Click here to watch a recorded webinar about Medicare and the Educators’ Medicare Supplement.
Descriptions and rates of the EHA Direct Bill Plan and Educators’ Medicare Supplement are available at www.ehaplan.org/retiree-info. A webinar selected from one of this fall’s Zoom presentations is also available at this site. You may also contact BCBSNE’s Member Services Department at 800-991-5650 to ask about the Educators’ Medicare Supplement. Whenever calling, be sure to state the name of the plan for which you are calling. Additional Medicare information can be found at the website medicare.gov.
*Advantages of the Educators’ Medicare Supplement plan from BCBSNE: More than 4600 individuals have selected this plan. It has an excellent dental option, which must be chosen upon initial enrollment in the plan. The rates are set for age bands (65-66,67-69,70-74,75-79,80-84, 85+), rather than individual ages. So long as you are in the same age band, you will only receive one rate increase per year, on the policy anniversary (which is January 1 of each year). Other Supplements are rated by individual ages, which means that each year you will receive two rate increases: one on your birthday (because you are a year older), and a second on the policy anniversary of the supplement (when the general overall rate increase for the plan is implemented). Our Medicare Supplement is good in any state. If you move to another state, Educators’ Medicare Supplement covers you, but you will need to find a Medicare Part D Drug Plan that operates in the new state. Educators’ Medicare Supplement offers both a plan F and a plan G coverage option. We can do that because our Supplement is only open to our members and to subscribers to EHA insurance, and is not available to the general public. The only difference between Plan F and Plan G is that Plan F covers the Medicare Part B deductible ($257 for 2025) and Plan G does not. Educators’ Medicare Supplement is available to people who are transitioning from an EHA plan OR who are members of NSEA-Retired. Many participants are both. Click here for the 2025 rates for Educators' Medicare Supplement. A full Plan Description of Educators’ Medicare Supplement can be found by clicking here.
Qualifying for Educators Medicare Supplement from BCBS:
- If moving from EHA plan a person can do Educators Medicare supplement at age 65 even if not a retired member. (Special Service no longer a category)
- If not moving from EHA plan, such as Millard, need to be an NSEA Retired member as well.
*Cautions: A doctor or medical care provider may accept you as a patient but may not be in the network, meaning the negotiated “allowable payments” may not be accepted. Provider networks can especially be a challenge with some Medicare C (Advantage) plans. If Medicare Part D for prescription drugs is not entered when first entering Medicare, there is a penalty attached later when you do subscribe.
Medicare Enrollment Reminders
If you collect Social Security at age 65, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and B. Part A is free for most enrollees and Part B cost varies with income from AGI two years prior. If you don’t collect Social Security, you can enroll during one of three enrollment periods:
- Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): This time extends from 3 months prior to the month you turn 65 (birthday month), your birthday month, up to 3 months after your birthday month (a seven-month window). This is when most individuals enroll in Medicare for the first time.
- General Enrollment Period (GEP) which extends from January 1 through March 31. If you did not sign up for Part A and/or Part B during the Initial Enrollment Period, you can sign up during General Enrollment. Your coverage won’t start until July 1 of that year, and you may have to pay a higher Part A and/or Part B premium for late enrollment.
- Special Enrollment Period (SEP) allows for Medicare enrollment anytime during the year when certain life events occur. Some examples of such circumstances include leaving a current employer’s sponsored health plan, relocation to a new area or your qualification for Medicaid or Extra Help changes.
*If you are still working at age 65 and continuing with your current insurance, you MAY still notify Medicare for the Medicare Part A but would then wait upon retirement to notify Medicare for Part B and Part D plus seeking a supplement plan.
Retirement Seminars
NSEA offers seminars on retirement planning to local associations. There is no individual charge for the one-hour seminars which are presented by NSEA Organizational Specialists Mike Wiesen and Kristen Sedlacek and hosted by NSEA-Retired. Visit www.nsea.org/retirement to sign up for a scheduled session or to sign up to host one for your local.
