Responses to LRO Members Medicare Questions - October 23, 2003 All of you sent questions, comments or suggestions back to the LRO after you received the email on finding other health insurance.  Your questions were Medicare-eligible questions, so I'm answering as best I can the whole group at once. I'm a member of the LRO and I wrote the email that went out on this subject. I took a full-time job after I left Lucent in the Human Resources dept. of a local college.  I have gotten some familiarity with health insurance since then, but am definitely not an expert.  The reason it has taken me so long to answer your Medicare questions is that I know the least about Medicare since I mostly work with active employees under the age of 65. With those caveats, here are some thoughts on your issues. *  With regard to losing the Medicare Part B payment, there's nothing you can do except start paying it yourself.  You really need the Medicare Part B.  The Medicare supplement insurance plans start where Medicare Part B leaves off.  I know this won't be comforting to you, but Lucent is one of the very few companies who paid the Part B premiums. It has become a rare occurrence. *  Regarding where to get advice on Medicare and supplemental insurance, here are some possibilities I can think of.  (1) If you have a financial planner, you might start there.  (2) I would also be inclined to contact AARP (www.aarp.org) who has been dealing with this kind of insurance for a long time.  Some of you even suggested the AARP options.  (3)  Two of you suggested looking at the Aetna Gold Choice Medicare Plan (not offered everywhere, but offered in NJ).  (4)  Talk to your regular insurance agent (the person you get homeowners or auto insurance from) for suggestions. *  Compare plans carefully.  Don't just look at premium cost.  You have to look at all costs that come out of your pocket, as suggested in my original document.  The AARP web site also has some good tips for comparing plans. *  Make sure that whatever option(s) you take includes prescription drugs. That is one of the largest single parts of health care and growing all the time. *  I know some of you feel that Lucent should at least be providing you with the "cap" money that they had promised to pay at the beginning. Promises are only as good as the cash available to carry them out.  This just isn't going to happen in Lucent's current financial state, so you have to move on as best you can.  Find the best insurance you can and be careful when choosing the insurance company and the plan. *  You should be able to get into any Medicare supplement plan at this time. I don't know how it works with the Medicare supplement plans, but it may be the same as with other health plans for the under 65 people. With the under 65, in order to get into another group plan without a pre-existing condition clause, you have to have a HIPPA certificate that shows you have been covered another plan.  The new group plan needs a copy of that to provide insurance without the pre-existing condition clause.  I just looked into this myself because I will probably move to my current employer's plan.  I asked Lucent enrollment center how I get a HIPPA certificate.  They said as soon as I enroll saying that I decline coverage, a HIPPA certificate will automatically be sent to me. So, I don't know if Medicare supplement plans require the same thing, but thought I'd mention it as something you should watch out for. *  Some of you were a bit cynical regarding Lucent's willingness to let people opt in and out of their plan as many times as we want. Personally, I thought this was a great idea on their part AND for me. It means a retiree can take advantage of other options they might have and still have Lucent as a back up.  For example, if I take my current employer's insurance and then lose my job, I know I still have Lucent's plan to fall back on (expensive as it is).  What I know is that my spouse (who is self employed) and I cannot go without health insurance. Lola Hotchkis