Important!!! Namdeb Medical Fund! All ex Employees!

[Michael Alexander]

In all honesty I am not up to speed with the issue, but have heard from a number of older employees that if you were employed with the mine prior to 2006, you will still be covered.

Seem's like there are folk that are not happy with the current financial situation that the fund is currently in and I believe that at the last public meeting held in Oranjemund that there were three options given to members of the fund. Please read the attached Powerpoint presentation.

A concerned pensioner is worried that not all pensioners have been informed of the situation and has asked me to post the below:

TO NAMDEB PENSIONERS ON NAMDEB MEDICAL AID SCHEME
As some of you might not know, there is a strong possibility that the Namdeb Medical Aid Scheme as it is at present might fall away. Ballot papers to vote on the outcome of the Medical Aid will be sent to ALL members of the Medical Aid but as Pensioners does Namdeb or Prosperity Health (who manage the medical aid for Namdeb) know of your current address so that these ballot papers be sent to you. As pensioners can you afford to take out new Medical Aid, I think not, so it is important that we receive and vote on the serious issue.

When I hear more, I shall update.....

[Mike Thurtell]

Post retirement healthcare/insurance costs have been a contentious issue worldwide for a number of years, and our medical schemes operate on a year by year review basis. ALL the proposals I have ever seen have been designed to assist the employer and shareholders in containing costs - and "sweeteners" are usually provided to distract attention from what is going on. I doubt whether pensioners can be cut off as the medical scheme subsidy (CDM) was part of the remuneration package. Employees need to get a good labour lawyer who is acquainted with dealing with what is basically usually an intention to contain the cost of employee employees.

[Michael Alexander]

Here is an updated Newsletter for after the Extra Special Meeting held recently....

(You will need a .pdf reader to view this)

[Michael Alexander]

From an ex Oranjemunder, Mike Lucejko...

"Hi Mike... Thank goodness someone hasn't forgotten us pensioners !! I
can tell you now, there's NO WAY I want the Namdeb Medical Scheme
dissolved.. I have been a member for the past 35 years... I paid in
for 20 years without needing any help from the Medical Aid... I was
diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and thanks to the Medical aid I could
afford the best treatment.. Then again in 2002 I ended up in Hospital
needing surgery... If it wasn't for the Namdeb Medical Aid I would either be bankrupt or dead...

When I was employed with Namdeb (CDM at the time) I was offered, among
other things "Good Medical Aid" and a reasonable pension. So as far as
I am concerned... This voting is interfering with my "Terms of Employment"...
There is NO WAY I, as a pensioner could survive without Namdeb Medical
Aid and I'm quite certain that I speak for all Pensioners.... It's
when you get old that you need good medical care....

I am classified as a De Beers pensioner, so if people vote to dissolve
the medical aid  I expect the company to transfer me to the De Beers
Medical Scheme... The company must stick by it "Employment agreement"

Thanks for the message Mike....  please keep me informed

Mike Lucejko......"

[Michael Alexander]

Yet another Namdeb pensioner who was unaware of what was happening with their medical aid,

I include a part of their email to me....

"**** and I also do not wish the Namdeb Medical Scheme to be dissolved and
agree with the sentiments voiced by Mike Lucejko in his recent letter to you
in this connection.



Although we receive correspondence regarding the scheme through the post,
this can take anything from two to six weeks to be received and often, if a
reply is called for by a certain date, it is too late as happened recently
with notification of the Annual General Meeting.  This was only received by
us on 23rd June 2015."

I think the mine will have to create a database with all their pensioners email address's in order to keep them up to speed with things that have a bearing on them!

[Bertie Horak]

De Beers has my Dad's postal address as well as e-mail address which I monitor for him.  He has received his Tax certificate via e-mail, but nothing regarding the medical scheme. Will ask him today if he received anything in the post.
Once again Thanx Mike for keeping us up to date!

[Mike Voden (RIP)]

Hi Bertie, it is the Namdeb Medical Aid Scheme which could be affected, not De Beers. I think they are still OK.

Quit often, we also get mail which is past the voting date and there is nothing much mentioned about what is going to happen to us pensioners.

Come on Namdeb, keep us in the loop as well please...................!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bertie Horak]

Yes, apparently he had a choice between the Namdeb Medical aid, or De Beers Benefit Society medical aid when he retired 22 years ago.  He is on De Beers, fortunately, and should not be affected by this. 
But he would still like to know what's going on. I will print the links for him to read.
Really hope the pensioners are not left in the dark...

[Carl Wrbka]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the info. My mom is also still on the De Beers Benefit Society scheme and so far nothing was communicated from them that any changes are forthcoming.

[Michael Alexander]

LATEST UPDATE FROM THE MINE:

[Andrew Darné]

The "company" may or may not know of your existance as an employee while you are on site.... so how can you expect to be remembered or considered for being kept informed if you are retired and away from site...???
The old saying of out of sight, out of mind is a reality around here.... sad but true.

Need some of you old bokke back in the village to keep the current generations ever mindful of who paved the road they are cruising along on now.

[Michael Alexander]

A person showed me their ballot paper.

Besides the spelling mistake of the name Oranjemund on page3 , I got to thinking about this fiasco.

In this day and age, why are we not using modern technology to cast important votes like this?

One of the conditions of the ballot, is that the pensioners are responsible for "posting" their ballot on time.

Gee! With the current status of the South African Postal system, this method of "casting" your vote does not seem fair for such an important issue.

I was in Cape Town last week and heard from a number of pensioners about how concerned they were as they had not received their ballot papers yet.

For those of you who are still awaiting your documents..... have a look at what you should be expecting.....

[Michael Alexander]

Having a chat on the floor with younger NAMDEB employees yesterday, the consensus appears to be   that the "older" retired folk are draining the fund as they age.......

I once read an article in an American magazine, that was asking the question , "Who wants to live to be old?" , basically stating with current medical technology people can live longer, but went on to pose the question at what financial cost?

A very topical and emotional debate indeed.

Somebody mentioned, that if we had a more competent hospital as we had in the "old" days, people would be able to get better treatment locally instead of being medivac'd out on expensive planes or being placed on a regular bus trip to Cape Town at a much greater cost. This includes accommodation costs.

It is of my own personal opinion, that if our local health facility was reformed to it's previous enviable status...(the one where folk came from Rosh Pinah, Alexander Bay, Baken, The Debmarine boats to be treated" ..instead of the situation where people are travelling to Rosh Pinah and Springbok to seek medical advice, then a major saving could be made here.

I was at a Doctor's office recently in Springbok and was amazed to hear from the receptionist there about the increasing number of Oranjemunder's that were now on their books.

That be me rant for 2 cents for the day.......

[Nada Ulbrich (Rall)(RIP)]

"Somebody mentioned, that if we had a more competent hospital as we had in the "old" days, people would be able to get better treatment locally instead of being medivac'd out on expensive planes or being placed on a regular bus trip to Cape Town at a much greater cost. This includes accommodation costs."

Please define what services in the hospital? It is to put every one under this description.

And as a point of interest - it was not the older employees and pensioners that was milking the fund.

Maybe I'm biased because I work there  .

[Michael Alexander]

Please define what services in the hospital? It is to put every one under this description.

And as a point of interest - it was not the older employees and pensioners that was milking the fund.

Maybe I'm biased because I work there  .

At last, a person willing to debate the issue!

From a personal perspective, I rate the following sections of our local hospital. The reception, The Pharmacy, The radiography and the super friendly laboratory .......

Knowing where I work, I have a lot of informal discussion with folk on the shop floor and there can be no denying the increasing  number of silent people that are popping through to Rosh Pinah to see one Dr.Lucy.

As stated earlier, I went to see a Doctor in Springbok a few weeks back, thinking that I was one of a handful of folk that might be visiting, I was astonished to hear from his receptionist that there were in fact quite a few Oranjemunders on their books now.

I do not have hard core numbers , but I am sure if we compared the number of medivac flight's visiting our town during the year 2014/2015 compared to 2009/2010, there would be a marked increase? I hear the planes and tales on a regular basis.

Surely the above points point to a reason why people are going to other external medical consultations?

I heard from a medical professional from a neighbouring town how mortified they were with the service they received from local medical personnel when bringing a sick patient to the hospital recently. 

Why does nobody want to talk about these important issues ?


Nada, I am interested to hear you say that it is not the retired people that are draining the fund, somebody should inform those that attend the mass meetings and inform the local members to the facts.......

I ain't taking sides about this issue, but constructive debate is a good thing...... just wish the people that are affected  would be more vocal.....

Cheers & go well

M