For 2025, you may have had two alternatives for your Medicare coverage -- "group" or "standard open-market" -- depending on your HP/HPE/DEC retiree medical program.

HP first offered retirees the the alternative of HP-subsidized standard open-market Medicare plans for 2017.

Over the past few years, employers -- including HP and HPE -- have been moving from employer-administered group plans to more cost-efficient employer-subsidized standard open-market plans.

1. Group Medicare coverage was purchased from insurance companies by HP or HPE and administered by the HP or HPE Benefits Center.

Group plans may cover dependents or be better for those with pre-existing conditions or high medication costs. May have a broader network and service area, more comprehensive coverage, or different out-of-pocket costs and yearly limits.

Premiums reflect the cost of care only for the HP or HPE retiree population -- and have been dramatically increasing for several years.

HP for 2025 dropped Tufts and announced that no group plans will be offered by HP for 2026.

HPE for 2025 dropped Harvard Pilgrim, but offered plans from Surest, Anthem, Kaiser, and Hawaii Medical Service Assn -- depending on where you lived. Nothing has been announced by HPE about 2026.

Note: While some group plans are called "Advantage" plans, they do not have the same features as Advantage plans on the open market -- such as those purchased through the HP/HPE subsidy program at Alight Retiree Health Solutions -- and are regulated differently.

2. Standard open-market Medicare policies are available through insurance sales agencies and directly from health systems and insurance companies. Premiums are based on the highly-competitive open market and across all customers of the insurer. Sales agencies are paid a standard commission and monthly admin fee by the insurance company.

There are government specifications for open-market Advantage and Medigap ("Supplement") policies. A carrier may add additional features, but can't change the required basic coverage. Advantage plans generally limit non-emergency care to doctors, hospitals, and other providers within a specific network -- and often require prior authorization for services, drugs, or specialists.

If you have a Medicare subsidy from HP or HPE, you must purchase from a specific nationwide sales agency -- Alight Retiree Health Solutions. You pay the list price for the plan. The HP or HPE Benefits Center reimburses you monthly until your annual subsidy is used up.
Notes:
- To receive an HP or HPE subsidy (via a special Retiree Reimbursement Account) you must purchase through Alight Retiree Health Solutions.
- Alight offers most -- but not all -- available open-market plans.
- Some plans are not in the Alight online plan selector -- you must ask for AARP/UHC plans.
- Alight Retiree Health Solutions is a separate company from Alight Benefits Administration, operator of the HP Inc Benefits Center (and HPE Benefits Center as of 4/1/25.)

Details and member advice on open-market plans: https://www.hpalumni.org/medicare-open-market

If you decline HP/HPE medical coverage: Depending on your situation, you can lose the ability to re-enroll in HP/HPE coverage -- and your surviving dependents will not be eligible for HP/HPE coverage. Details:  https://www.hpalumni.org/reenroll-restrictions

You must carefully compare the alternatives yourself. The Alight Retiree Health Solutions sales agency does not have info on the HP/HPE private group policies. Member advice on how to compare policies: https://www.hpalumni.org/health-compare

Group Medicare policies are negotiated by the company and administered by the company's Benefits Center.

Both the HP Inc Benefits Center and the HPE Benefits Center are operated by Alight Benefits Administration -- a separate company from the Medicare sales agency Alight Retiree Health Solutions. (HPE Benefits Center operated by Bswift from 4/1/19 to 4/1/25. Phone and web address unchanged.)

- You pay HP or HPE via their Benefits Center.

- Group plan features are customized for the specific employer. Premiums reflect the cost of care only for the HP or HPE retiree population -- and have rapidly increased. May cover dependents or be better for those with pre-existing conditions or high medication costs. Group policies can be much more expensive -- but may have better features -- than similar individual plans purchased on the highly-competitive open market. (Why HP group plan costs are going up. hpalumni.org/health-cost )

- A group plan may be better for your specific situation: dependents (such as a spouse/partner), pre-existing conditions, or medications. While there are government specifications for open-market Medicare Advantage and Medigap policies, employer plans do not have to match those specifications.

- Group plans and standard open-market plans with similar names from the same carrier may have very different coverage features.

- The Alight Retiree Health Solutions sales agency does not have info on the HP/HPE private group policies. Member advice on how to compare policies: hpalumni.org/health-compare

- To purchase a group plan, you work with the people at the HP or HPE Benefits Center.

- Under a group plan, if you have a problem with a carrier or HMO, you work through the Benefits Center. HP or HPE is a customer of your insurance carrier or HMO -- and can escalate issues.

You must carefully compare the alternatives yourself.

Medical Coverage Summaries. Details of the features, covered costs, and limitations for each current HP group plan. Not available online. To have the Pre-65 and/or Post-65 version sent by mail, go to https://www.myhpbenefits.com -- select "Health & Insurance" then "Request Materials." (It will also include plans that are not available to you due to your region or situation.)

No sales agency offers all policies available in your area. Use the official Medicare site to compare benefits and estimated costs -- with contact info -- for all standard Advantage, Medigap, and Drug policies available in your area. https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare 

Deadlines. The HP and HPE enrollment deadlines are much earlier than the Dec 7 national Medicare deadline to adjust your coverage for the next calendar year. (The national deadline does not apply if you have qualified life event during the year -- such as starting Medicare.)

If you won't be able to resolve your Medicare situation by the HP/HPE enrollment deadline -- for example, because you can't get an Alight Retiree Health Solutions advisor appointment in time, or you have an application pending for an individual Medicare plan through Alight Retiree Health Solutions -- HP and HPE recommend that you enroll in the best HP/HPE plan now and change later if necessary.

There is a confirmation and mop-up cycle after the stated HP/HPE deadline. However, members report that changes made too far after the original deadline may not be in place at your providers by January 1.

HPInc: "You must make corrections by December 16, 2022, at 6 p.m. Pacific Time (8 p.m. Central Time). After that date, you won’t be able to make changes for 2023 unless you experience a qualified status change and call the HP Inc Benefits Center within 60 days."
--HP Enrollment Guides.

HPE: " If you need to correct your elections, notify the HPE Benefits Center before December 31, 2022."
--HPE Enrollment Guide

You can change back to an HP/HPE group plan from Alight Retiree Health Solutions individual coverage, as indicated in your Annual Enrollment Guide.

Next step: Consider Open Market Plans  Premiums are based on the highly-competitive open market and across all customers of the insurer. Sales agencies are paid a standard commission and monthly admin fee by the insurance company.