Aetna Fixes Deductible Foul-Up

Swift Action by IAPE Members Prevents Healthcare Cost Error

A coding error by Aetna last week caused several Dow Jones employees to worry 2025 was going to be a very expensive year for healthcare.

On Thursday, keen-eyed IAPE members noticed that calendar year deductible amounts for Aetna POS II plan subscribers had ballooned to $3,300 for in-network coverage and $6,600 for out-of-network expenses, rather than the $600 and $1,200 amounts defined in 2025 open enrollment materials. Calls to Aetna customer service confirmed the significantly higher deductible amounts.

After members contacted the IAPE office with questions about the accuracy of Aetna’s records, union officials immediately alerted the Dow Jones Legal Department to the new deductible rates. News Corp’s Benefits Department responded to IAPE on Friday morning with news that an Aetna coding error caused inaccurate deductible amounts to be applied to POS II subscribers. The Benefits Department said that all Aetna records should be corrected this week.

The company credited IAPE members for bringing this error to its attention.

This POS II deductible snafu is a great example of how union members can join together, share information and resolve problems in the workplace. Members brought an issue to the attention of management, through their union representatives, and received timely updates via IAPE Slack (if you’re a member who has not yet subscribed, you can register here). Management acted quickly to correct an error in a contractually-protected benefit.

If you are aware of a workplace problem you believe needs to be addressed by IAPE, please email the union office or contact one of your area IAPE Directors.