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MCC Daily Tribune

Health Insurance in Retirement

MCC recently made a change to the health insurance carriers for retiree health insurance. The College takes its commitment to its retirees seriously and implemented this change after much consideration and study. We recognize and value the contribution of all employees, both current and former, and want to continue to honor their service in a way that also recognizes the current fiscal situation of the College. These changes support MCC's contractual commitments to provide retirees with insurance options that align with those available to current employees.

College personnel costs, including retiree health insurance, constitute up to 85% of MCC's operating budget. In light of the fiscal constraints facing the College and the rising costs of health insurance, we carefully reviewed the health insurance options available to our retirees. Our concern went beyond cost-savings; we were interested in providing a clearer set of options that better meet the needs of our retirees.

In our research, MVP's plans were the most comprehensive and highly rated. Additionally, the MVP plans offer dental, vision, and hearing benefits that have not been offered by other plans in the past. Over the last three years, the College added MVP as an option for the retirees who are Medicare eligible, and those who have switched have positive feedback about the service and benefits provided.

As a result of this review, the College is providing four plan options: a base plan, two in-area buy-up plans, and an out-of-area traditional Medigap plan. Additionally, retirees have a portability option that allows them to seek reimbursement from the College if they purchase health insurance in their out of area location. For your reference, a comparison chart between the health insurance plan options for retirees and for active employees is attached. The cost to the retiree for the "buy-up" plans varies by their retirement year.

In addition to contacting each retiree, we have scheduled several meetings with MVP so that retirees can learn about their options in person and have personal consultations with representatives. During these meetings, retirees will be given the opportunity to review their medical needs and learn which plans will work best for them. Staff members from the Human Resources Office have spoken with retirees who are unable to attend the meetings and provided them with information and assistance over the phone. We understand that decisions about health insurance are important, personal, and influenced by many factors. Our goal is to make this transition as seamless as possible and to provide retirees with the information they need.

If you have any questions regarding this change or any other Human Resources topic, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Attached Files:
Active-Retiree Comparison Chart.pdf

Melissa Fingar
Human Resources
10/17/2018