Web resources to help employees

Helpful items for new enrollees

• Someone new to Medicare needs help Getting Started with Medicare – 4 Steps for People New to Medicare.
• Use this Medicare Eligibility and Premium Calculator to get an estimate of when eligibility begins for Medicare and an estimate for how much the premium amount will be.
• Learn about Medicare Costs for all the parts of Medicare and how to get help paying for Medicare.
• MyMedicare.gov is an interactive Medicare portal containing personalized information regarding claims, plans and coverage, benefits and entitlements.

Marketplace

The Health Insurance Marketplace is a resource where individuals can find and enroll in a health plan to meet minimum essential coverage. Some employees may have health insurance through a Marketplace plan. Find answers to some Frequently Asked Questions on Medicare and the Marketplace.

Coordination of benefits

Provides more information on questions about how Medicare works with other health insurance Coordination of Benefits and which plan pays first.

Health savings accounts

Provides basic information about Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and how employees can set aside tax-free money to pay for medical expenses. Some employees may want to have premium-free Part A start when they stop working; however, premium-free Part A coverage begins 6 months back from the time the person enrolls (but no earlier than the first month of eligibility). People must stop contributing to their HSA 6 months before applying for Medicare in order to not be penalized by the IRS.

Continuation of health coverage

COBRA gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their Group Health Plan under certain circumstances. Federal employees, retirees and their survivors can get health care through the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program.

Veterans’ benefits

Some employees have military health coverage through TRICARE, Veterans Benefits, or CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs).

Information for caregivers

Caregiving (PDF) for an aging, seriously ill, or disabled family member or friend on Medicare.

Medicare Overview Presentation

Please see below in “Downloads” for the Medicare Eligibility & Enrollment Overview presentation.