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Health Plans

2024 Resources

Assistance Shopping Marketplace

Northwestern University provides personalized navigation support to retirees who wish to enroll in a health care plan on the individual market. This service is available to retirees and their dependents who are not yet eligible for Medicare, as well as those over age 65. With the assistance and expertise of a licensed benefit advisor, retirees will be able to select coverage that fits their medical needs, budget, and lifestyle. This navigation support is being offered at no cost to retirees.

Northwestern has partnered with Via Benefits – the organization that will provide retirees with personalized advice and enrollment assistance – and explains the steps retirees must take to select coverage and complete their enrollment.

Via Benefits will only assist with shopping for plans outside of Northwestern's offerings.  They cannot compare Northwestern's Medicare Advantage Plans or Legacy Retiree plans to their offerings.  Additionally, Via Benefits does not have access to your current benefit enrollment information or benefit usage.  You will need to share any pertinent information with them directly.

Retirees can go online at www.viabenefits.education.  This website contains educational materials on Medicare and information on different medical and drug plan options. When retirees are ready, they can call +1-833-995-1383 to speak with a Via Benefit advisor who will be available to answer their questions and offer objective guidance. The advisor will work with retirees, one-on-one, to review the plans available in their geographic area and help them choose and enroll in a plan that fits their individual needs.

Group Medicare Advantage Plan

The group Medicare Advantage Plan (MA), also known as “Part C”—administered by UnitedHealthcare— covers health care, dental care, eye glasses and contacts, and non-emergency care while traveling abroad. For a monthly premium of $413.89 for 2024, you receive UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage health, dental, and vision coverage.

Retirees must be eligible for Medicare to enroll in the group Medicare Advantage Plan.

MA plans work in concert with Medicare to provide a retiring faculty or staff member coverage for visiting doctors, clinics and hospitals in one plan, prescription drug coverage, no referral needed to see a specialist, and one customer service number, and much more all with one insurance card. Coverage is available across the US and internationally.  The MA group plan has a broad range of providers in the network and that the benefits are identical whether one sees a doctor in or out of network.  Search providers at www.uhcretiree.com.

Contact United Healthcare at 1-844-481-8822 to find out more about this new plan or to enroll.

Legacy Retiree PPO & HMO

The legacy plans are modified versions of the active employee plans that “carve-out” services covered by Medicare. The Medicare Advantage plan bundles Medicare Parts A & B, prescription drug coverage, and more into one plan. Under all plans, one needs to enroll in Medicare Parts A & B.  Retirees have 31-days to enroll after retirement.  Only eligible dependents covered on your insurance at retirement can join the legacy plans.  Retirees cannot add dependents in the future.

LEGACY RETIREE PPO

This is not a Medicare Supplement or Medi-Gap plan; it is a Medicare “Carve-Out” Plan. The plan is secondary to Medicare which reduces the benefits available under the insurance contract by the amount payable by Medicare. The plan has coverage for hospital and physician services and has prescription drug coverage through Express Scripts. It provides benefits for care provided by any licensed providers who contract with Medicare. This plan offers coverage to retirees both under and over age 65. This plan is administered by BCBSIL.

LEGACY RETIREE HMO

HMO Illinois offers coverage to retirees both under and over age 65 from a network of providers. It does NOT include NMG physicians. HMO Illinois network coverage is limited to Illinois. The prescription drug services are administered by Express Scripts. This plan is administered by BCBSIL.