Join the HPAA's Benefits Forum Covers topics such as COBRA and retiree health benefits, annual enrollment, and transition to Medicare.

(Nov 7, 2022) Question? Email: info@hpalumni.org

The MyHPBenefits site and your personalized Coverage Statement incorrectly show the same rate for entire year.

One member who asked was given the wrong info by a Benefits Center phone agent.

Tip: Ask for a "Retirement Specialist" if you call the Benefits Center. Otherwise, you get agents who are focused on current employee situations.

Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Covered California. Links and deadlines. hpalumni.org/health-other

Member comments from a Benefits Forum discussion...

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The personalized Coverage Statement you just received doesn’t cover it.
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I was told it goes up starting the first day after the 3 year period (Feb 15 for me).

Benefits said to be mindful of the change when you make your choice for Jan 1.

Any deductibles will be erased if you change plans at the 3 year mark.

We'll have a special 30 day period to make those changes within the HP plans. I am now waiting on the pricing for 2023 where we pay the full cost, they are not cheap. I did receive last year prices, ranging from $758 to $1284 a month.

Also discovered the bad news of opting out for our RMSA due to the new IRS rules. I have found less expensive plans thru the ACA when subsidies are in play, but you can't use the RMSA accounts once you get the subsidy!

So the plans priced at HP are really not significantly higher in my area, once you pay the full cost for a similar ACA plan. Was not very happy about it, my plan was always to use the RMSA as my gap in medical before I am 65 and can get on medicare. I still will be able to, just be depleting the RMSA faster.

I am waiting on a call and email from HP concerning the 2023 price and will pass it on.

It's an important piece of data to select a plan for those of us that fall into the EER from 2020 and are Post 2003 retirees not eligible for Medicare.

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This is information for HP Inc EER 2019 plan people who are not Medicare age.

I have called My HP Benefits twice, and received somewhat different answers on details.

Based on this, I strongly suggest that you ask for a RETIREMENT/EER SPECIALIST when you call, as they seemed much better informed on the EER- to-regular-retiree situation.

From my call with them today, here is my understanding. Please check with them on your own specific situation and take this as input only...

1. Your special, subsidized, price will end at midnight on the 3-year anniversary of your exit date. Many of us [Vancouver Div] exited Feb 14, 2020, so at 11.59 pm this coming Feb 14 , 2023, our plan/special price ends.

2. 30 -60 days before that date, we should receive a letter from HP notifying us and giving us the cost of medical insurance options if we want to continue with HP plans.
Most in this EER group that are not yet Medicare eligible are also not in the" pre 2003" retiree status, so the medical insurance will be full rates, with no HPInc subsidy.

3. The retirement specialist was absolutely certain that this change would be a "qualifying life event" and we would be allowed to do open enrollment again at that time. I.e. We will have cost info for ALL available plans, and choose
- to continue the plan we had from Jan 1 to this 3 year date, at a higher cost,
-choose a different HPI plan at unsubsidized costs, or
-disenroll in the HP plans

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I was told via online chat with the benefits center earlier this week that I will receive US mail with the options and prices that will be available to me starting at the 3 year anniversary of my retirement date.

They said I should expect to receive it roughly 90 days before the anniversary.

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I took the 2019 HPI EER and received the 3 years employee premium cost through calendar year 2022.

I just received my open enrollment packet this past week. The packet and also my online “my benefits summary“ shows the premium has gone up to the non-employee rate.

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I can tell what was true for me in 2015 when I took the Phased Retirement package that included 2 years of medical at employee cost.

It lasted exactly 24 months for me. I retired at the end of May 2015, and my “employee” health coverage expired at the end of May 2017.

A few months before that, HP sent me info on my new options, but I remember trying to get the same info about future cost during the fall 2016 open enrollment time, and it was hard to find.

It did come in time to make my decisions.

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If you do plan to switch to a new insurance then you will reset your deductible for the year and could be out significant dollars if you need care early next year. I am trying to get good data so I can choose to use my state marketplace with ACA subsidies or stay with HP. Whichever will provide adequate coverage for my situation and cost the least amount of $$$.

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You will get a letter a month or so prior to your 3 year anniversary explaining your new rate. Your new rate will start on the exact date of the 3 year anniversary of your separation date, so you may have a different amount for the first partial month at the new rate. If I remember correctly, you should also be able to see this on the myhpbenefits.com site when they post your premium bill for the first unsubsidized or partially unsubsidized month.

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I also called and was told pretty much the same thing: 30 days before my coverage ends, I will get information. The price will be higher, but we can continue with the same plan.

However, the agent I talked to was not clear if at that point I could switch plans, i.e. that the cost change would be considered a "life event".

I was able to get the non-employee 2023 pricing for the plans I am considering, but it is not easy for the agents on the phone to answer that question. In my case, it required creating a ticket and they emailed me the information once they were able to research it and find it (took a couple of days).

BTW, they could tell me the 2022 non-employee pricing for those plans but, in the case of the plans I am considering, the 2023 pricing was higher than the 2022 pricing.

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I also took the EER in Feb 2020 and called them with the same question. The person I talked to told me that the open enrollment packet we got was the price the plans will be UNTIL our 3 year anniversary. That date is considered a life event and will start a new enrollment period. He said that HP plans to send our more info (including costs?) early next year. He did quote me the cost for my plan for 2022 without the HP benefit and it was $2121/month. I currently pay ~$250/month. For clarity purposes I am not eligible for the {Pre-2003 Retiree Medical.

Obamacare here I come!

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Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Covered California. Links and deadlines. hpalumni.org/health-other

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