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College Insurance Program (CIP)
Total Retiree Advantage IL (TRAIL)
Initial Enrollment Period
The College Insurance Program (CIP) offers its members a healthcare program called Total Retiree Advantage Illinois (TRAIL). This program provides Medicare-eligible members and their covered dependents comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage through TRAIL Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (commonly referred to as an “MAPD”) plan. The program includes dental and vision coverage.
All newly-eligible participants, who elect to enroll in the TRAIL MAPD Program will be enrolled in the Aetna Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) PPO Plan.
To be eligible for coverage under the Total Retiree Advantage Illinois MAPD plan, you and your eligible dependents must:
• Live in the United States or the U.S. Territories, AND
• Be retired and enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, due to age or disability.
You Must Take Action
During Your TRAIL MAPD Enrollment Period You May:
• Elect to cancel coverage. Note: If you cancel your CIP TRAIL MAPD enrollment, medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage for you and your enrolled dependents will end. Re-enrollment is allowed anytime throughout the plan year with coverage effective the first of the month following your enrollment request or during your annual TRAIL MAPD Enrollment Period.
• Elect to re-enroll in coverage. You may re-enroll in medical, prescription drug, vision, and dental coverage if you previously canceled coverage.
• Add or drop dependent coverage. IMPORTANT: You must contact the MyBenefits Service Center (toll-free) 844-251-1777 if you want to add a dependent not enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. If you add a non-Medicare dependent, you will be ineligible to enroll in a TRAIL MAPD plan.
For more complete benefit information regarding TRAIL and the health plan benefits with your new Aetna MAPD PPO plan, please review your:
2024 CIP TRAIL Initial Enrollment Guide (for Newly-eligible TRAIL Members)
Important Information
• TRAIL MAPD is a retiree healthcare program sponsored by the College Insurance Program (CIP). The plan offered through the TRAIL Program is a Medicare Advantage plan which includes prescription drug coverage. As a CIP member, who is newly-eligible for enrollment in the TRAIL MAPD health plan, this is your opportunity to enroll in the Aetna MAPD PPO Plan. If you do not want TRAIL MAPD coverage or do not enroll in the Aetna MAPD PPO plan, you will be waived from CIP’s coverage. If you cancel coverage, you will lose medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Canceling TRAIL MAPD coverage does not allow you to stay in your current CIP health plan.
• The TRAIL MAPD health plan is offered by Aetna. Medicare pays a fixed amount for your care each month to Aetna. When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan, you are no longer in Original Medicare, but still have the same covered services and the same rights and protections as people with Original Medicare.
• You must keep Medicare Parts A and B and continue to pay the applicable Medicare premiums, including applicable IRMAA (Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) surcharges.
• If the member's and/or dependent's Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number is not on file, it must be provided during your enrollment, please make sure you have this information available.
• If you fail to provide a copy of the Medicare card with your MBI number to the Medicare COB unit or your Retirement system, your TRAIL MAPD and CIP medical insurance will be waived for the dependent(s) with the missing documentation and waived for the entire household if the member's documentation is not provided.
• You can only be in one Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plan at a time. Enrollment in the TRAIL MAPD plan provides you with Medicare Advantage coverage as well as Medicare Part D coverage. Therefore, enrollment in a different Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan will automatically cause your TRAIL MAPD coverage to end, which will include your medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage.
• You may terminate the TRAIL MAPD coverage at any time by contacting the plan administrator in writing. You may re-enroll throughout the plan year and coverage will be effective the first of the month following your enrollment request or during your annual TRAIL MAPD Enrollment Period.
• If your residential or mailing address changes, you must notify both your retirement system and the Social Security Administration in writing as quickly as possible.
• Medicare Advantage Plans are not Medicare Supplement plans. Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans," are an “all in one” alternative to Original Medicare. These "bundled" plans include Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), and in the case of your CIP-Sponsored TRAIL plan, Medicare prescription drug (Part D) is also included.
• Once you have enrolled in the TRAIL MAPD health plan, you will only use your red, white, and blue Medicare card for hospice care. All other claims for your healthcare services (including prescription drugs) should be sent to your MAPD plan administrator for processing and benefit determinations.
• Medicare-eligible CIP members who want to continue medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage through CIP, are required to enroll in the TRAIL MAPD health plan if they and their covered dependents are all enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. Remaining in your current CIP health plan is not an option. If you do not complete the online enrollment process or call the MyBenefits Service Center by your enrollment deadline, we will assume you do not want your CIP TRAIL MAPD health insurance and will terminate your medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. If your CIP medical and prescription coverage is terminated, you will have only Original Medicare for your medical coverage. To obtain additional coverage you may enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan for prescription drug coverage, re-enroll in CIP-Sponsored TRAIL plan throughout the plan year with coverage effective the first of the month following your enrollment request, or enroll during your next annual TRAIL MAPD Enrollment Period.
• Plan Year deductible and Out-of-Pocket Maximums will start over with your new TRAIL MAPD Health Plan. The MAPD plans are not permitted to consider the deductible(s) you might have already paid in your other plan. Any deductible paid to your current medical plan will not count toward your MAPD plan year deductible. The MAPD medical deductible is separate from your dental plan deductible. Your annual PPO deductible and dental deductible will start again for the TRAIL MAPD Plan Year.
• Your current health plan may cover services that Original Medicare does not cover. Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover all services covered by Original Medicare. In order to be covered, the service must be considered medically necessary and in certain cases, meet Medicare guidelines for approval. Some services have limits to how often they can be obtained.
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