Medicare open enrollment generally occurs from October 15 to December 7 each year.
Exchange retirees and dependents covered by any Aetna plans, to include the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan, will be notified of any changes to the plans. Also remember to check NAF Health Benefits at https://nafhealthplans.com for updated information.
According to Medicare guidelines, you’re only allowed to be enrolled in one Medicare plan at a time. This means that if you or your MAPD-eligible dependents enroll in another Medicare plan — whether it’s a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), prescription drug plan (Part D) — Medicare will automatically disenroll you from your current Aetna MAPD plan. This applies even if the other Medicare plan you enroll in offers $0 premium, or no cost to enroll.
If you’re the retiree, enrolling in any other Medicare plan will result in termination of your NAF retiree medical and dental coverage for both you and your covered dependents. If you’re the MAPD-eligible dependent, your medical and dental coverage will be terminated. And you won’t be able to re-enroll in the future.
HQ Benefits has advised they have retirees that lose coverage because they either enrolled in another Medical Advantage Plan or they enrolled in a stand-alone Part D Plan and lose the Aetna MAPD coverage. In some cases, they indicate they did not agree or sign anything regarding a change.
The Aetna MAPD plan includes Part D prescription coverage – you do not need to add additional coverage.
Best Practice – If you want to stay on the Aetna MAPD plan, do not talk to anyone about Medicare coverage to avoid any “accidental” enrollment in another plan. A change can occur without your intent or knowledge.
Reach out to HQ Benefits (benefits@aafes.com, 800-519-3381 option 2) before making any changes to your plan or you find out your Aetna MAPD coverage has been cancelled and you did not enroll in another plan.
If you do decide to enroll in another Medicare plan for the upcoming year and to disenroll from your current NAF medical and dental coverage, contact HQ Benefits.
Throughout the year and perhaps more so as Medicare open enrollment approaches, you will see news articles or social media posts regarding changes to Medicare Advantage plans, some specific to Aetna.
The Aetna Medicare Advantage with Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan for Exchange retirees and covered dependents 65 and over is a GROUP plan not an INDIVIDUAL Medicare Advantage Plan.
Generally, the news regarding Medicare Advantage plans apply to individual plans and that is the same for Aetna.