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Benefits
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Retiree Insurance
Retiree Insurance Eligibility
Did you know that if you retire under TRS
or ORP at age 65+ with 10+ years TRS/ORP or, if your age plus
years of TRS/ORP totals 80+, under current State law you can
continue the same insurance throughout your life that you have
as an employee? When you turn age 65, Medicare becomes
your primary insurance carrier, and ERS GBP insurance you had
through TWU employment becomes your secondary insurance.
TWU retirees are not eligible for TRS-Care, the TRS insurance
for ISD retirees.
Retiree
Insurance Forms
Medicare
When you turn age 65 and start drawing Social Security, Medicare
Part A is automatic and free. Medicare Part A is
hospitalization. If you are age 65 and still working, you do
not have to enroll in Medicare Part B until you terminate
regular employment.
Once you are retired and age 65 or over, you are required to
enroll in Medicare Part B. Medicare Part B is medical and there
is a cost to purchase it. There is a deductive and
co-insurance. Medicare Part B will become your primary
insurance and pay a percentage of the assigned cost of medical
treatment. HealthSelect will consider only the percentage of
outpatient charges that Medicare does not cover (whether you
enroll in Medicare Part B or not).
In addition to your benefits being coordinated with Medicare,
you and your covered dependents now will have out-of-area
coverage. HealthSelect coverage for retirees age 65 and over is
a traditional indemnity type health plan. You may select any
doctor. However, if you see a doctor who does not accept
Medicare assignment, you may have to pay the difference between
what your doctor charges and what Medicare will pay.
If you are over age 65 and are enrolled in Medicare Part B and
you return to work, your Medicare coverage will be secondary to
HealthSelect out-of-area. If you drop your Medicare coverage,
you may be subject to a penalty and have a waiting period when
you pick it up again after you stop working. If you retire
under the age of 65 and return to work, you can delay purchasing
Part B (without penalty) until you stop working.
Your covered dependent(s) under age 65 may continue in-area
coverage when you turn age 65. To continue in-area coverage for
your under age 65 dependents, contact ERS Customer Service. ERS
will notify HealthSelect that the dependent’s health insurance
claims are to be paid as in-area. These dependents must still
use a primary care physician (PCP) to direct their coverage
within the network.
ERS discourages retirees from enrolling in Medicare Part D for
2006-2007. The State of Texas will continue offering
prescription drug benefits as part of the health plan that is at
least as good or better than the new Medicare Part D plan.
Refer to the ERS website at
http://www.ers.state.tx.us/home/default.aspx
for more details. For detailed deductible and
reimbursement information, contact BCBS HealthSelect at
1-800-252-8039 or
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