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Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund / Group Legal Fund
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Important Notice from the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare
When comparing the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund Prescription Drug Plan to a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, keep in mind that effective January 1, 2006 the prescription drug benefit will have an annual maximum of $5,000 per year (per person) for prescription drug costs, which might not be enough to cover all of your (or your spouse’s) maintenance or critical drug costs.
In view of the fact that the Fund's prescription drug benefit does not provide catastrophic coverage and is capped at $5,000 per year, if you have high prescription drug costs, you should carefully investigate the Medicare Part D Plans available in your area. Bear in mind, you will have to pay premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs.
CHOICES
You can choose any one of the following options:
You can keep your other Welfare Fund benefits and prescription drug coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund, and you do not have to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.
You may in the future enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan during Medicare’s annual enrollment period (November 15-December 31 of each year).
You can keep your other Welfare Fund benefits and prescription drug coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund and enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.
If you do this, the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund will pay primary to Medicare benefits provided you are actively employed in a unionized day care center and have elected the employe’s benefits as primary coverage.
If you drop your current coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund and elect Medicare benefits, including Medicare prescription drug benefits (Part D), as Primary coverage be aware that, you will lose all Welfare Fund benefits for yourself, your spouse and other dependents.
* enrollment in either GHI or HIP/HMO is arranged through the Day Care Center where you are employed and is administered by the Mayor’s Office of Operations, City Wide Central Insurance Program (CCIP). The Day Care Council-Local 205, DC 1707 Welfare Fund does not administer nor provide the Medical plan benefit. For information or answers to questions you may have about the GHI-Medical or HIP/HMO hospital/medical insurance programs and Medicare Part D contact the CCIP at (212) 788-8142.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU LATER LOSE OR DROP COVERAGE WITH THE DAY CARE COUNCIL-LOCAL 205, D.C. 1707 WELFARE FUND, AND YOU DO NOT ENROLL IN A MEDICARE DRUG PLAN?
If you drop or lose your coverage with the Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund and do not enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage after your current coverage ends, you may pay more to enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage later. If after May 15, 2006, you go 63 days or longer without prescription drug coverage that is at least as good as Medicare’s prescription drug coverage, your monthly premium will go up at least 1% per month for every month after May 15, 2006 that you did not have that coverage. For example, if you go nineteen months without coverage, your premium will always be at least 19% higher than what most other people pay. You’ll have to pay this higher premium as long as you have Medicare coverage. In addition, you may have to wait until the next November to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.
For more information about this notice or your current prescription drug coverage:
Contact our office for further information at (212) 925-0005.
NOTE: You may receive this notice at other times in the future (such as before the next period you can enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage, and if this coverage changes). You also may request a copy by calling the fund office at 212 925-0005.
For more information about your options under Medicare prescription drug coverage…
More detailed information about Medicare plans that offer prescription drug coverage is available in the “Medicare & You 2006” handbook issued October 2005. You will receive a copy of the handbook in the mail from Medicare if you have not received it already. You may also be contacted directly by Medicare prescription drug plans. You can also obtain more information about Medicare prescription drug plans from these places:
Visit www.medicare.gov for personalized help, Call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see your copy of the Medicare & You handbook for their telephone number) Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
For people with limited income and resources, extra help paying for a Medicare prescription drug plan is available. Information about this extra help is available from the Social Security Administration (SSA). For more information about this extra help, visit SSA online at www.socialsecurity.gov, or call them at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
Remember: Keep this notice. If you enroll after May 15, 2006 in one of the new prescription drug plans approved by Medicare, you may need to give a copy of this notice when you join to show that you are not required to pay a higher premium amount.
November 15, 2005] Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund] Iris N Jusino, Administrator] 75 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013-1917. (212) 925-0005
As in all cases, Day Care Council-Local 205, D.C. 1707 Welfare Fund reserves the right to modify benefits at any time, in accordance with applicable law.
This document is intended to serve as your Notice of Creditable Coverage as required by law.
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