New Well being Choices Can Save Extra Than $80 Million For Taxpayers Whereas Providing Elevated Flexibility for Medicare-eligible retirees within the State Group Well being Insurance coverage Program
Tallahassee, Fla. – Governor Ron DeSantis introduced at this time that new well being plan choices can be obtainable to greater than 30,000 Medicare-eligible retirees taking part within the State Group Well being Insurance coverage Program beginning in 2020. The brand new decisions are Medicare Benefit and Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans, which mix the advantages of Medicare and prescription drug protection right into a single plan and provide different priceless advantages comparable to imaginative and prescient, listening to, dental, and wellness advantages.
“Florida is discovering revolutionary healthcare choices to enhance the standard of well being care companies for state retirees whereas additionally saving taxpayers cash,” mentioned Governor DeSantis. “These new well being plans will present extra flexibility whereas creating the potential to avoid wasting greater than $80 million for taxpayers.”
In February, Governor DeSantis directed the Division of Administration Providers (DMS), which administers the Program, to pursue revolutionary strategies to ship well being care choices to its members, together with competitively procuring for MA-PD plans and making these plans obtainable on a voluntary foundation throughout this yr’s open enrollment for the 2020 plan yr.
“These new well being plan choices will present entry to high-quality care to 1000’s of retirees whereas saving them, collectively, as a lot as $7 million,” mentioned DMS secretary Jonathan Satter. “That is a technique we will present retirees within the State Group Insurance coverage program with the absolute best advantages and companies for the premiums they pay.”
The Division initiated a aggressive procurement for MA-PD plans in April and, on August 7, awarded three medical insurance corporations to offer MA-PD plans. UnitedHealthcare will provide a Most popular Supplier Group (PPO) MA-PD plan statewide with entry to a nationwide community, Humana will provide a Well being Upkeep Group (HMO) MA-PD plan in 40 Florida counties, and Capital Well being Plan will provide an alternate HMO MA-PD possibility in seven counties within the Huge Bend.
The MA-PD plans will present the usual hospitalization and medical protection of Medicare Half A and Half B in addition to prescription drug protection. Along with decrease month-to-month premiums for retirees, the brand new plans will even provide:
- Lowered out-of-pocket prices for preventative care, specialist visits, and residential well being companies;
- Expanded advantages for imaginative and prescient, listening to, and dental companies; and
- Entry to telehealth, health packages, and caregiver help.
Medicare-eligible retirees will have the ability to voluntarily enroll in one of many new plans in the course of the Division’s Open Enrollment interval which begins October 14, 2019, and concludes on November 1, 2019. The plan protection can be in impact on January 1, 2020.
At the moment, retirees can proceed the protection they’d as energetic staff by paying the complete month-to-month premium. As soon as they grow to be Medicare-eligible at age 65, Medicare is the first payer of medical and prescription drug claims, and the Program coordinates advantages with Medicare. This well being possibility will nonetheless be obtainable to retirees beneath the Program.
Extra info can be obtainable within the first week of September at www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.
