now that northern trust is trustee of the pension, we no longer get monthly statements on payments. in fact we get zero from either ibm or northern trust. am i missing something?

Thanks Ron, good to know.

According to the Summary Plan Descriptions, the FHA and HRA are treated differently in terms of continued access to the IBM plans.

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Prior to age 65, you should keep at ;least $1 in the FHA to be eligible to return to the IBM pre-Medicare insurance plans if you drop out of the IBM plans for a time.?

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Once you are 65 and become eligible for Medicare, the FHA converts to the HRA.? Under the current rules, as long as you were eligible to enroll at age 65, you will always be eligible to return to the IBM MA plans in the future if you drop out for a while, even if you have a $0 HRA balance.?

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I used all of my HRA funds and have a $0 balance. I have not been enrolled in the IBM MA plans for the last 2 years, but have been eligible to enroll during open enrollment each year, so I know this really works.

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IBM could choose to change the rules in the future, so if you are really worried, leave $1 in the HRA.??

I'm leaving the UHC Advantage plan at the end of this year.? I've spent my FHA funds as fast as I could and have just a little left. How much should I leave in there to be significant to preserve the privilege of returning to the IBM medical plans in the future?? If returning would ever make sense for some reason, just thinking to keeping that option open.? I have $104 left in there now, and could easily submit another $50 in reimbursement claims.? With just a little digging through on-line billing receipts I could even drain it completely to just pocket change above zero dollars.? Or have I already spent it too low and should just claim it all?

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What's the group consensus on what to leave in the FHA knowing I may never want to come back, but "just in case" to preserve the option?

After 53 minutes on the phone with an IBM retiree UHC CSR, we got to a page for the disenrollment process forms.

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Other than too many copays, the IBM UHC plan C worked out okay while I spent my FHA money down to just a couple hundred bucks left by the planned normal 12/31 disenrollment date.

Are you exercising your 1 year trial rights to return to original Medicare, or are you beyond the trial limit window?

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Without trial rights, you may have difficulty enrolling in a Supplemental plan without having to go through medical underwriting, unless you live in CT, MA, ME or NY, where it is prohibited.

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If you have trial rights, you can switch at any month within the 1-year window.? Without trial rights, you may have to stay with the MA plan through the end of the year.

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Here is what to do if you have trial rights:

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First, you must call UHC and tell them you want to disenroll from the Advantage plan. Your last day of coverage will always be the last day of a month, so pick a date like Oct 31 or Nov 30 (assuming your trial ends on Dec 31.) This will give you some extra time to correct anything that goes wrong before the 1-year time limit expires.? Make sure they get the date right! Some retirees found that UHC cancelled their coverage a month earlier than they requested.

You can call Medicare and tell them as well, just to be doubly sure.

That will create a Special Enrollment Period, allowing you to enroll in a Supplemental Plan and a Part D RX plan.

UCH will mail you a termination of coverage notice making it official. ?This should arrive in 7-10 days.

Under Medicare’s Trial Rights, if you were in a Supplemental plan prior to enrolling in the Advantage plan, then you can only return to the same plan with the same company that you were previously in, as long as it is still being sold.? If it is no longer being sold, then you can enroll in other Supplemental plans, even from other companies.? If you were not previously enrolled in a Supplemental plan, then you can purchase any plan from any company.

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Call your previous supplemental plan provider and tell them you want to return to your old plan by exercising your Trial Rights.?

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An insurance company cannot sell you a Supplemental policy more than 60 days before your termination date.? They may request a copy of the termination letter.?

You can also enroll in a Part D plan in this special enrollment period. It doesn't need to be the same plan that you had before.

To help make things go smoothly, you may want to go through a Medicare broker, like Via Benefits or Boomer Benefits rather than doing all the legwork yourself. ?It doesn't cost more if a broker handles it.

Sorry I have no idea.? I refused IBM's UHC plan and stayed with traditional Medicare - so glad I did.? After three major surgeries my Blue Cross of Texas supplemental coverage has been outstanding.??

I must be overlooking some link someplace but how do I get out of UHC completely and back to original Medicare B. I see how to CHANGE to a different Advantage Plan C but not how to drop out of Advantage plans entirely.

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Thanks