UMD Mass Layoffs, Medicare Advantage and What Workers Need to Know

Two conversations that cut to the heart of what workers and retirees are navigating right now — one about what happens when an employer decides union members are expendable, and one about finding the right healthcare coverage when the landscape keeps shifting. The University of Maryland, College Park, laid off more than 80 workers earlier this summer. More than 80% were union members. The university's nearly billion-dollar endowment went untouched. So did the president's $1 million-plus annual salary and the multi-million-dollar coaching contracts for coaches with losing records. And almost immediately after the layoffs were announced, the university lifted its hiring freeze. AFSCME Local 1072 President Todd Holden, union steward Sarah Eppley and laid-off member Sarah Grun describe what happened, why the local filed 40 grievances covering workers laid off while on FMLA, pursuing grievances or active in union organizing and how to sign the AFSCME toolkit letter to the University System of Maryland at afscmemd.org. Then, BCBS NLO Executive Director Merrilee Logue and BCBS Association Medicare market analyst Duncan Lawson discuss a Medicare Advantage landscape that has become more complicated for union retirees to navigate. For the second consecutive year, more than 2 million Medicare Advantage consumers had their plans terminated and even more saw their benefits reduced. Logue and Lawson explain which plans and regions have been most affected, why Medicare Advantage remains the most popular retiree coverage option despite the changes and what union members approaching 65 need to know to find coverage that fits — including how to work with a broker, check union fund coverage and take advantage of special enrollment periods. Visit afscmemd.org for more on the AFSCME Local 1072 fight and bcbs.com/MedicareAdvantage for Medicare Advantage resources. Follow @BlueLabor on LinkedIn and X for updates from the BCBS National Labor Office.