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Medicare prescription drug plan
Pension check deduction
Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan
Vision and dental coverage comparison
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Medicare prescription drug plan
Effective Jan. 1, 2006, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will offer prescription drug coverage to all people with Medicare. Eligible individuals will be able to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan Nov. 15, 2005 through May 15, 2006.
Medicare is required to send information about Medicare Part D to all Medicare-covered people. You should not join a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan before the city sends you details about prescription drug coverage in your HMO or PPO plan. Your HMO or PPO prescription drug benefit will not change when Medicare Part D is implemented on Jan. 1, 2006. The city will send more information in late October.
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Pension check deductions
Deductions for benefits are taken from each pension check to pay for the next month’s benefits. For example, pension checks received at the end of September will show deductions for October coverage. If premiums are adjusted in the check received at the end of September, they are for September or for prior months. Sept.10 was the adjustment cutoff time for pension checks received at the end of September. Changes received in the benefits division after that date will not affect pension checks until the end of October.
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Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan
Retirees and their eligible dependents may join a Medicare Advantage plan on the first day of any month, if they have city-sponsored medical coverage and Medicare Parts A & B. They may also join: when they become covered under Medicare, regardless of age or reason; when they move into the service area of TexanPlus or Texas HealthSpring; between Nov. 15 and Dec. 31, for coverage on Jan. 1; and during the annual open enrollment in March, for coverage on May 1.
A retiree may add an eligible uncovered dependent to an HMO, PPO or a Medicare Advantage plan only during the annual open enrollment in March. Coverage will be effective May 1.
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Vision and dental coverage comparison
If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, your dental coverage will not change. Vision coverage for each plan is shown in this chart.
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