Important Information About

Medicare HMO Enrollment and Disenrollment

Retirees wishing to enroll in a Medicare HMO (also known as Advantage Plans or Medicare Type C) must complete a special application directly with the health plan they elect to join. For those plans participating in the Health Benefits Program, the procedure is to have the retiree complete the application with the health plan (each enrollee must complete a separate application). The health plan then sends a copy of each application to the Health Benefits Program in order to update the retiree’s record to ensure that the correct deductions, if applicable, are taken from the retiree’s pension check.

Trouble can arise if you do not tell the health plan that you are a City of New York retiree, in which case the application is not forwarded to the Health Benefits Program Office. This can cause several problems such as: incorrect pension deductions and insufficient health coverage. Therefore, there are several rules you should follow to ensure that you do not jeopardize your health plan coverage under the Health Benefits Program.

When You Enroll ...

When you enroll directly with the Medicare HMO make sure that you inform the health plan representative that you are a "City of New York" retiree. If your spouse is also covered by you for health benefits, make sure that he/she also completes an enrollment application. Both the retiree and covered dependent(s) must be enrolled in the same health plan under the City’s program.

To enroll in a Medicare supplemental plan you must do so through the Health Benefits Program Office. Contact the New York City Health Benefits Program at 212-513-0470 if you have a TRS pension. If you have a TIAA pension the number to call is 212-306-7378.

If You Transfer from a Medicare HMO to a Supplemental Plan ...

If you disenroll from a Medicare HMO and you wish to transfer to a Medicare supplemental plan, such as GHI/EBCBS Senior Care, you can do so only during the November Transfer Period of an even-numbered year. If you wish to transfer at any other time, unless you are moving out of the health plan’s service area or the health plan is closing in your area, you must use your Once-in-a-Lifetime Option. If you wish to transfer to a supplemental plan, you must notify the HMO or the Social Security Administration, in writing, that you no longer wish to participate in that HMO.

If You Transfer from a Medicare HMO to another Medicare HMO ...

If you wish to disenroll from a Medicare HMO and wish to join another Medicare HMO you can do so by enrolling directly in the new plan. If you wish to disenroll from a Medicare HMO and are not enrolling in another Medicare HMO, you must notify the health plan or the Social Security Administration, in writing, that you no longer wish to participate in that plan. If you do not notify the health plan or the Social Security Administration that you no longer wish to participate you will not have any coverage from either the health plan or from Medicare.

A list of Medicare HMOs, as well as traditional supplemental plans, participating in the New York City Health Benefits Plan is available here.

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