retiree medical and Medicare

Discussion in 'Merck' started by Anonymous, Aug 6, 2014 at 4:18 PM.

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  1. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Does anyone have experience with coordinating Merck retiree medical plans and Medicare? Specifically how is the Medicare Part A deductible covered? Cant get a straight answer from Merck Benefits
     

  2. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    F Off Old Timer! Nobody cares about your stupid question!
     
  3. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Merck Benefits has no clue!!!!! They not only do not know anything; they actually give the wrong answers. Even the Supervisors give incorrect information!!!! Good luck figuring it out. Make sure you get it in writing!
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I have Aetna POS II "coordinated" with Medicare - when I started on Medicare, already had the Aetna plan in place with Merck before they "retired me". Called into Benefits when I became eligible for Medicare, insurance premium dropped drastically, and after a short conversation with Benefits, requested the "coordination" of coverage. Well into my 2nd year with no issues, no complaints. I have only just used the Part A last month - have yet to see the bills/insurance payments, do not expect any issues.
     
  5. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Filled out a form when it happened. Medicare became primary and your Merck medical is now secondary. As the other poster said, the premium of the latter will drop. Beware that Medicare does not cover a full physical, only a wellness check-up.
     
  6. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Retiree eligible medical is a life saver for those who can get it. Better hit your ten years because without it expect bankruptcy. Market rates on our plan without group buy in coming in at 1000 a month for one, 1500 for a couple and about 1800 or so for a family. A
    grand or two a month' total insanity. Qualifies as a second mortgage payment every month.
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    To poster number two...please take your infantile comments to another board and leave the serious and important issues for people who want and need the information. Someday you also might have a question that effects you personally and would appreciate the assistance of others. It is hard enough to get answers from Merck we should be sticking together instead of insulting each other.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Hey, don't pick on poster#2, he is the guy worried about how long he get's to keep his car. He has never paid for a car or or car insurance since his parents got him his car in college. He is very stressed about keeping his make-believe job.
     
  9. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    This is wrong! It cost $1200.00 for a family. I was paying $439.00 and it jumped to $1200.00 even with bridge to retirement (I had over 10 years). I am sure that I was suppose to subsidize current employees. You can find medical coverage much lower than $1200.00 per month for family plans. This is not even a benefit! What a joke.
     
  10. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    66 years old retiree that just finished 18 months of subsidized cobra benefits that included dental,vision and medical for 242 per month. Retiree insurance for my wife and I is 262 and that only includes medical, no dental and no vision but I was able to pick up the same dental plan via Met Life for 56 per month. Medicare is 104 per month for my wife and 104 per month for me and it is automatically deducted from SSI check. Medicare is our primary insurance and Horizon BC/BS is our secondary. To my knowledge there is a 150 dollar deductible for each individual and then Medicare pays 80 percent and the rest is adjudicated to Horizon. Once there, as I don't have the papers in front of me, I believe there is a 500 per individual deductible that needs to be met before one's Horizon insurance kicks in. Hope this helps!!
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    1000 a month is for one if non-eligible for benefit those not hitting 10 years.
    with the ten year benefit it drops to about 300-400 a month.

    Need to reach the ten or get hospital only catastrophic for about 300. hope nothing happens to you. scary situation.
     
  12. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    You are incorrect!!!! I just got my quote to stay on Merck's plan. I was bridged to retirement because I had well over 10 years and was over 50. Those of us in this situation were happy when we were bridged. That is before we got the quotes from Merck benefits. It is $1200.00 for a family. As I said, this is NOT a benefit it is a way for Merck to have the folks laid off subsidize the current employees. I am glad I am gone from this company. It is not the Merck that was once respected by the industry.
     
  13. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am glad to see that you were able to use the Merck benefits. They are good because you are truly retired. In other words eligible for Medicare. For people that are not ready to actually retire they are horrible.
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Check out one individual, not bridged. 1K.
    Others are even higher if non-bridged.....that is subsidizing the country on Obmacare.
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Merck's retiree healthcare insurance is horrible for anyone with less than 15 years tenure. It's not that great for the others, either. Like everything else at Merck, it's a disappointment.
     
  16. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I have the Merck Medicare supplement insurance and it sucks. I recently got a statement saying that I had satisfied x number of dollars of my $8000 out of network deductible. We have BC/BS Horizon and I only see BC/BS doctors and all this time I had no idea I was out of network. I guess it is just a way for Merck to F us.
     
  17. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    They have been increasing the personal and family deductible every year for all active employees and retirees. This is an universal trend for all, Merck or other companies.

    If you have been seeing doctors participating in BC/BS, I don't see how they would be processed as out of network? You may have to watch out when your family physician refers you to a specialist. There is a directory on the Horizon BC/BS site to check on specialists.

    Then the usual problem which happen often enough. Some providers forget to bill Medicare first and send the bill to BC/BS first. You'll see the footnote states to send them a benefit statement from Medicare showing how much has been paid first. All you need is a phone call to ask them to bill Medicare first.

    Many of these problems are not a Merck conspiracy to screw you. Providers get sloppy. They don't bill properly. They just send you a bill for the balance. You really have to take charge, and sadly, make phone calls to fix all these errors. It is frustrating.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I am trying to get my dentures and Merck healthcare is balking on payment! Who should I call in HR? It is not easy to eat sweet corn with only gums!!
     
  19. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    I don't know where you are coming from - I pay $315 per month for my wife and I for the supplemental - have had ZERO problems and am completely satisfied = age 66 each.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest


    Young man. Your problem is STD and anti-anxiety drug plus a SSRI.