How to Guide
This Page Helps You Find Health Care Plans to Meet Your Needs
Getting Started with Finding Health Care Plans
It will take some time. Many observers say it will take 4 or 5 hours to find plans and then compare them. You’ll need to understand some new terminology, understand different ways the information is presented, and then combine them to help make a good choice for you and your family.
Write down some of the facts you learn. Download a Consumer Reports Plan Costs and Coverage worksheet to make notes as you go along.
4 Steps to Finding Health Care Plans
- First :: Download the Benefits Team tracking sheet and Medicare and You handbook.
Download and print the attached healthcare tracking sheet to log the healthcare plans that meet your needs. There’s room for data for both Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans, in addition to the Nokia plan. Medicare and You is available here. - Second :: Find other Medicare Advantage plans.
Visit medicare.gov and enter your ZIP code. Follow the on screen instructions, step by step. Note: many Medicare Advantage plans combine prescription drug plans with healthcare. You don’t need to enter your drugs to find Medicare Advantage healthcare plans initially. But see web site the link [Rx Plans] for help on finding alternative drug plans. - Third :: Find Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans.
Medigap plans are private insurance plans that have low or no deductibles. Many of them do not have copayments for services. These premiums can be more expensive than Medicare Advantage plans because of these benefits. The plans are standardized so choices are often made based on premiums, which can vary widely between insurance companies. A check list that you can help you. Medicare says:
As you shop for a Medigap policy, keep in mind that different insurance companies may charge different amounts for exactly the same Medigap policy”
State insurance sites often have a “Medigap rate comparison shopping guide.” Use the [Help in Your State] web site link to find telephone numbers and websites for the state you live in.
Medicare has a comprehensive guide with many explanations on how to view and select Medigap plans (Choosing a Medigap Policy). - Fourth :: Go on to the Benefits Team link
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- BE SURE YOUR DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL ARE COVERED -VERY IMPORTANT: You can find doctors/hospitals on the Internet for PPO plans. For the Nokia United Healthcare PPO, go to www.uhcretiree.com/nokia. Click on [Find A Provider] and follow instructions. Other plans have similar links on their web sites.
- IF YOUR DOCTOR/HOSPITAL IS NOT LISTED: Speak to your doctor/hospital, giving the exact name of the plan, and ask if they will accept the Nokia PPO plan or any other you are considering. Be sure to ask:
“Will the doctor/hospital file for direct payment from the plan?”
If the answer is NO, then you will need to pay and apply for later reimbursement.
SPECIAL NOTE ON DEPENDENTS:
If you have non-Medicare dependents, you need to be sure that you understand your spouse/dependents health insurance status before you decide to sign up to leave Nokia. The ACA Health Care Exchanges may help. See the Welcome page for more information.
ALSO CALL THE BENEFITS HELP LINE 888.232.4111 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
What are your Medicare option in Addition to Medicare Part B?
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- Option 1 :: Sign up with Nokia. Management retirees may select the health and prescription drug plans offered by Alcatel-Lucent – a Medicare Advantage PPO plan from United Healthcare that uses a network of providers, with options to use doctors and hospitals out-of-network. (In some areas only an HMO plan will be available). If you choose a Nokia healthcare plan, you must also include the Express Scripts prescription drug plan.
- Option 2 :: Choose a commercial Medicare Advantage Plan. You can select a commercial Medicare Advantage plan with features similar to the Nokia plan. Alternatively, there are HMO plans with different features and usually lower costs.
- Option 3 :: Choose a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan (Medigap). You can choose to sign up for a Medigap Medicare Supplement plan to help pay many of the costs not covered by Parts A and B of the Original Medicare plan. Be sure to check whether you can apply WITHOUT a penalty for pre-existing conditions. Click to read the Medicare Medigap guide
Medicare: What’s Medicare Supplement/Medigap About
» You may need to consider a commercial prescription drug plan. If you choose a commercial healthcare plan, you may need to consider signing up for a commercial Prescription Drug plan. See the [Drug Plans] link.
