Medicare
Medicare A
There is no cost associated with enrolling in Medicare A. You may enroll on the first day of the month of your 65th birthday (if your birthday is the first of the month, Medicare can begin one month before your birthday month). Note that HSA contributions are not permitted when enrolled in Medicare, so if you are enrolled in an HSA plan (like the Covenant Value Plan) and will not be changing to a Medicare supplement plan, you may want to delay Medicare A enrollment.
Medicare B
This is only required if Medicare will be your primary medical insurance payor. This means Medicare will pay the covered portion of your medical claims first and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will pay the remaining covered portion. Medicare will be your primary payor if:
- You are enrolled in retiree benefits.
- You work for an institution that employs less than 20 individuals for at least 32 weeks of the calendar year.
Medicare D
When actively working, you are not required to enroll in Medicare D. If you are enrolled in Covenant Benefits retiree benefits, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare D through Express Scripts and do not need to find an alternate Medicare D prescription plan. If you prefer to find an alternate Medicare D plan, your plan through Express Scripts will be automatically canceled, but your premium rate will not be reduced.
Retiree Benefits
Moving into retirement or Medicare can be confusing, but Covenant Benefits would like to make it simpler for you. Listed below are answers to a few questions you may be asking.
You have 30 days after the end of the month in which you retire to apply for retiree benefits through Covenant Benefits. If you were enrolled in Covenant Benefits immediately before you retired and your spouse is still working, you may also choose to join your spouse’s employee health insurance plan and enroll in retiree benefits within thirty days of your spouse’s retirement.
If your employer does not purchase Covenant Benefits coverage, but you are vested in the Covenant Pension Plan, you may enroll in Bethany Benefit Service when you retire, when your spouse retires, or when you begin withdrawing from the Covenant Pension Fund.
When you enroll in retiree benefits, your benefits package will change in the following ways:
- If you are 65 or older and have not already changed to the Medicare supplement plan, you must enroll in Medicare B and your medical coverage will be change to the Medicare supplement plan (download the plan details on the downloads and forms page).
- If you are 65 or older, your prescription coverage will change to Covenant Benefits’ Medicare D EGWP policy (download the plan details on the downloads and forms page).
- Dental and vision benefits offerings remain the same. You may choose to remain enrolled or opt out of these benefits.
- You are no longer eligible for life and long-term disability benefits when you are no longer working full time. However, you may convert your life insurance policy to an individual policy paid directly to Unum at age-based rates. Please contact Covenant Benefits for details. Also, if you are retiring due to health concerns, please contact Covenant Benefits to discuss filing a long-term disability claim.
