A Healthy Change: Enhanced Retiree Benefits
Fall 2021
Change is on the horizon for CPG’s retirees: In October, enrollment began in UnitedHealthcare® Group Medicare Advantage (PPO—preferred provider organization), a new national plan. Going into effect on January 1, 2022, it offers access to all providers as long as they accept the plan and have not opted out of or been excluded from Medicare.
Group Medicare Advantage (GMA) plans combine medical and prescription drug coverage in one plan. Eligible retired clergy will be able to use discretionary subsidies approved by The Church Pension Fund Board of Trustees to cover or offset all or a portion of the cost of the GMA Premium (PPO) plan option, the GMA Comprehensive (PPO) plan option, and/or dental coverage, for themselves and their eligible spouses.
“Group Medicare Advantage plans have been around for a while, but we made a choice early on to wait until these plans evolved to our satisfaction,” Frank Armstrong, CPG’s Chief Operating Officer, explains. “After years of study, analysis, and conversations with the people we serve, it became clear that these plans are an opportunity to enhance retiree benefits. Our robust group plan is custom-designed for the Medical Trust and may offer more benefits than individual plans.”
UnitedHealthcare is one of the largest and most experienced providers in the GMA space, and they’re also CPG’s current Medicare Supplement Health plan administrator. This, along with UnitedHealthcare’s extensive national provider network, will be greatly beneficial to retirees while they are transitioning to the new plan and beyond.
For retirees, Frank explains, “it’s sort of one-stop shopping. Hospital stays, inpatient and outpatient doctor visits, prescription drugs are all going to run through UnitedHealthcare. They’ll provide access to helpful resources and tools that can improve clinical outcomes for individuals in the plan. UnitedHealthcare’s GMA plans are more cost effective, too.”
UnitedHealthcare is the only carrier to offer five-star rated GMA (PPO) plans with national coverage for 2022; five stars is the highest rating awarded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services.*
The UnitedHealthcare Group Medicare Advantage (PPO) plan will allow CPG to provide something equal to or better than the current Medicare Supplement Health plan at substantial cost savings for most—good news for CPG, our eligible retirees, and their eligible spouses. That’s the kind of change worth making.
Comments? Questions? Concerns? CPG is listening. Please reach out to us at corpcomm@cpg.org
* Every year Medicare evaluates plans based on a five-star rating system. Medicare Advantage Plan Star Rating applies to Contract #H2001, which is rated five out of five stars for 2022. www.cms.gov/Medicare/Prescription-Drug-Coverage/PrescriptionDrugCovGenIn/PerformanceData, 2022 Star Ratings Data Table, Report Card Master Table, Summary Data.