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Medicare and TAMU BCBS

1,406 Views | 7 Replies | Last: 1 mo ago by histag10
Wyokid
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Can anyone provide a local resource that I can talk to to understand how Medicare part A, part B and TAMU BCBS insurance mesh together?
thanks in advance.
doubledog
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It is called 65 Plus (for TAMU retirees) and It is essentially a Part D plan. You must enroll in Medicare Part A and B. It is free for the retiree only and ~$120/month for retiree and spouse.

Contacts are provided in the links

https://www.tamus.edu/benefits/retiree-benefits/
https://www.bcbstx.com/tamus-retiree-medicare/coverage
Lone Stranger
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It is different if you stay working more than 50% time after 65 but for Retirees; A&M employees that reach 65 years of age sign up for Medicare A & B with the feds. On the A&M benefits side you now sign up for the A&M 65+ plan which becomes supplemental to Medicare A & B for health and hospitilizaiton but is still your primary coverage for your prescription drug plan. (Since you don't have a medicare Part D plan.) You don't need to find a medicare Part D plan unless you want to because A&M's BCBS and related structure is your primary coverage on prescriptions.)

Medicare becomes the primary/first place your health provider bills for their services. Then, what medicare doesn't cover, the health provider bills to your secondary provider (BCBS) and they determine/pay what amount/% of the remaining balance they cover. After primary (medcare) and secondary (BCBS) have paid their parts, the final remaining balance is what you pay out of pocket.

When you pick up a prescription at your pharmacy, BCBS (or express scripts if you use that program) is the primary insurance and determines the copays, etc. just like it was before you went on medicare.

That is the very high level "co-ordination" of how things mesh together.
maddiedou
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AG
Do you have to go on medicare when you turn 65 or should I start another thread

maddiedou
Lone Stranger
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If you want to keep A&M insurance and are retired/retiring, yes. If you stay and work after 65 more than 50% time then you only have to sign up for Medicare Part A and the regular A&M insurance is your primary Part B and Drug Coverage and Medicare is Part A hospitalization. A&M or AgriLife benefits people are pretty good at walking you through all the various scenarios and ifs/buts and exceptions.
Wyokid
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Thanks for the information and much better explanation than my HR person.

I need to add more information to the question.

My spouse is undergoing chemotherapy and to date this year BCBS has paid 100% of doctor and infusion charges while Medicare part A has covered hospital stays. We met the deductible many months ago and other than an occasional copay we have had no money out of pocket. The insurance calendar resets on September 1 with fresh deductibles to meet, etc..
My question is: if I were to retire while my spouse is undergoing treatment we would immediately go to Medicare part A and begin paying for Medicare part B and have BCBS from TAMU as 'part C'. How much out of pocket expense would I have in this scenario? My HR person says 'don't worry about it, it will all work out'. Well that's easy for HR to say because they wouldn't have 10s of thousands of dollars in medical expense to potentially pay.

My answer to my issue has been keep working until my spouse is in remission.
FlyRod
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I'm really sorry you're going through this and it sucks that you have to worry about all this red tape during a serious medical situation. There is some good advice in this thread and you'll get more too. All the best luck and well wishes for your partner going through this.
histag10
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AG
Im sorry you are going through that.

I believe there are periodic retirement benefits seminars at TAMU. You may meet someone there with better answers than your specific HR person can give you.

Do you have a good relationship with your wife's doctors or hospital billing office? You may reach out to them and see if they have resources that can help explain everything/look at the benefit options and how they work together- its usually a social worker i believe.

Shiphelp.org may be able to help at least some.
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