Welcome :: For those becoming eligible for Medicare in 2010, these pages are intended to be especially helpful

» Be sure to do the following right now! .

(1) Register yourself on the Alcatel-Lucent benefit web site at
www.resources.hewitt.com/alcatel-lucent/so that you can stay current with your Alcatel-Lucent coverage.
(2 ) If you are Medicare eligible, register yourself at MyMedicare.gov so you can stay current with your Medicare coverage.
(3) Be sure to review all the material listed below. In addition to the option of staying with Alcatel-Lucent, check with more than one provider of Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement insurance and Rx Plans.

» If you become Medicare-eligible in 2010...

• You should receive a package from Medicare that includes the current version of Medicare and You. Use the attached for keeping notes as you go along.
  And click for a comparison chart for you to fill in, from AARP.  Be sure to check the other [TABS] on this page for other source material..

• Start by visiting the medicare.gov web site. It provides many links so you can find vendors and costs of various Medicare plans. You should also read and familiarize yourself with other Medicare guides, including the following (these are lengthy to print out, so ask for a paper copy from Medicare).

  • Medicare Medigap plans (also called Medicare Supplement Insurance plans). Be sure to reab about the new Plan M and Plan N which are lower cost options.  Also, read the attached description from AARP. Note the comment "can I be refused coverage" at the bottom. Your access to Medigap Supplement insurance may have limitations when you are older than 65.

  • Medicare Advantage plans (also called Medicare Part C - including commercial Private-Fee-for-Service [PFFS] plans similar to the SecureHorizons MedicareDirect plan being offered this year by Alcatel-Lucent.)

  • Medicare Part D drug plans(also called Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs)). Data for 2009 is available. Local Help: For local help with your decision, almost every state has a help group group that will provide assistance on the choices you have to make. Find your State Health Insurance Program at State Help.

  • Insurance Company Performance: J.D. Powers, a well-established rating company, provides Health plan Ratings for many of areas of the country. Click here to read their ratings.
    

   

  » Alcatel-Lucent mailing:  

  You will also receive a Medicare guide from Alcatel-Lucent that offers its own health care and prescription drug plans. A number of retirees have reported that commercial Medicare plans offer better value, so be sure to check and compare the Alcatel-Lucent offer with what's available at medicare.gov.

• Not all providers will accept the SecureHorizons plan. Call SecureHorizons at  1-888-980-8117 and check whether the doctors and especially the hospitals you use accept the Alcatel-Lucent plan.

• In addition, if your spouse is not Medicare eligible, you may need to continue your Alcatel-Lucent coverage so that your spouse can have coverage along with you.
  

» How the Benefits Team Home Page is organized. There are links to the left that can be clicked to provide you with specific information to help you in your decision process. One of your most important decisions is whether to continue with Alcatel-Lucent offered health and prescription drug plans, or to use commercial plans. The LRO Benefits Team doesn't take a position on these two options - other than to provide you as much information as possible for you to reach your own conclusion.

» The Links How to Use Guide

 provides detail information on how to compare health plans. The Plan Checklists provides specific Checklists for you to enter both Alcatel-Lucent data and data from other plans that you will have considered from the  How to Use Guide. The other provide useful supporting information for your effort.