MI-SERA

SERA Medicare Advantage Questions

Are there any other large groups (other than those state retirees in HMO’s) that are currently using Medicare Advantage or will in the near future?

Are any other states utilizing the Medicare Advantage plans? Is so are there reports as to how the plans are working?

Will SERS be considered the “test” group? If other groups (MPSERS)are scheduled for this program wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and see how they do?

Will there be a monthly premium that retirees would pay for the Medicare Advantage plan?

How will the current federal proposal to cut Medicare payments to providers affect retirees and Medicare providers?

Will provider payments be less than the current PPO network payments?

What happens in the future if the Advantage plans don’t seem to benefit either the state or the retirees?

What happens to a retiree if their Doctor accepts Medicare and then down the road decides not to accept? Does that retiree have to choose a new provider?

Can the State provide a comparison chart of benefits as was done with last fall’s HMO Advantage plans?

Will the plan design change if the State decides to put retirees in a Medicare Advantage plan?

Is there currently a network of Medicare Advantage providers in Michigan?

How much “disruption” does the state project when changing to Medicare Advantage?

Will there be sufficient Medicare providers so that retirees do not have to drive long distances for doctor visits?

How would health coverage be provided to those retirees living out of state?

Will there be a “carve out” of prescription drugs (Express Scripts) and mental health services (Magellan)? If these two items are not included in the Advantage plan now can we assume that they will in the near future? Would retirees then have to enroll in Medicare Part D?

Aren’t retirees utilizing prescription drugs in the current HMO Medicare Advantage Plans automatically enrolled in Medicare Part D? Have they been informed that this would happen?

How does this Advantage plan work if a spouse is not medicare eligible?


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Are there any other large groups (other than those state retirees in HMO’s) that are currently using Medicare Advantage or will in the near future? Are any other states utilizing the Medicare Advantage plans? Is so are there reports as to how the plans are working? Will SERS be considered the “test” group? If other groups (MPSERS)are scheduled for this program wouldn’t it be wiser to wait and see how they do? Will there be a monthly premium that retirees would pay for the Medicare Advantage plan? How will the current federal proposal to cut Medicare payments to providers affect retirees and Medicare providers? Will provider payments be less than the current PPO network payments? What happens in the future if the Advantage plans don’t seem to benefit either the state or the retirees? What happens to a retiree if their Doctor accepts Medicare and then down the road decides not to accept? Does that retiree have to choose a new provider? Can the State provide a comparison chart of benefits as was done with last fall’s HMO Advantage plans? Will the plan design change if the State decides to put retirees in a Medicare Advantage plan? Is there currently a network of Medicare Advantage providers in Michigan? How much “disruption” does the state project when changing to Medicare Advantage? Will there be sufficient Medicare providers so that retirees do not have to drive long distances for doctor visits? How would health coverage be provided to those retirees living out of state? Will there be a “carve out” of prescription drugs (Express Scripts) and mental health services (Magellan)? If these two items are not included in the Advantage plan now can we assume that they will in the near future? Would retirees then have to enroll in Medicare Part D? Aren’t retirees utilizing prescription drugs in the current HMO Medicare Advantage Plans automatically enrolled in Medicare Part D? Have they been informed that this would happen? How does this Advantage plan work if a spouse is not medicare eligible?
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