United Post-Medicare Retiree Medical Coverage
Planning for Post-Medicare (age 65) Insurance Options
Three (3) months prior to a retiree's (or spouse’s) 65th birthday they should receive a Personal Enrollment Form for post-Medicare options along with the rates for each plan.
There are two (2) options for post-Medicare retirees:
- The Medical PPO Option, or
- the Drug Only Option.
The Personal Enrollment Form will provide rates for each plan.
Clarification of One Post-Medicare Medical Plan
There is no longer a Medicare Supplement Plan. There is only one post-Medicare medical plan - previously called the Medicare Comprehensive Plan. It is the same as the Medical PPO Plan.
These changes went into effect on July 1, 2003 for all effective retirements after that date and became effective on October 1, 2004 for all pre-July 1, 2003 retirement dates.
There is no longer Coordination of Benefits between the Retiree Post-Medicare Medical Plan and Medicare. Maintenance of Benefits is now in effect. Therefore, the Retiree Medical Plan will not pay the additional 20% until the retiree's out-of- pocket reaches $1,500.
For example, if Medicare pays 80% of a covered expense, the 20% will go toward the $1500 out-of-pocket. If Medicare pays nothing of a Covered Expenses under the Medical PPO, the Medical PPO will pay up to 80%.
What to Do If Eligible for Early Medicare (prior to age 65)
Any retiree or spouse eligible for early Medicare (prior to age 65) should contact the Benefits Service Center at 1-888-825-0188 and send them a copy of his or her Medicare card. The Benefits Service Center should then send a Personal Enrollment Form to enroll in one of the Post-Medicare options.
If enrollment in a post-Medicare option is not completed, the retiree (or spouse) will be billed on a retroactive basis back to the date they first became eligible for Medicare. This retroactive billing could be incurred for up to 2 years of past due Post-Medicare premiums when the Benefits Service Center discovers that the retiree or spouse was eligible for early Medicare coverage.
In other words, if the Benefits Service Center is not notified of the eligibility for early Medicare and health care claims are paid or premiums are deducted under the PPO instead of Medicare, there will be retroactive billing when the situation is discovered.
Retiree Medical Plan Questions
Please call the Benefits Service Center, 1-888-825-0188, if you have questions about rates or benefits.
