Updates for CCA Health California Members

If you don’t take action before December 31, 2024, you will lose your prescription drug coverage and only be covered by Original Medicare starting January 1, 2025.

Even if Medicare places you in Original Medicare, you still have other opportunities to join a Medicare health or drug plan. Because your plan will no longer be available to you, and to provide you additional time to evaluate your options, you have a special opportunity to join a new plan any time until February 28, 2025. If you join a new Medicare plan AFTER December 31, your coverage in the new plan won’t start until the month after you join.

If you don’t join a plan with prescription drug coverage or a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan with Original Medicare by February 28, 2025, you won’t have prescription drug coverage in 2025 and you may have to pay a lifetime Part D late-enrollment penalty if you join a Medicare prescription drug plan later.

You need to choose how you want to get your health and prescription drug coverage. Review your options for Medicare coverage and decide which is best for you:

• Option 1: You can join another Medicare health plan. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week or visit Medicare.gov¹ to choose a new plan. A Medicare health plan is offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide benefits. Medicare health plans cover all services that Original Medicare covers and may offer extra coverage such as vision, hearing, or dental. Most Medicare health plans include prescription drug coverage. If you join a Medicare plan without drug coverage you may want to join a separate Medicare prescription drug plan to get prescription drug coverage. If you don’t join a separate Medicare prescription drug plan you may have to pay a lifetime Part D late enrollment penalty if you choose to join one later.
• Option 2: You can change to Original Medicare. Original Medicare is fee-for-service coverage managed by the Federal Government. If you choose Original Medicare, you need to join a separate Medicare prescription drug plan to get prescription drug coverage. You may also want to buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy to fill in the gaps in Original Medicare coverage. See below for more information on Medigap policies.

If you currently pay a reduced Part B premium, based on your current plan’s benefit, you will lose access to this benefit effective January 1, and you will have the full Part B premium deducted from your monthly Social Security check unless you join another plan that offers this benefit.

If you have an employer or union group health plan, VA benefits, or TRICARE for Life, contact your insurer or benefits administrator. Ask how joining another plan or returning to Original Medicare affects your coverage.

You have a special right to buy a Medigap policy because your plan is ending. You will receive a letter in the mail, which can serve as your proof that you have a special right to buy a Medigap policy.

You’ll have this special right for 63 days after your coverage with CCA Health California ends. You’ll likely need to join a separate Medicare prescription drug plan if you want Medicare drug coverage.

For information on Medigap plans, please call the California Department of Insurance at 1-800-927-4357. TTY users should call 711.