Medicare Eligible Retirees

Wavelength
O PE N E N RO LL M E NT 2014 :
November – December 2013
Improving the
Human Experience
Enroll in or make changes to
your 2014 SSL benefits from
November – December 2013.
For SSL retirees and their families
Medicare Eligible Retirees
STAY INFORMED. STAY HEALTHY.
Nothing is more important than your health. SSL is committed to
providing you with access to competitive benefits that offer flexibility
and affordability for you and your family. We continue to support you
and your family’s efforts to be engaged health care consumers and make
smart lifestyle choices by offering valuable tools and resources.
As Open Enrollment approaches, we encourage you to review your
benefit options for 2014 and choose the best coverage that fits your
needs. Open Enrollment is also a great time to review and update your
beneficiary and dependent information.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Open Enrollment Dates
Enroll in a Medicare plan through Aon Hewitt Navigators during
your scheduled appointment or directly with Kaiser Permanente
(current Kaiser members only).
Your appointment confirmation will be sent to you in Mid-October
and your appointment will be in early to mid November.
Your deadline to enroll is December 31, 2013
Benefits Effective Date: January 1, 2014
SSL
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MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES
WHAT’S NEW?
In 2014, we are making changes to our health
care options and are confident these changes will
provide a broad variety of choices that fit your
lifestyle and your current needs.
To receive SSL funds that you
can use for medical coverage
expenses in 2014, you must
enroll in health care coverage
through Aon Hewitt Navigators
during Open Enrollment.
With the steep rise in costs of medical premiums, we
researched various insurance options and decided
to move to a private health insurance exchange
program for Medicare Eligible Retirees. The
exchange programs available offer more medical
insurance choices at more affordable rates that may
help reduce your overall costs. We are confident that
you will benefit from the private health insurance
exchange by finding a plan that fits you and your
family’s needs and budget.
With the participation in the health insurance
exchange, Medicare eligible retirees are able to:
• Enroll in a plan through Aon Hewitt Navigators
• Enroll in an individual Kaiser Plan (for current
Kaiser members only)
All Aon Hewitt Navigator participants (as well as
current Kaiser members who enroll in an individual
Kaiser Plan) will receive an HRA account funded
by SSL:
• Retiree’s HRA funding: $150/month
• Medicare Eligible Dependent HRA funding
$100/month
SSL
BENEFITS FOR MEDICARE
ELIGIBLE RETIREES
You will have access to numerous medical plan
choices through the Medicare marketplace.
Shopping in the marketplace gives you the freedom
to choose a plan that fits your needs and your
budget. In fact, many of the plans offered have
premiums that are lower than what many retirees
currently pay.
To receive SSL funds that you can use for medical
coverage expenses in 2014, you must enroll in
a Medicare health plan through Aon Hewitt
Navigators during Open Enrollment. (NOTE: Current
Kaiser Permanente members who elect to enroll
directly in a Kaiser individual plan will also receive
SSL Funds).
When you enroll in a Medicare health plan through
Aon Hewitt Navigators, your personal licensed
Benefits Advisor will help you select a plan that
provides the medical and prescription drug
coverage that is right for you and your family. Aon
Hewitt Navigators will bring to you the broad array
of choices available in the Medicare marketplace
and help you and any Medicare eligible dependents
make a choice that is right for each of your
individual needs. You and your currently enrolled
eligible dependents can select different plans,
depending on what works for each of you.
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MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES
YOUR COST FOR COVERAGE
When you select a plan through the exchange,
SSL will establish a health reimbursement account
(HRA) for you to help you pay for your premiums.
SSL will provide a monthly subsidy of $150 for the
SSL retiree and $100 for each each Medicare eligible
dependent, if currently covered by the retiree. The
monthly subsidy will be deposited into the retiree’s
HRA, which will be administered by Aon Hewitt
Navigators. You can use the funds in your HRA to
be reimbursed for the costs of your premiums and
other out-of-pocket medical expenses such as
deductibles and copays.
Keep in mind that you will be responsible for paying
for your new individual insurance coverage. Effective
January 2014, your monthly premiums will no longer
be deducted from your pension check. When you
enroll in your new coverage, talk to your licensed
Benefits Advisor about setting up automatic
payment, such as direct debit, to make sure you
never miss a payment.
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SSL
MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES
Enrollment Reminders
NEXT STEPS
✓ September 2013: In early September, you
have an opportunity to attend a retiree meeting
that we’ve scheduled where you can learn more
about the new program, what it means for you
and how Aon Hewitt Navigators will assist you
through this transition. The meeting will be held
on September 11, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. in the Satellite
Café at the SSL headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. If
you are unable to attend the meeting in person,
a conference call dial-in number will be available.
More details will be posted on the SSL Alumni
website at www.sslalumni.com.
✓ October 2013: In mid-October, you will receive
an appointment letter and Medicare education
guide at your home address. It will provide details
about the personal appointment we’ve prescheduled for you to talk to a licensed Benefits
Advisor and select new coverage.
✓ November 2013 – December 2013: During this
enrollment window, you’ll have your personal
telephone appointment with a licensed Benefits
Advisor to learn about available options, select a
plan and enroll in coverage for January 1, 2014.
✓ January 2014 – The coverage you enroll in
through the exchange program will be effective
on January 1, 2014.
The elections you make during Open Enrollment are
effective January 1, 2014 and will remain in effect
through December 31, 2014, unless you experience
a qualifying life status event, such as marriage or
divorce (see Making Benefit Changes below).
MAKING BENEFIT CHANGES
If you experience a qualified life status event,
you will have the opportunity to make mid-year
changes to your benefit elections. Changes must be
made within 30 days of the event date. Examples
of a qualified life status event include, but are not
limited to, the following:
Marriage, divorce, legal separation, or annulment
Birth or death of a dependent
You or your dependents turns age 65 and/or
becomes Medicare eligible
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Please contact Aon Hewitt Navigators if you
experience a qualified life status event and would
like to change your Medicare plan election.
If you have a non-Medicare (under age 65) eligible dependent
enrolled on your current medical plan, you will receive
additional information regarding their plan options for 2014.
IMPORTANT CONTACTS
Benefits Contact
SSL Retiree Service Center
Customer Service
1-877-385-8480
Links
www.sslalumni.com
Email: [email protected]
Aon Hewitt Navigators
(Available Mid-September)
1-888-628-2389
www.aonhewittnavigators.com/SSL
SSL reserves the right to change, suspend or terminate its employee benefit plans and programs, at any time.

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