• John Lynch
Senior Vice President
Human Resources
GE
3135 Easton Turnpike
Fairfield, CT 06828
October 2010
2010 was a landmark year for health care in the United States and at our Company. At GE,we started
the year with a new health care plan for salaried employees in response to unsustainable cost
increases, the first new plan since 1989. At about $3 billion annually, you can understand how health
care costs impact GE'scompetitiveness.
While there are some things we can change, there are others that are outside of our control. Health
care costs in the U.S.have been increasing over the past several years at two-to-three times the rate of
inflation due to price increases, greater use of services, and inefficiencies in the system. GEhas
experienced similar results over the past decade and the challenge we face continues to build.
The new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act adopted earlier this year provides health care
access to all Americans and it also expands coverage for you as outlined in the attached guide. This
law will be phased in over several years. New benefits like offering preventive care screenings as
recommended by the U.S.Preventive Services Task Force free of charge, extending coverage to
dependent children up to age 26 and removing lifetime maximums will cost GEmore. However, there is
much to learn about how the implementation will unfold. GEhas the right to pass these costs on to you
. in the form of higher contributions, but we've elected to absorb these additional costs this year as we
take time to understand the impacts.
During the past year, we hope you have taken a more active role managing your health and health
care. We have been making investments to help you by adding and expanding tools. These include:
• Expanded Health Coach hours to include 24/7 voluntary and confidential access to medical
professionals to help you make informed decisions like when to use the emergency room;
• A new online and mobile application, Health Answers, to give you better access to information
when you need it; and
• Free,easy-to-use, voluntary and confidential tools like the Health RiskQuestionnaire and
Lifestyle Coaching to help you understand your health and take steps to be healthier.
We know you want a good health care plan at a fair price. We share that goal, and are working hard
every day to provide access to high-quality health care, control costs and offer a competitive benefits
package. We want to thank you for your support during this unprecedented time of change.
Sincerely,
J~';h~vIv--
John F. Lynch
SeniorVice President
Human Resources
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