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As both a veteran and the Director of Program Innovation & Improvement for UPMC Health Plan, I understand the health-care needs of Pennsylvania's veterans.
When I saw my retired veteran father struggle to get the affordable health care he needed, I knew I had to take action.
Military-issued retirement benefits include TRICARE For Life when the retiree is Medicare eligible. TRICARE For Life provides prescription drug coverage.
"Medicare Advantage" plans offer benefits that TRICARE does not, including vision, dental, and behavioral health coverage and caregiver supports -- that are also not available from traditional Medicare.
Medicare-eligible veterans should have access to the additional supports offered in Medicare Advantage plans -- available to other Medicare-eligible seniors -- to meet their health needs and that work with existing TRICARE For Life coverage. Options that do so affordably have largely not existed until now. To help veterans like my father, we created the new "UPMC for Life PPO Salute (PPO)" Medicare Advantage plan to give retired veterans more healthcare choices.
Our approach builds upon existing military retirement benefits to better serve retired military members through benefits that charge as low as $0 in monthly premiums and, in the case of the PPO Salute plan, return to members $75 per month in their Social Security check. It also makes accessing a large network of providers -- UPMC and other providers, both in Pennsylvania and out of state -- easier than ever.
The PPO Salute plan supports healthier living with a flexible spending card that provides $600 for members to spend on over-the-counter (OTC) products, medical service costs, and dental, vision, and hearing services.
Finally, we have leveled the playing field for veterans seeking affordable access to health care and services that meet their unique needs.
One veteran with a $60,000 annual pension as a baseline, and with traditional Medicare and TRICARE For Life paid more than $11,000 for dental, vision, hearing, and gym memberships premiums that were not covered by insurance -- nearly 19% of a veteran's retirement income.
Under the PPO Salute plan, we reduce the Part B premium by $75 per month (that's $900 per year) and offer dental, vision, hearing, and gym memberships at no additional cost resulting in a total cost of about $3,400, or only 5.8% of this member's annual pension.
As military veterans, we know that our experiences and challenges are unique. An insurance plan created by veterans for veterans is special because it's designed with a deep understanding of our needs and situations.
Our plan offers coverage, benefits and support services that cater to the military community, addressing the complexities of military life, federal health benefits for veterans, and potential health risks associated with our service.
The camaraderie and shared experiences among veterans in the insurance industry contribute to creating a sense of trust and solidarity, ensuring that the veterans at UPMC for Life genuinely have your best interests at heart when designing these plans.
We encourage all veterans to carefully examine the many Medicare-related plans available to them and choose the option that works best for them.
Chris Preffer is based in Pittsburgh. For information, visit UPMC for Life Veterans Resources page.