Chair Talk
January 2013
There still seems to be a lot of confusion about the new prescription drug program. I (as well as other SERA officers/Chapter Presidents) have been getting many calls and e-mails with many callers asking the same questions. Below are some of the questions and answers:
- If I opt-out does that mean I can stay with Medco/Express Scripts? No you cannot stay with Medco if you opt-out. If you opt-out you will lose your prescription coverage through the State and will have to find your own.
- Do I have to pay a premium, deductible or “donut hole” for this Part D Plan? You do not have to pay a premium, deductible or have “donut hole” costs with this plan. Those charges are covered by the State.
- What do I have to do to enroll? Nothing, enrollment is automatic.
- What if I do not receive an ID card or information for the plan I am supposed to be enrolled in? If you did not receive ID cards or information about the plan you should call:
- MI HR Service Center 1-877-766-6447 to see if you have been enrolled.
- MedImpact (for non-Medicare eligible retirees) 1-877-403-6034.
- MedicareGenerationRx (Medicare retirees) 1-877-633-7943.
I have been informed by Employee Benefits that some ID cards/packets have been returned as undeliverable. You should check with the MI Service Center to see if that has happened to you. I was also told that MedicareGenerationRx has processed 100% of the claims that they have received so far. There are some claims by Rite-Aid that have been rejected because they were processes under the Medco numbers. (Rite-Aid has an automatic fill program and that was apparently why the rejections happened.)
Enrollment/eligibility for the prescription plan is handled by the Office of Retirement Services (ORS). If you find out that you, your spouse or your dependents are not enrolled you need to call ORS at 1-800-381-5111 or 1-517-322-5103.
Editor’s note: Bob Kopasz is Chair of the Michigan SERA Council. He may be reached at P.O. Box 692, Mt. Morris, MI 48458; phone 810/240-8380.