Help your employees find the right Medicare plan
If you have employees who are 64 or older, it’s very likely they are beginning to think about healthcare coverage through Medicare. If they are coming to you with questions, we have resources that are ready for you to share with your employees.
Working past 65
We can help your employees plan for that. Here are 7 things your employees need to know to be confident in their decision.
Medicare resources site
Your employees can watch short videos, access our Medicare Guidebook, reach out to a local Medicare specialist with questions, sign up for a local Medicare seminar, or even request an enrollment kit at PremeraMedicare.com.
More information
Premera Medicare Advantage plans are available in the following Washington counties: Island, King, Lewis, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish,
Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Walla Walla, and Whatcom. We also offer Medicare Supplement plans in all Washington counties except Clark.
Members who live within the Premera Medicare Advantage service area have the opportunity to meet face-to-face with one of our Medicare field sales representatives at a Premera Medicare seminar.
They also can contact their local producer (also known as a licensed agent or broker).
We help members in all 50 states. Any Premera member with an employer-sponsored plan is welcome to call 855-784-4564 (TTY/TDD: 711) to find the Medicare option best for them.
Medicare Part D Information
Creditable coverage status reports
The CMS website offers general information about Medicare Part D.
Medicare Part D testing options
Premera Blue Cross offers employers two options to support their Medicare Part D testing obligations. The testing tells if the pharmacy plan you offer meets the creditable coverage standard as compared with Medicare Part D.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) says drug coverage is creditable if the actuarial value of the coverage equals or exceeds the actuarial value of standard Medicare prescription drug coverage.
Your choices for testing are:
- Premera can give you some of the data to do your own testing.
- Premera's underwriting team can do the testing for you, for a fee, using General Guidance methods.
Important reminder
Premera no longer sends creditable coverage status notices to members on behalf of groups with pharmacy plans.
Employers will need to provide the notifications as required by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) to their Medicare-eligible employees and dependents. This act requires employers to let their Medicare-eligible employees and dependents know whether the prescription drug coverage pays on average as much as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage.
Additional information is found at the following pages of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:
Submission of CMS Medicare Part D Disclosure Form
Federal law requires employer groups to notify the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) if their prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries is creditable. CMS requires employer groups to submit a creditable coverage disclosure form each year or upon any change that could affect whether the drug coverage offered is creditable.
Medicare secondary payer
Medicare secondary payer (MSP) laws are complex and can be confusing even to a seasoned healthcare administrator. Employers offering group health plans must comply with the MSP statute and regulations (the MSP laws). These laws establish Medicare as the secondary payer to group health plan coverage in certain instances of dual healthcare coverage.
This information is purely informational, does not modify your policy or coverage in any way, and should not be construed as legal advice or opinion. Additional information is available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website.
You can use the MSP change form to report group size and Medicare beneficiary changes to Premera that may impact MSP rules.