MEDICARE CORNER
READY OR NOT, TIME FOR CHANGE IS HERE!
REMINDER:
Check with Human Resource
Personnel before making changes
in your Health or Prescription
Drug Coverage, if you are receiving
Retiree Health Coverage and/
or Prescription Drug Coverage
through any of the following:
• Former Employer
• Union
• Federal Employee Health
Benefits Program (FEHBP)
• TRICARE
• Railroad Retirement Board
Benefits (RRB)
• VA
Open Enrollment started October
15, 2018, and will end December
7, 2018.
During this period, you will
be able to make changes in how
you receive your Health and
Prescription Drug Coverage.
Changes made during this period
will start on January 1, 2019. Review
your Evidence of Coverage (EOC)
and Annual Notice of Change
(ANOC) you will receive from your
plans during the Open Enrollment
Period. These brochures inform you
about changes in the Plans Benefits
and costs for the coming year.
Some important things to
consider before making changes in
your Health Care and Prescription
Drug Coverage:
• Will you be able to continue with
the same doctors and/or healthcare
providers?
• Are most of your prescription
drugs on Formulary or at least
the most expensive?
• What hospitals are part of the
plan’s network?
During January 1, 2019, thru
March 31, 2019, you can change—
just one time—to a different
Medicare Advantage Plan or switch
to Original Medicare.
If you switch to Original
Medicare, you will need to enroll
in a stand-alone Prescription Drug
Plan. Persons enrolled in Original
Medicare most often enroll in a
Medigap Plan to cover the 20%
co-insurance. Changes made during
this period will go into effect the
first of the month after the plan
receives your request.
If you remain with a Medicare
Advantage Plan, in most cases you
will need to stay within the plan’s
network of hospitals and doctors.
You will be charged a copay or
coinsurance when visiting your primary
doctor or a specialist. You will
be required to pay your Medicare
Part B Premium and the Medicare
Advantage Plan’s Premium.
NOTE:
If you have End Stage Renal
Disease (ESRD), you may be able to
enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan
under the following exceptions:
• You are already enrolled in a
Medicare Advantage Plan, when
you are diagnosed with ESRD
• You are already enrolled in a
Medicare Advantage Plan and
that plan no longer provides
coverage
• If you are covered through a
union or employer, you may be
able to switch to one of their
Medicare Advantage Plans
• You may be able to join a Special
Needs Plan which covers ESRD
• If you have a successful kidney
transplant
If you are enrolled in a Medicare
Supplement Insurance Policy,
also referred to as Medigap Plan,
you cannot be sold a Medicare
Advantage Plan—it is illegal.
Medigap Plans are standardized
in all states. Like Medicare
Advantage Plans, Medigap Plans
are sold by private companies.
Therefore, the monthly premium
costs differ. You are responsible to
pay your Medigap monthly premium,
monthly Medicare Part B
premium and monthly Medicare
Part D premium, if enrolled in a
stand-alone prescription drug plan.
You will also be responsible for the
plan’s annual deductible and the
Part B annual deductible.
Starting January 1, 2020, Plans
C, F and F High Deductible, which
cover the Part B Deductible, will
no longer be sold—with one
exception. If you were eligible for
Medicare before January 1, 2020,
but had not enrolled you MAY be
able to purchase one of these plans.
If you are already enrolled in Plan
C, F or F High Deductible before
January 1, 2020, you will be able to
keep your plan.
The Migdal Chapter of Hadassah at North Shore Towers presents…
Hadassah Book Club Announces
Winter/Spring 2019 Selections
Co-Leaders Arlene
Augenbraun and
Bern Rosenthal
of the Migdal/Hadassah
Book Club have selected
the first three books that
the group will read in 2019.
This announcement comes
well in advance for the convenience
of members.
The January book will be
“A Boy in Winter” by Rachel
Seiffert. The March book is
“On All Other Nights” by
Dara Horn. The May selection
is “Waking Lions” by
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen.
As soon as the
exact dates for
these meetings
are known, they
will be posted. The
Hadassah Book
Club always meets
on a Wednesday
at 2 p.m. in the
Coleridge Lounge.
JANUARY MARCH MAY
30 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ November 2018