What is the UUA Medicare Supplement Plan and do I qualify?

    The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) Health Plan offers a Medicare Supplement policy for qualified age 65+ retirees and for age 65+ active employees.

    Here is a summary of Medicare Supplement Benefits (PDF) for review. 

    Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap, is extra insurance you can buy from a private insurance company to help pay your share of costs in Original Medicare.

    Medigap plans do not offer prescription coverage, members would have to purchase Part D coverage.   https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d

    For qualified retirees, there are no special requirements other than being enrolled in Medicare parts A and B. 
    For active 65+ employees, Medicare makes a distinction between employers who have more than 20 employees versus small employers who have fewer than 20 employees.

    Congregations with More Than 20 Employees

    UUA Health Plan participants must stay on their current Standard PPO Plan or High Deductible Plan. Their congregation's PPO plan is their primary coverage, and there is no eligibility (and no need) for a Medicare Supplement plan. The employee would still have Medicare part A, but Medicare would pay AFTER their employer's PPO plan. The employee could enroll in Medicare part B, but they are not required to do so while still actively employed, and there is little financial advantage to doing so.

    Congregations with Fewer Than 20 Employees

    Active 65+ UUA Health Plan participants would have to enroll in Medicare part A and part B, and would be eligible to sign up for our Medicare Supplement Plan.

    In this case, Medicare would pay FIRST (or "primary") and the UUA Medicare Supplement would pay SECOND.

    To do this legally under Medicare rules, participants must follow a few easy steps:

    • Their congregation must create and sign a Medicare Waiver Letter (Word doc), which must be completed PRIOR TO coverage becoming effective.
    • Participants currently on the UUA Health Plan will request this health plan change via the Benefits Change Form. They will be required to upload a copy of the completed Medicare Waiver Letter and a copy of their Medicare card reflecting part A and part B.
    • If an employee is not currently a UUA Health Plan participant, they may sign up for the Medicare Supplement via our Online Enrollment Form and state that their "qualifying event" is "loss of other coverage."

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