- Home
- how-medicare-plans-work
- Turning 65?
What you need to know about Medicare
You’ve worked hard all your life, so we want to make sure you enjoy retirement. That’s why we’re giving you helpful information to make enrolling in Medicare easy.
You should have gotten a brochure with details of the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan and the enrollment process. If you haven’t received it, just call Member Services at the number on the right side and ask them to mail it to you.
-
New to Medicare
Understanding Medicare and what it covers
Medicare is the federal insurance program for people age 65 or older and for some people with certain illnesses.
Here are the different types of Medicare and what they cover:
- Part A covers hospital stays.
- Part B covers doctor visits. All Medicare enrollees pay a Part B premium each month.
- Part C (or Medicare Advantage) combines Part A and Part B coverage. It also offers additional benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, such as care advocacy and wellness programs.
- Part D covers prescription drugs.
You can apply for Medicare online at socialsecurity.gov, or enroll at your local Social Security office.1
1State of New Jersey recommends enrolling in Medicare as early as possible to avoid a delay in the start of your Medicare coverage, which could result in out-of-pocket expenses.
Enrolling in Medicare
For most people, the Medicare enrollment period opens three months before they turn 65 and ends three months after their birthday.
Getting to know the Medicare Advantage plan
You deserve a health plan that helps you make the most of retirement. That’s why State of New Jersey and Aetna have teamed up to design a health plan just for you.
Attend a benefit call
You can attend a conference call to learn more about Aetna Medicare Advantage.
To register, call 1-866-795-2091 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday,
8 AM to 9 PM ET.Learn about the parts of Medicare
-
Transcript
So, you want to know what Medicare is? It might seem confusing but don’t worry, you’re not alone. At Aetna we’re all about helping you figure it out, so let’s get started.
How does Medicare work? Well that’s easy. Here are the basics.
There are four parts to Medicare, starting with Original Medicare, which makes up the first two parts. Part A and Part B.
Part A, is your hospital insurance.
This helps pay for when you stay over in a hospital, need a skilled nursing facility, and hospice care.
Part B? This is your medical insurance.
This covers visits to your doctor, the costs of lab testing, in and out hospital treatment, and some medical equipment … like wheelchairs.
Which brings us to Part D.
This is a prescription drug plan offered by private insurance companies that covers more of the medications you may need, at better prices.
What’s that? Oh … no, we didn't forget Part C.
At Aetna, we think this is pretty important stuff, because it picks up where Original Medicare leaves off.
This is the Medicare Advantage insurance offered by Aetna. You still get all the coverage of basic Medicare A and B, the potential to keep your doctors, and perhaps even more benefits.
Since all plans are a little different, keep an eye out for mailers explaining what extra benefits Aetna may have for you!
Aetna even provides personalized health resources. For instance, our Resources For Living®program, our 24/7 nurse hotline and personalized health management support.
These programs are a great addition to your doctors and care givers.
They may even increase your emotional, social and physical well-being. These programs are in addition to Original Medicare benefits.
And Aetna Medicare Advantage even helps keep it all simple with one card and one plan to take advantage of all your benefits.
Not only is it easy to make the switch, but you get Aetna’s well-known, helpful customer service. This means a real person located here in the U.S. is available to help you at any time with anything. Some plans even have a dedicated phone line for your specific group.
So, there you have it, the ABD’s and C of Medicare.
GRP_4004_1936_M 12/2018
How to enroll in Medicare
-
Transcript
Happy Birthday!
This is a special one, because we get to talk about your Medicare benefits and enrollment.
All of you who are joining Medicare can now make some choices, and if you aren’t sure where to start, you’re in the right place, Aetna is here to help.
You have three months before your 65th birthday, and three months afterwards, to sign up for Medicare, Parts A and B.
This is required to get Medicare Advantage.
The good news is, you’re automatically enrolled in part A, but you must go online at socialsecurity.gov, or visit your Social Security office to enroll in Part B.
And before we dive right in to learn exactly what Medicare covers, watch our easy to understand and informative Medicare 101 video.
By now, you’ve seen lots of TV commercials and bulk mail, mostly from insurance companies telling you how wonderful their Medicare Advantage plan is and why you should join it… that's pretty much what the enrollment period is all about.
Hopefully you now understand what Original Medicare is… and isn’t, and you may decide you need more insurance.
About one month before your 65th birthday, a detailed outline for your Aetna Medicare Advantage plan will arrive in the mail.
This plan picks up where Medicare leaves off. You receive everything original Medicare offers, in addition to some great extras.
The Aetna Medicare Advantage plan gives you access to personalized nurse support, wellness programs, and social programs. You can see any doctor that participates with Original Medicare who is willing to treat you, so you'll likely be able to keep the doctors you have now with no interruption in your care needs.
So, there it is, Medicare enrollment in a nut shell. Congratulations on your retirement, and we hope you enjoy your golden years in health.
We now return you back to your regularly scheduled birthday cake and presents.
GRP_4004_1937_M 12/2018
We're here to help!
Call us at the numbers listed below
Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM ET:- SHBP (State and Local
Government retiree):
1-866-234-3129 (TTY: 711) - SEHBP (Education retiree):
1-866-816-3662 (TTY: 711)
-
We speak your language
We have free interpreter services to answer questions you may have about our health or drug plan.
Get help from an interpreter
¿Habla español?
Visite nuestro sitio en español
GRP_4006_2257 Approved 07/24/2019
Page last updated: Dec 30, 2019