Month: October 2020

HELP US LOCATE SPOUSES WHO QUALIFY!

From Gary Johnson

The Association became aware that under CalPERS rules the District must provide most spouses of deceased retirees District paid health benefits that are the same as their spouse would have received had they still been alive.

• • • The retiree must have been eligible for lifetime District benefits (Tier I or Tier II)
    • The spouse must be a recipient of a monthly allowance pension through CalPERS or CalSTRS sufficient to cover the cost of the benefit
    • The spouse must enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B if they are eligible for Medicare. (Note: if deceased retiree was eligible for Medicare, then the spouse is eligible for Medicare)
    • The District will reimburse the spouse for the cost of Medicare Part B, plus any part B late enrollment penalties and surcharges for excessive income (IRMAA), and the District will pay for a Medical supplement health plan to Medicare Part B, including Part D drug coverage

• • • The spouse must enroll In a CalPERS health plan by October 31!  (This requirement may be waived under certain circumstances)
    • This surviving spouse benefit, that is, District paid coverage for the spouse, will last only as long as the District contracts with CalPERS for healthcare benefits

• • • If you know any of them or of them, contact them to see if they know of this opportunity. Then, forward their name and contact information to the Retirees’ Association for our records and possible assistance
    • If they are interested in more information and/or enrollment, have them contact both the Association and the District.

Lester Tong was kind enough to email us his summary of the Zoom meeting sponsored by the District on 10/7/2020.

On 10/7/2020 9:50 PM, Lester & Mae Tong wrote:

Today from 10:00am till 11:00am, I attended the “CalPERS Medical Plan Open Enrollment” Zoom Meeting (along with 47 others) presented by Katy Lyon.  I found it to be very helpful.  This Zoom Meeting was recorded and will be made available for playback at the District’s Benefit website at: https://www.vcccd.edu/departments/human-resources/benefitsLook for the section “CalPERS MEDICAL”Then subsection “Retirees”Under the “Zoom meeting Q&A – Recording 7/17/2020” (when they get it posted).
Also, I would encourage all retirees to go to this website and review the “CalPERS MEDICAL – OPEN ENROLLMENT” section for more detailed information.
Here are the highlights from my notes:
__ CalPERS Health Benefit is on a Calendar Year which is from Jan 1 to Dec 31.
     Open Enrollment for 2021 is from Sep 21 to Oct 16, 2020.     Any changes to your existing Medical Plan must be completed during Open Enrollment.     Changes are done online with your account login at www.calpers.ca.gov
__ For CalPERS Anthem “PPO Basic Plans” (without Medicare), it is either “PERS Choice” or “PERSCare”    Comparision of Benefits is found in “2021 CalPERS Health Benefit Summary” starting on page 16.  It can be downloaded from the District’s Benefit website (see link above). 
__ For CalPERS Anthem PPO with Medicare, it is either “PERS Choice” or “PERSCare”    Comparision of Benefits is found in “2021 CalPERS Health Benefit Summary” starting on page 24.  It can be downloaded from the District’s Benefit website (see link above). 
__ If you are over 65 and do not have both Medicare parts A & B,

Regarding Medicare eligible by age but not enrolled – CalPERS allows newly contracting members to enroll in a Basic plan until they can secure Medicare. They must then enroll in the required Medicare during the upcoming general enrollment, January 1, 2021 – March 31, 2021.

 Upon receiving Medicare, that is a qualifying event for retirees to change plans. For example, if a retiree becomes effective for Medicare July 1, 2021, that would be a qualifying event for them to change plans.

 Additional information can be found at http://www.calpers.ca.gov/newhealthmember.
__ Medicare Part B (Non-hospital cost) monthly premiums including IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount based on your tax returns) will be reimbursable with proof of payment starting September 2020.    Also, Medicare Part D (Prescription cost) IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount based on your tax returns) will be reimbursable with proof of payment starting September 2020.     Reimbursements will be handled by a 3rd party, BCC (Benefit Coordinators Corporation) using the SMARTCARE program.  VCCCD can not pay these premiums directly as it is prohibited by law.  Further instructions from BCC are mailed to your home address.

__ MES Vision & Delta Dental will remain the same and separate from CalPERS Medical.
Lester Tong, Classified Retiree, June 2016