LEGAL NOTICES
When Will You Pay A Higher Premium (Penalty) To Join A Medicare Drug Plan? Depending on how long you go without creditable prescription drug coverage you may pay a penalty to join a Medicare drug plan. Starting with the end of the last month that you were first eligible to join a Medicare drug plan but didn’t join, if you go 63 continuous days or longer without prescription drug coverage that’s creditable, your monthly premium may go up by at least 1% of the Medicare base beneficiary premium per month for every month that you did not have that coverage. For example, if you go nineteen months without creditable coverage, your premium may consistently be at least 19% higher than the Medicare base beneficiary premium. You may have to pay this higher premium (penalty) as long as you have Medicare prescription drug coverage. In addition, you may have to wait until the following October to join. What Happens To Your Current Coverage If You Decide to Join A Medicare DrugPlan? If you decide to join a Medicare drug plan, your current coverage will be affected. (e.g., they can keep this coverage if they elect part D and this plan will coordinate with Part D coverage; for those individuals who elect Part D coverage, coverage under the entity’s plan will end for the individual and all covered dependents, etc.). If you do decide to join a Medicare drug plan and drop your current Callen Lorde coverage, be aware that you and your dependents will (Will not for Medigap issuers) be able to get this coverage back.
For More Information About This Notice Or Your Current Prescription Drug Coverage… NOTE: You’ll get this notice each year. You will also get it before the next period you can join a Medicare drug plan and if this coverage changes. You also may request a copy of this notice at any time.
For More Information About Your Options Under Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage… More detailed information about Medicare plans that offer prescription drug coverage is in the “Medicare & You” handbook. You’ll get a copy of the handbook in the mail every year from Medicare. You may also be contacted directly by Medicare drug plans. For more information about Medicare prescription drug coverage: Visit www.medicare.gov Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see the inside back cover of your copy of the “Medicare & You” handbook for their telephone number) for personalized help Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048. If you have limited income and resources, extra help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage is available. For information about this extra help, visit Social Security on the web at www.socialsecurity.gov, or call them at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
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Callen Lorde BENEFITS GUIDE
LEGAL NOTICES I
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