Beginning January 1, 2023, your new medical and prescription drug plan will be the Aetna Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) PPO Plan. This new plan will replace your current plan, whether you’re currently enrolled in the UnitedHealthcare MAPD Plan or one of the MAPD HMO Plans (Aetna, Health Alliance or Humana). While your carrier for medical and prescription drug coverage is changing, your dental carrier—Delta Dental—and vision carrier—EyeMed, if applicable, will remain the same. No action is required unless you want to opt out of the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan. If you and your Medicare-eligible dependent(s) are currently covered under the UnitedHealthcare MAPD Plan or a MAPD HMO Plan, you and your Medicare-eligible dependent(s) will be automatically enrolled in the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan with coverage beginning January 1, 2023.
Why Are We Changing Providers?
On December 31, 2022, the current MAPD contracts will expire. Because of this, the State of Illinois was legally required to enter a request for proposal (RFP) process. During this process, we reviewed all the documents provided by each bidder, and found that Aetna offered the richest, low-cost plan, tailored to the needs of you—our retirees. Several factors contributed to our decision to change MAPD providers: • The Aetna MAPD PPO Plan offers lower premiums for coverage—saving both you and the State of Illinois money. In other words, you’ll pay lower monthly contributions for coverage. You’ll see these lower costs in your Open Enrollment Decision Guide. • In addition, the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan has been designed specifically for State of Illinois retirees—offering another wellness benefit. This new plan will offer wellness programs, through Be Well Illinois and SilverSneakers.
How Will the Plan Change?
Before making this decision, the State of Illinois compared all requests for proposal. We found that with the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan, there should be little to no disruption with your current providers:
• It’s unlikely you’ll have to change providers under the new the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan. You’ll be able to use any doctor, hospital, or specialist in or out of the Aetna Medicare Advantage network, without paying more for out-of-network services, as long as the provider has accepted the plan and has not opted out or been excluded from Medicare. • If you’re currently undergoing ongoing treatment, please reach out to Aetna at 1-855- 223-4807 from 8am to 8pm CST to discuss transition of care. To view the list of covered prescription drugs, visit Aetna’s formulary online at StateofIllinois.AetnaMedicare.com