United Healthcare Materials Arrived

When Nortel made the motion to terminate the medical benefits they also sent information out stating that they had arranged with United Healthcare to make offers to retirees and dependants for continuance of health benefits.

I received materials yesterday from United Healthcare for their various plans that are offered to retirees on medicare. They offer supplementary plans and also a Medicare Advantage plan. The specific details I received were for the Medicare Advantage plan and it looks pretty good.

The plan will be different in different states, but the one for Georgia where I live offered coverage for no additional premium. As long as I am enrolled in Medicare part B and continue to pay the Medicare premiums this Advantage plan can work for me.

There are some catches but overall it is a lot better than I expected.

First of all there is no extra premium. The cost to join and participate is zero.
However I will have to be part of the United Healthcare network since the plan is an HMO-POS plan, so I will have to first of all check to see if my doctors and hospitals accept that insurance.

Secondly I will have to pay a co-pay when I go see a doctor, but I won't have to pay any deductible and there is no 20% payment like now with original Medicare.

My medicines will be covered for a reasonable low co-pay.

I will receive some vision insurance, which I currently don't have with Medicare.

Also for an extra premium of $32 per month and a $100 deductible I can add dental insurance. I'm not sure if that is such a good deal, but it is optional.

So overall the United Healthcare advantage plan looks like it would work for me.

My wife has not yet received any information from United Helthcare for her situation. As my spouse, she was covered by Nortel Cigna since she is not yet eligible for Medicare. I expect the premium to cover her will be more expensive but we can only wait and see.

In the meantime the hearing in the court is now scheduled for August 4th which doesn't give us a lot of time to make any decisions. I hope the judge rules for an extension so that we can get properly organized for the changes we need to make.