Understanding Medicare

Medicare is a Health Insurance Program for:

• People age 65 or older
• People under age 65 with certain disabilities
• People of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease
   

Medicare has Two Parts:  (1) Part A - Hospital Insurance and (2) Part B - Medical Insurance
 

Coordination with your Retiree Health Benefit

The Fund provides a supplemental health benefit for those on Medicare.  The Fund's group health benefit coordinates with your Medicare Part A & Part B coverage.

Your claims are first processed under the Medicare benefit.  Your health plan (BCBS) will then apply the Fund's plan design to the remaining balance to determined what level of coverage is to be paid by the Fund and also any out of pocket expenses for you (the member).


Important: Because the Fund provides a qualified prescription benefit to all members covered under the group health benefit, you are not able to also enroll into any Medicare Part D prescription plan.  Doing so will remove your eligibility into the Fund's group health benefit.

 

Part A (Hospital Insurance)

Helps Pay For:

Care in hospitals as an inpatient, critical access hospitals (small facilities that give limited outpatient and inpatient services to people in rural areas), skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care), hospice care, and some home health care.

Further information about your coverage under Medicare Part A can be found on Medicare.gov in the Medicare Basics section.    

Cost:

Most people get Part A automatically when they turn age 65. To learn more about the cost of Medicare, please refer to their website - www.medicare.gov 

 

Part B (Medical Insurance)

Helps Pay For:

Doctors' services, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services that Part A doesn't cover, such as the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care. Part B helps pay for these covered services and supplies when they are medically necessary.

Further information about your coverage under Medicare Part B can be found on Medicare.gov in the Medicare Basics section. 

Cost:

Most people pay for Part B.  To learn more about the cost of Medicare, please refer to their website - www.medicare.gov