Bev Buddee prepared a writeup of the ASURA 2018 Open Enrollment Health Care Seminar held earlier this month. Since the article contains time sensitive information that all our members might find helpful in selecting their 2019 health insurance options, Bev suggested we share the article with all our members via Enews and not just with those who attended the seminar.

Note:  the article is also available from the ASURA 2018 Past Events page.

Barry McNeill

Enews Editor

2018 ASURA Open Enrollment Health Care Seminar Article

The ASURA 2018 Open Enrollment Health Care Seminar held Thursday, October 4, at the Tempe History Museum was well attended.

Julie Lockwood, Program Administrator, Member Services Division, at Arizona State Retirement System informed the group that open enrollment will run from Thursday, November 1 through Friday, November 30, 2018 with coverage beginning January 1, 2019. This is a passive enrollment again which means no action is required unless coverage changes are desired. Click here for the schedule of open enrollment meetings, specific to Medicare eligible and non-Medicare eligible retirees, which are planned for various sites around the state. Representatives of the different insurers will be in attendance to answer specific plan questions. ASRS members are encouraged to review their current coverage, make changes to personal information, etc. by logging into their respective MyASRS account.

Matthew DeLeon, a team member in the Benefits Services Division of the Arizona Department of Administration, informed the group that this is a passive enrollment which means no action is required unless coverage changes are desired. Open enrollment dates run from 8:00 a.m. on October 22 through 5:00 p.m. on November 9, 2018. Plan changes may be made online or by using the paper forms included with the enrollment guides mailing. Benefit Expos are planned from mid-October through Nov. 9, with an expo specifically targeted for retirees scheduled on October 19. 

• Changes in 2019 benefits include:
• a premium increase,
• the EPO plan now has a $100/$200 deductible,
• Delta Dental remains the PPO dental provider at the same rates,
• medical carriers and coverage plans are staying the same,
• coverage for the vision and hearing aids benefits remains the same,
• no impact to the health insurance subsidy from the Arizona State Retirement System, and
• the only change to pharmacy coverage is a name change from Medicare Generation Rx to Vibrant Rx. Plan participants will receive a new card from Vibrant Rx. Rates remain the same; no change in the co-pay.

Rob Foster, Community Volunteer with the Community Educators Program at AARP Arizona, spoke about the ABCDs of Medicare. He clearly explained the differences between Original/Traditional Medicare (Parts A and B) and Medicare Advantage (Part C) and Medicare drug coverage (Part D). He explained the need for medigap and drug coverage insurance with Original/Traditional Medicare. Rob also touched on eligibility, enrollment periods (initial, general, special and open) and assistance available through Medicare Savings Programs and/or low income subsidy. Resources include:

• Social Security,
• Medicare,
• State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP),
• Area Agency on Aging, and
• AARP.
• Members are strongly encouraged to peruse these online sites, particularly the Medicare and AARP sites for additional information.

A time for questions and answers followed each presentation.

Submitted by Bev Buddee