Excesses are typically applied to a scheme as a cost containment measure.  In the case of NATS, £100 excess has been selected per person per scheme year.  Mercer (NATS scheme brokers) have seen an increase across their portfolio where clients are introducing an excess, with the ratio representing around 50%, with the £100 excess being the most commonly selected.  Insurers offer excess for one main reason, to bring costs down and contain excessive usage on schemes whereby claims costs have increased.

As part of the negotiation, an excess was offered as a means to share the risk between the insurer and the claimants.  The excess acts to discourage low level claimants and takes the cost of the excess out of the claims fund, as it’s funded directly by employees.  As the risk is shared, Bupa are able to pass some savings into their terms, and this tempers any potential increases.

Members and their dependants will pay the first £100 of any treatment incurred within the contract year 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2011. The excess is per life on the scheme, it is not per claim or per condition.

Once the first £100 is paid which will be either to the Hospital/ Consultant or Bupa directly then members will pay no further costs subject to the rules of the scheme and Bupa ruling on reimbursement levels.

Members must always call Bupa to pre-authorise any treatment and check the excess before accessing treatment to ensure that they will not be shortfalled in any way.

Please see the attached guide. Also, be aware that each request to drawdown pension in part or whole needs to provide the required notice (i.e. if you have drawn down any amount previously, you are still required to give the stated notice to draw down further amount).

The guide can be downloaded HERE.

On an odd occasion some Prospect members have discovered that their BUPA membership was never properly administered, which has resulted in some difficulties when trying to be referred.

If you do not have a current BUPA membership certificate, please check the bottom few lines of your pay slips for the “benefit in kind” deduction with narrative “medical”.

If your pay slip does not have that, and you believe you have BUPA membership please confirm with BUPA as soon as you can!

Please ensure you download the report form HERE.

What checks and when?

Age 40 and over

Every ATCO – Tonometry Test – Every 2 years.
(Optician may refuse to do this in isolation and require a full eye test)

If Glasses Required - Comprehensive Check
If outside the correction range of +5.00 dioptres to -6.00 dioptres every 2 years.
If within the range above a Comprehensive eye check every 5 years.

Below Age 40

If Glasses Required – Comprehensive Check

If outside the correction range of +5.00 dioptres to -6.00 dioptres every 2 years.
If within the range above a Comprehensive eye check every 5 years.

No Glasses – No Test Required

Important Information

THE EYE TEST MUST BE CURRENT ON THE DAY OF YOUR MEDICAL

IF THE EYE TEST EXPIRES DURING THE VALIDITY OF YOUR MEDICAL A NEW EYE TEST MUST BE TAKEN OR YOUR LICENCE IS NO LONGER VALID

IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A RECENT EYE TEST, ONE SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT BEFORE YOUR NEXT MEDICAL AS PER THE REQUIREMENTS STATED ABOVE (What Checks and When)

What happens if I ‘FAIL’ the tonometry test?

The regulations do not have a “normal” range for tonometry or a pass/fail criterion. If a result is found that is “clinically significant” then further investigations may be needed, but in general, raised IOP can be treated medically with eye drops and should not lead to loss of licence in the long term.

Reimbursement

NATS have in place a system of EYE CARE VOUCHERS as part of the DSE requirements (Display Screen Equipment). Each ATCO should complete the online assessment and then ask their appropriate Admin Department for the vouchers. Normally, the vouchers are to the value of £19.95; however the increased requirements for the ATCO Eye Test means the Optician will likely charge more. As a result Eye Care Vouchers to the value of £29.95 are now available (£19.95 plus a £10 top-up), which should cover all costs.

If however, the Eye Care Vouchers are not sufficient payment, a code is being set up to claim back any charges above the value of the vouchers (code will be placed here when it becomes available).

TOIL or release from duty, as per the ATCO Medical Agreement, will also be given.

Useful information

Please use the link to access the relevant ATSIN: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/ATSIN0165.pdf

Details of the European Medical Requirements can be found at: http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=49&pagetype=90&pageid=9659

Medical certificates issued before the 1st September 2009 will remain valid to the expiry date on the medical certificate, details of this regulation is at: http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/1943/20090713Exemption.pdf

Details of the Eye Care Voucher scheme can be found at: http://natsnet/healthsafety/Documents/HsgnG1901.htm & http://natsnet/fm/CTC/HealthSafetyDSE.asp (These links will only open at NATS locations)

ATCO Medicals – A guide to best practice can be downloaded HERE.

Further Downloads

Ophthalmology Examination Report for European Class 3 Medical

Guidance on ATCO Eye Tests

Comprehensive Eye Test Elements

ATCO Medical Agreement (NATSAG86)

Template Draw down 40yr rule

Template Draw down FRS Terms

Template Retire FRS Terms

Agreement reached on the following:

1. We have agreed to set the ‘costs’ at 4.5% until Dec 2010, after which will carry out the first 5yr review, then every 5yrs. If it exceeds 4.5%, then NATS will take the hit on this.
2. If after any review, the trustees advise that the ‘costs’ are below 4.5%, future ‘costs’ to the member may be reduced accordingly, subject to review by the DC Pension Committee
3. At each review, if there is a surplus in the ‘admin’ fund, it will be distributed appropriately to each current members ‘pot’
4. That communications around the DC scheme will tie into the same timeframe as that of the DB Scheme (i.e. annual member statements produced in December)
5. Medical retirement such as that for the DB Scheme does not work in a DC scheme. We have therefore agreed a Salary Protection scheme:
   a. Employee will receive 75% of basic salary for 5yrs
   b. At the end of 5yrs Employee will receive Lump Sum Basic Salary x 2
6. ATCO Loss of Licence will continue alongside the Salary Protection Scheme
7. Trust Deed and Rules are agreed.

So far, the set up costs (paid by NATS as one of costs) included are:

1. White Labelling investment funds
2. Trustee Training for yr1
3. Independent Chair Trustee costs yr1
4. T&RE costs for yr1 for ICT
5. All legal set-up cost
6. All admin set-up costs
7. Use of Stochastic Modeller
8. Reduction of Employee annual charge from £25 to £20  
9. Any additional set-up costs incurred

Jon Menice