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 participants 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 a Total Retiree Advantage Illinois Medicare Advantage

Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan, you must:

• Live in the United States or the U.S. Territories, AND

• Be covered under a retiree plan and enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, due to age or disability.

You Must Take Action

The TRAIL Program provides comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage through the Aetna MAPD PPO plan, which is a Medicare-approved plan that combines the different parts of Medicare into one plan. Since Aetna MAPD PPO is a type of Medicare, you must continue to pay your federal Medicare Parts A and B premiums in order to enroll and remain enrolled in TRAIL MAPD.

As a newly-eligible participant in the TRAIL MAPD Program, you:

•   MUST enroll in the TRAIL MAPD health plan during your enrollment period, via MyBenefits.illinois.gov or by calling the MyBenefits Service Center (toll-free) 844-251-1777. Due to your Medicare-eligibility, you cannot keep your current CIP health plan.

•   Will have your medical and prescription drug claims processed by the TRAIL MAPD health plan instead of Original Medicare and your current CIP plan once your TRAIL MAPD enrollment becomes effective.

•   May waive CIP coverage. CIP benefit recipients and survivors waiving coverage will terminate the medical, prescription, vision and dental coverage for you and all covered dependents,  if applicable. Waiving TRAIL MAPD coverage does not allow you or your covered dependents to stay in your current CIP health plan. Dependents waiving coverage will only terminate your medical, prescription, vision, and dental coverage. Waiving TRAIL MAPD coverage does not allow you to stay in your current CIP health plan.

•  Will only have one ID card to show at your doctor visits and when picking up your prescriptions. For more complete benefit information regarding TRAIL and the health plan benefits with your new Aetna MAPD PPO plan, please review your:

For more complete benefit information regarding TRAIL and the health plan benefits with your new Aetna MAPD PPO plan, please review your:

2026 CIP TRAIL Initial Enrollment Guide (for Newly eligible TRAIL Members) Coming Soon

2026 CIP TRAIL Health Plan Details   Coming Soon

2026 CIP No Cost Benefits  Coming Soon

2026CIP Plan Administrators  Coming Soon

2025 CIP TRAIL Initial Enrollment Guide (for Newly-eligible TRAIL Members – eff. 7/1/2025)

2025 CIP TRAIL Health Plan Details

2025 CIP No Cost Benefits

2025 CIP Plan Administrators

Important Information

• The TRAIL MAPD health plan provides all of your Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor and outpatient) benefits, including emergency and urgent care, and Medicare Part D (prescription drug) coverage.
• 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.
• The Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) number must be on file for all Medicare-eligible participants. If not already on file, a copy of the required Medicare card with the MBI number must be provided to the Medicare COB Unit or your retirement system.
• If you fail to provide a copy of the required 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.
• Benefit Recipients and Survivors – 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.  Reminder – Terminating your coverage will terminate coverage for you and all covered dependents under both the TRAIL MAPD and Retiree Medical plans.
• Medicare eligible dependents – 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 next applicable open enrollment period, which is based on the benefit recipient's or survivor's Medicare status.
• Non-Medicare eligible dependents – If your coverage was terminated due to the benefit recipient's or survivor's failure to enroll in their coverage, or if they choose to waive coverage, you will not be able to re-enroll in the retiree health plan until the next applicable open enrollment period, which is based on the benefit recipient's or survivor's Medicare status or if you have a qualifying event that allows you to re-enroll into coverage.
• 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 a Medicare Supplement plan. 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 State-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.

• 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, the State 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.

• MAPD plans are not permitted to consider deductible(s) that you might have already met under your previous health plan.  Therefore, any deductible amounts that were previously met under your prior health plan, will not be considered under your new TRAIL MAPD Health Plan, and will start over.   The dental plan deductible is separate from the MAPD health plan deductible and will also start over with your new TRAIL MAPD plan coverage.

• All out-of-pocket maximums that were met under your prior health plan will not carry over to your new TRAIL MAPD plan.

• 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.