WELS VEBA sponsors a program of Medicare plans insured by UnitedHealthcare Medicare Solutions (UHC). Under the UHC program, Medicare-eligible WELS and ELS retirees are able to select from the individual Medicare plans offered by UHC in their local geographic area. All retirees have access to AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance plans and Prescription Drug plans. Most retirees also have access to UHC Medicare Advantage plans, many of which include prescription drug coverage. This program provides each retiree the flexibility to select a plan that best matches his/her individual health care needs with his/her financial resources. As a member of the WELS VEBA-sponsored group you may pay lower premiums for an AARP® Medicare Supplement Insurance plan than a member who obtains the same coverage on the commercial market.
UnitedHealthcare Contact Information
UnitedHealthcare is the best source of information for details about the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program.
To view the UHC Medicare plans available in your location and their associated premiums, please visit the WELS VEBA-UHC Medicare program website at: www.myuhcplans.com/wels or call UHC customer service at 1-877-894-7044.
Eligibility and Enrollment
A member must be enrolled for health benefits under WELS VEBA and also traditional Medicare Parts A and B at the time the member enrolls in the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program. To enroll in the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program, members must contact UHC at 1-877-894-7044.
Please note: There is no annual open enrollment period for the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program. If a WELS VEBA member retires and does not enroll in the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program at retirement, that retiree will not be able to enroll in the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program at a later date, unless an open enrollment period is expressly approved by the WELS VEBA Commission and UHC.
Coverage Options
Medicare Supplement Plans
Medicare Supplement plans provide benefits for medical services that are supplemental to the benefits provided under traditional Medicare Part A and Part B. In general, benefits for medical services available under Medicare Supplement plans are greater than benefits for medical services available under Medicare Advantage plans; however, premiums for Medicare Supplement plan coverage are also generally higher than premiums for Medicare Advantage plan coverage. Members covered under a Medicare Supplement plan generally pay a higher fixed monthly premium but are required to pay lower out-of-pocket costs for incurred medical services, compared to members covered under a Medicare Advantage plan.
Please note: Prescription drug coverage is not included under Medicare Supplement plans or traditional Medicare Part A and Part B. To ensure coverage for prescription drugs, a member who enrolls in Medicare Supplement coverage for medical services should also consider enrollment in a Part D Prescription Drug plan.
Part D Prescription Drug Plans
Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans provide benefits for prescription drugs covered under Medicare. UHC offers several different Part D Prescription Drug plans with various coverage and premium levels.
Medicare Advantage Plans
Most retired members have access to a UHC Medicare Advantage plan in their geographic location. Medicare Advantage plans combine coverage of medical services and prescription drugs into one plan, eliminating the need to enroll in separate Medicare Supplement and Part D Prescription Drug plans.
Most of the UHC Medicare Advantage plans are available at a $0 monthly premium. Although the premium costs for Medicare Advantage plans are much lower than the premium costs for Medicare Supplement and Part D Prescription Drug plans, a retired member will generally pay more out-of-pocket for incurred medical services under a Medicare Advantage plan than a retired member covered under a Medicare Supplement plan.
Rates
Rates for coverage under the WELS VEBA-sponsored UHC Medicare program vary by several factors, including the plan(s) in which the retired WELS VEBA member is enrolled.
To identify the UHC Medicare plans available in your location and the associated monthly premium rates, please visit the WELS VEBA-UHC Medicare program website at: www.myuhcplans.com/wels.