Fermilab maintains its strong commitment to provide our retirees with a comprehensive and affordable healthcare benefit program.
Retirees and their eligible dependents who are not Medicare eligible will remain in the PPO and HMO plans offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield. It is the responsibility of the retiree to notify the Fermilab Benefits Office in writing of the Medicare eligibility date if the retiree or dependent becomes Medicare eligible prior to age 65. The Fermi Research Alliance, LLC retiree medical plan will become secondary coverage as of the Medicare eligibility date. It is the retiree’s responsibility to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B as of the date of eligibility. The retiree medical coverage through Fermi Research Alliance, LLC will transition from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to the Via Benefits plan the first of the month following a full month after the retiree’s eligibility date. (i.e. retiree or dependent becomes Medicare eligible on 06/06/2023, the Via Benefits plan is effective on 08/01/2023.)
If the retiree or covered dependent is eligible for Medicare, it is the retiree’s responsibility to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B as of the first of the month the retiree or dependent is eligible for Medicare, and to pay any required premiums. The FRA medical plan has no responsibility to pay any medical expenses incurred by the retiree or by their covered dependents for services for which Medicare would have paid except for the failure to timely enroll.
If a retiree moves out of the HMO service area, they mist complete the Retiree Medical Change form within 31 days of the date of the move to change to the PPO plan.
If a retiree has a newly eligible dependent, they must complete the Retiree Medical Change form within 31 days to add the new dependent to the plan.