2025 MEDICARE ADVANTAGE (only)

RETIREE OPEN ENROLLMENT
November 4, 2024 – November 22, 2024

For the 2025 plan year, Blue Medicare Advantage plans are no longer available.  Instead, the City of Kansas City is offering new Medicare Advantage plans through UnitedHealthcare and a Medicare Supplement plan through The Hartford.  These plans are available to retirees aged 65 and older and Medicare-eligible disabled retirees.  All four plans are PPOs and come with a prescription drug plan provided by Express Scripts.  The Hartford also offers a Medicare Supplement plan without prescription drug coverage, which can be enrolled directly through our new third-party administrator, Benistar.

Automatic Enrollment for 2025

If you are currently enrolled in Blue Medicare Advantage Plan 1, 2, or 3 in 2024, you will be automatically enrolled in the corresponding UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plan 1, 2, or 3 for 2025.  This automatic enrollment ensures that you will receive comparable benefits to your current coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, with no action required on your part.

However, if you would like to change your plan, you have the option to switch to a different UnitedHealthcare plan or to The Hartford Medicare Supplement Plan during the open enrollment period.  For example, you can switch from UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plan 1 to Plan 2, Plan 3, or The Hartford Medicare Supplement Plan.

Open Enrollment Period

The 2025 Open Enrollment period for these plans runs from November 4, 2024, through November 22, 2024.  During this period, retirees and their dependents with Medicare Parts A and B may:

• Enroll in a UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage or The Hartford Medicare Supplement plan.
• Change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another, or to Medicare Supplement plan.
• Cancel coverage.

Changes made during the 2025 Open Enrollment period will be effective for the Medicare Advantage plan year that runs January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025.

With new providers, the premiums have increased.  Please see the UnitedHealth Medicare Advantage / The Hartford Medicare Supplement rates and Combined Rates - BCBS and UHC Medicare Advantage / The Hartford Medicare Supplement.  Premiums for those enrolling in a plan will be withheld from pension checks beginning January 2, 2025.

Several informational meetings will be held during the open enrollment period to discuss the new plans and answer your questions.  Please see the flyer for meeting dates, locations, and times.

Below is a summary of each plan's key benefits.  For a general overview of the plan comparison, please refer to the Plan Comparison Document to help you understand the main differences and features of each plan.

• UHC Medicare Advantage & Express Scripts PDP - Plan 1
• UHC Medicare Advantage & Express Scripts PDP - Plan 2
• UHC Medicare Advantage & Express Scripts PDP - Plan 3
• The Hartford Medicare Supplement & Express Scripts - Plan 4

If you and/or a family member are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and wish to enroll in one of the three UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage plans or The Hartford Medicare Supplement plan with prescription drug plan during the open enrollment period, you may complete enrollment by contacting the Benistar Retiree Customer Service at 844-235-4727 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Alternatively, you may enroll in, change, or cancel your Medicare Advantage plan online through Benefitfocus. 

Steps to Enroll Online Using Benefitfocus:

1. Access the Benefitfocus website at www.kcmoretirees.hrintouch.com
2. If you already have an account, enter your username and password, then skip to Step 3.

   If you do not yet have a Benefitfocus account:

   1. click on “Create an account” under the Log in button.
   2. Enter your last name, date of birth and the last four (4) digits of your Social Security Number, check the “I’m not a robot” box and click “Next.”
   3. Create your username and password and set up your security questions. Once this step is complete, click “Next.”
3. Click “Enroll Now” on the right side of the page and follow the prompts to make your enrollment selections.

All family members must be enrolled in the same health plan unless one or more members are covered by Medicare Parts A and B, and the remaining family members are non-Medicare members.  In that case, the non-Medicare members will remain in a traditional/commercial Blue Cross plan and the Medicare members can enroll in a Medicare Advantage/Supplement plan.

Retirees or their dependents who are enrolled in one of the City’s traditional/commercial Blue Cross health plans and who become eligible and enroll in Medicare Parts A and B throughout the year will receive a reduction in their monthly premium upon submitting a copy of their Medicare card to the Retirement Office.  The card must note the effective dates of both Medicare Part A and Part B.  Alternatively, retirees are eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage/Supplement plan at that time.

This open enrollment period does not apply to the traditional/commercial Blue Cross (health or dental), Humana (dental) or VSP (vision) insurance.  The open enrollment for these plans will be held in March 2025.

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