identified with missing dependent information should provide this information through a special direct mailing in early June...read more

Railroad Retirement Tax Rate to Increase. The amounts of compensation subject to railroad retirement tier I and tier II payroll taxes will increase in 2009. However, the tier I tax rate on employees and employers remains unchanged. Under the Railroad Retirement and Survivors’ Improvement Act of 2001, tier II tax rates are determined annually by an average...read more

October 28, 2008, representatives of the Cooperating Railway Labor Organizations (CRLO) and the National Carrier’s Conference Committee (NCCC) met with representatives of United Healthcare to set the rates for the 2009 renewal of coverage under Railroad Employees National Health and Plan (‘the Plan). As a result of that meeting, the monthly employee cost-sharing contribution for the 2009 calendar year will be $170.96; and increase of $4.71 over the 2008 contribution rate of $166.25.

View the BMWED National Division’s October 30, 2008 letter addressing these changes.

May 8, 2008 Important information for Lancaster, Pennsylvania area BMWED members and United Healthcare, including contact information to assist you in finding health care providers in the UHC network.