Anthem/BlueCross Hacking Precautions

This is an urgent message from our health provider, Blue Cross/Anthem, which as you may already know, fell victim to hackers earlier this week. A possible 80 million sensitive customer records were breached by hackers. 

New York residents who may have been impacted by the cyber attack against Anthem, should be aware of scam emails campaigns targeting current and former Empire BlueCross BlueShield and Empire BlueCross members. 

These scams, designed to capture personal information (known as “phishing”) are designed to appear as if they are from Anthem, (Empire’s parent company), and the emails include a “click here” link for credit monitoring. These emails are NOT from Anthem or Empire. 

• DO NOT click on any links in email. 
• DO NOT reply to the email or reach out to the senders in any way. 
• DO NOT supply any information on the website that may open, if you have clicked on a link in email.
• DO NOT open any attachments that arrive with email.

Empire also is NOT calling members regarding the cyber attack and is not asking for credit card information or social security numbers over the phone.
This outreach is from scam artists who are trying to trick consumers into sharing personal data. There is no indication that the scam email campaigns are being conducted by those that committed the cyber attack, or that the information accessed in the attack is being used by the scammers. 
Empire will contact current and former members via mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service about the cyber attack with specific information on how to enroll in credit monitoring. Affected members will receive free credit monitoring and ID protection services. 

For more guidance on recognizing scam email, please visit the FTC Website: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0003-phishing. Additional information about the cyber attack against Anthem is available at www.AnthemFacts.com.

If you have ANY concerns or questions, contact your Union Rep. asap.

Thursday Morning One Liners:

Arrajj said the supermarket tried to offer union members a $500 store gift card instead. "That doesn't help pay mortgages," he said.

-Dick Arrajj, who has been picketing in front of Shaw's stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for more than a week. From Today's Eagle Tribune, Massachusetts Shaw's workers picket at NH stores.

NY Daily News: Patsy's Pizza dishwasher sues for working conditions, compensation and firing

Brooklyn Eagle: More and more stores are going 'bagless' in Brooklyn.

WSJ: Some Harlem developers are having second thoughts on retail in Harlem.

A few years ago, real-estate developers had aggressive plans to bring trendy retail and office space to inner-city communities, which were attracting a growing middle class. Now, some of those developers are having second thoughts.  More @ WSJ.

Progressive Grocer: Walmart Opens 1,000th Money Center, Plans 500 More...

Walmart celebrated the grand opening of its 1,000th Walmart MoneyCenter in Chalmette, La., this week as it gears up to add another 500 locations this year.
“Walmart MoneyCenters are a cornerstone of our business and were specially created to give customers a welcoming environment where they can save when they cash checks, pay bills and transfer money,” said Jane Thompson, president, Walmart Financial Services. “Customers ask when their stores will get a Walmart MoneyCenter, so we are delighted to announce the expansion into approximately 500 more stores.”

Michelle Obama to food makers: Hurry up on Healthy Food!

You can check out BJ's Q4 Earnings Conference Call here.

Supermarket News: A&P has begun sending shoppers offers via text message and linking savings to their loyalty card when a reply message is received. Discounts are applied automatically when the card is swiped at the checkout.

Shaw's

Masssachusett's Shaw's workers picket at New Hampshire stores

Dick Arrajj has been picketing in front of Shaw's stores in New Hampshire and Massachusetts for more than a week. Arrajj has worked in the Methuen warehouse that ships food to Shaw's stores across New England for 20 years.

Along with other members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 791, Arrajj said he doesn't want to strike, but will continue until the supermarket and union make a deal.

Even though none of the employees in New Hampshire Shaw's stores are members of the union, Arrajj said customers have been sympathetic to their cause.

Arrajj said the supermarket tried to offer union members a $500 store gift card instead.

"That doesn't help pay mortgages," he said.

Show your support for Shaw's workers on Facebook and by signing the petition!

Politics, City & Nation

Steve Levy, the former Democratic Suffolk County Executive, announced he will switch parties and run for Governor of New York.  More @ New York Times.

Democrat & Chronicle: Fight over grocery stores' right to sell wine escalates.

NY Times: Democrats Inch Towards Securing Votes for Health Bill

NY Times: Jobs Bill passes with 11 Republican votes.

Crain's: Unions slam NYC Congressman over Health Care

The Obama health insurance overhaul has Democratic Rep. Mike McMahon caught between conservative constituents who oppose reform, and unions threatening to derail his political career if he rejects it.

Senate's Free Rider Provision Gives Nation's Largest Employer (Wal-Mart) A Free Ride

SENATE FREE RIDER PROVISION GIVES NATION’S LARGEST EMPLOYER A FREE RIDE

UFCW Releases Briefing Paper Detailing How Free Rider Provision Would Incentivize Irresponsible Walmart Employment Practices and Diminish Shared Responsibility for Health Care Reform

Washington, DC—The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) released a briefing paper, today, examining the impact of the Senate’s Free Rider provision on the nation’s largest private employer – retail giant Walmart.   The provision would have the unintended consequences of:

• Providing little or no incentive for Walmart to provide better care to its workers;
• Continuing Walmart workers’ dependence on federal and state subsidies for Medicaid and Medicare, and encourage Walmart to have even more workers dependent on Medicaid and Medicare;
• Making few, if any, Walmart workers eligible for tax credits to purchase better insurance through the health insurance exchange;
• Forcing low-income Walmart workers into high-deductible company-provided insurance;
• Incentivizing the hiring of a largely part-time workforce, and encourage reducing workers’ hours as a way to reduce health care costs.

The Free Rider provision currently would require that, if an employer with more than 50 employees has employees who receive a subsidy (i.e., tax credit) for insurance through an exchange, the employer has to pay a penalty that is the lesser of: The average national tax credit for insurance through exchanges multiplied by the number of full-time employees receiving the tax credit; or $750 times the total number of full-time employees of the company.

But if an employer has only part-time employees receiving tax credits for insurance purchased through an exchange, the employer pays no penalty. Employers also pay no penalty for workers who are on Medicaid or Medicare. And if employers offer bare bones, but high deductible, high co-pay coverage with low premiums, workers would be forced to accept this coverage, purchase coverage through an exchange without receiving tax credits, or pay a penalty for being uninsured—with the employer facing no penalty under the current free rider provision.

Walmart’s employment practices, including limited hours and pay that force many onto public assistance, as well as its cafeteria of health care plans that range from unaffordable premiums to unaffordable deductibles and co-pays for low end premiums would virtually exempt its workers from receiving tax credits for purchasing coverage through an exchange, and, consequently, exempt the company from any free rider penalty.

“A Free Rider provision that would have zero impact on Walmart is a problem,” said UFCW Executive Vice President Pat O’Neill. “The company employs 1.4 million workers in our country, and nearly 700,000 of those employees already get their health care insurance from public assistance, in the emergency room, or a spouse who has a responsible employer. President Obama laid down the principle that health care is a shared responsibility. If the country’s largest employer has no responsibility under the Senate Free Rider provision, then other employers will follow the Walmart example.”

Go to www.wakeupwalmart.com for a complete copy of the UFCW Free Rider Briefing Paper.

--#--

A further supporting actuarial analysis by the Segal Group of the value of a sample of Walmart’s health plans is available online.

Monday Morning One Liners...

Image via Wikipedia

Several Southern California grocers are planning store closings and layoffs due to the impact of today's tough economy, according to a published account.

Chuck Schumer to head the Senate immigration subcommittee.

Obama raises hopes for unions...

Bloomberg's popularity falls to a 4 year low.

STUDY: 14,000 people are losing health insurance every day

According to a report released by Health Care for America Now and the Center for American Progress, 14,000 Americans are losing health insurance every day during this economic crisis.

Wal-Mart has agreed to change its recruitment and hiring methods for over-the-road truck drivers, and pay $17.5 million to thousands who say they were denied the jobs because of their race, resolving a nationwide class-action lawsuit that was set for trial next month.

Wegman's plans on more 'southern expansion'.

Wal-Mart pays at least $352 million in wage violations, Study confirms that Wal-Mart is still not good for NYC...Happy Holidays

Image by Toban Black via Flickr
Wal-Mart said on Tuesday that it would pay at least $352 million, and possibly far more, to settle lawsuits across the country claiming that it forced employees to work off the clock. Several lawyers described it as the largest settlement ever for lawsuits over wage violations.

More at Supermarket News

A study released today by the non-profit Fiscal Policy Institute shows that retail is the industry sector that employs the biggest chunk of the 1.3 million low-wage workers in this city -- that is, workers earning less than $13 per hour. Nearly half of these 176,000 low-wage retail workers earn less than $10 an hour, and the majority lack health insurance.


More workers were fired at a Canada mushroom farm.

Retailers are offering President Elect Obama advice on how to lift the economy.

A curbed tipster says "The former Gristedes Supermarket located on West 14th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue is re-opening as a 'Trader John's' supermarket. I'm not quite sure what 'Trader John's' is all about but I'm thinking it might be similar to Trader Joe's. Who knows. The new store sign and awning have been hung."

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