To our Retirees and Future Retirees:
Over the last few days, retirees received a notice from Aetna indicating that State Employees now have a choice of two different ways of receiving your retiree healthcare. The first is through the current Aetna Medicare Advantage plan and the second is through a new Medicare Wrap. While core benefits of both choices are identical, the Medicare Advantage choice provides some supplemental benefits not available under the Medicare Wrap choice (discussed below).
It is important to recognize that the Medicare Wrap is not an upgrade — it is simply a different way of receiving State retiree health benefits, designed for a small number of retirees facing specific provider access challenges. It is important to note that such provider access challenges are extremely rare and are almost exclusively related to out-of state doctors/medical facilities. The Aetna Medicare Advantage plan is the primary method to receive State Employee Retiree Healthcare at age 65+.
The Medicare Advantage plan provides additional supplemental benefits, even though the alternative Medicare Wrap choice costs $379 more per person per month. This Medicare Wrap option came about because a small number of retirees have expressed a preference for it. We negotiated that option in the SEBAC 2026 Agreement to go into effect on January 1, 2027. The vast majority of retirees have given positive feedback about the current Medicare Advantage plan for delivering state retiree benefits, but for those retirees who prefer the Medicare Wrap vehicle, they now have that choice.
Choosing the Medicare Wrap plan should be carefully considered, in addition to the $379 per person, per month premium, the Medicare Advantage choice provides some supplemental benefits not available under the Medicare Wrap. These include:
- Up to $200 in Healthy Rewards per person per year
- Silver Sneakers
- 24 one-way non-emergency transportation trips per year
- Care and disease-management/nurse support
- Coverage for naturopath providers under the existing copay structure
- 28 post-discharge meals after an inpatient hospital stay
For those few circumstances where needed providers are unwilling to accept payment through Aetna, the Medicare Advantage choice already contains a free opt out provision for affected retirees that is unconnected to the new Medicare Wrap around option.
If you are one of the few retirees having issues receiving coverage under the current option, the current process to help resolve these issues begins with the Aetna Retiree Member Services unit and if necessary goes through the Comptroller’s Retiree Health insurance unit. Both of those numbers are below.
Aetna Retiree Member Services:
855-648-0391 (TTY: 711)
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. ET
For enrollment and eligibility questions, you may also contact the Office of the State Comptroller Retiree Health Insurance Unit at 860-702-3533, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. ET.
If your current Aetna Medicare Advantage plan is working for you, do nothing. Your coverage continues automatically and your premium co-share remains $0, while the premium co-share for the new Medicare wrap is at $379/month.
As your union, we fought to give retirees more choices. But more choices does not mean everyone should make a change. Before switching, make sure you fully understand what you are gaining and what you are giving up.