Hourly Delphi retirees and retirees of its predecessor, Packard Electric, will lose their current comprehensive insurance coverage at the end of the year. Instead they'll either have to find a new policy on their own or switch to a high-deductible catastrophic health plan.
"This is the time we need the benefits," says retiree Chuck Nelson. "When we was young and strong, and healthy you know, we got it for nothing. Now we're old and falling apart."
"I'm a two time cancer survivor," says retiree Linda Fanfer. "And I need testing frequently. And I now have to have MRIs done and CT scans done, so it's going to affect me financially big time. Just like it is a lot of other people with preexisting conditions."
That's where Fanfer hopes former U.S. congressman Jim Traficant can help. Traficant came out to speak with retirees about their coverage concerns.
"If you all come together, work with the congress. Push the congress to make you whole. Push the congress to insure your health insurance," says Traficant.
Otherwise retirees could be stuck with a plan that cost them thousands in premiums and out of pocket expenses.
"Looking in the eyes of the people in that room made me very sad. And if we can bail out people all over the world, we've got to start bailing out if that's what it takes, our own people," says Traficant.
