Simply follow the link to the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Provider Finder page and choose a specific health plan to search providers in. You’ll enter your city or zip code and then can search providers by name and specialty. Check out the new TRS-ActiveCare BCBSTX Member Website!
Full Answer
Can I enroll in a Medicare medical plan outside of TRS?
You cannot be enrolled in a Medicare medical plan outside of TRS. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), prohibits people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan through their group retiree benefits from joining an individual Medicare prescription drug plan.
Will my doctor accept TRS-Care Medicare Advantage?
We occasionally hear concerns from members who worry their providers may not accept TRS-Care Medicare Advantage. We want to assure you that as long as your doctor accepts Medicare and is willing to bill Humana, you can continue to see them. The TRS-Care Medicare Advantage plan was specifically designed for retired Texas public school employees.
Why choose TRS health insurance?
At TRS, we’re committed to offering our members quality health care coverage. Whether you’re enrolled through TRS-ActiveCare or TRS-Care, our health plan options provide comprehensive benefits for your medical and prescription drug needs, as well as programs to help you achieve optimal health.
Do I have to pay extra for prescription drugs with TRS-Care?
No, your prescription drug plan is embedded into your TRS-Care Medicare Advantage Plan. You don’t need to pay an additional TRS-Care premium for drug coverage. May I opt out of TRS-Care Medicare Rx?
What is TRS-care Medicare Advantage?
TRS-Care Medicare Advantage is the medical plan and TRS-Care Medicare Rx is the prescription drug plan. It features copays, plus a low medical deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. TRS-Care Standard is a high-deductible health plan offered to retirees and their family members under 65 and not eligible for Medicare.
What is the cost of TRS Medicare Advantage?
TRS-Care Medicare Advantage medical plan — you pay $135 per month if you are a retiree or surviving spouse covering just yourself. TRS-Care Medicare Rx prescription drug plan — your payment for this is included in your TRS-Care premium. Current TRS-Care participants who are turning 65.
Do Texas teachers qualify for Medicare?
For over 30 years, the state of Texas has provided healthcare to retired teachers through the Teacher Retirement System, or TRS-Care. Medicare and TRS-Care work together to provide benefits for hundreds of thousands of retired teachers and their dependents.
How do I cancel my TRS insurance?
What do I need to do to cancel my TRS-Care coverage completely? Contact TRS for a cancellation form (700B). You must sign and notarize the form. Once TRS cancels your TRS-Care coverage, you cannot re-enroll in the TRS-Care program unless you experience a special enrollment event or you turn 65 years of age.
How much do retired teachers pay for health insurance in Texas?
Pre-65 retirees will pay A LOT more for TRS-Care. TRS-Care 1, 2 and 3 will go away. There will be only one plan: a high deductible health care plan. Premiums would be an estimated $430 per month, or $5,160 per year!
What insurance do Texas retired teachers have?
TRS-CareTRS-Care is the health insurance program more than 260,000 retired Texas educators rely upon. The program is provided by the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), the state agency responsible for running teachers' retirement pensions.
Can Texas teachers get TRS and Social Security?
Texas educators eligible for both a spousal or widow/er Social Security benefit and their own TRS pension benefit are subject to the GPO. The GPO reduces the amount such educators are eligible to receive as a spousal or widow/er Social Security benefit by two-thirds of the amount of their TRS pension benefit.
Can I collect TRS pension and Social Security?
Check with your Human Resources department if your employment is covered by just TRS or both TRS and Social Security. Remember if you pay into both, WEP and GPO do not apply. Another quick way to check is by looking at a recent pay stub. If you pay into both, you should see deductions for Social Security and TRS.
Can TRS members collect Social Security?
If You Only Qualify for a Teacher's Retirement System Pension. If you have never paid Social Security tax and only qualify for your teacher's retirement, it's likely you'll never receive a Social Security benefit.
Who qualifies for TRS Active Care?
Who is eligible for TRS-ActiveCare? Someone who works for a participating employer and is either an active contributing TRS member or works 10 or more regularly scheduled hours each week is eligible for TRS-ActiveCare.
Are TRS care premiums tax deductible?
Thanks to funding from the 86th Texas Legislature, premiums will stay the same for the TRS-Care program through 2020. TRS-Care follows a calendar year deductible, meaning that your deductible will reset on Jan. 1, 2020. For 2020, TRS enhanced benefits for both the TRS-Care plans.
How do I contact TRS in Texas?
In order to serve you better please note if you are calling about your Pension Benefits please use 1-800-223-8778 and if you are calling about your TRS Care Health Plan please call 1-888-237-6762. Our service hours are Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Annual Enrollment: July 15 - Aug. 21
While there are still a few months before Annual Enrollment begins, we encourage you to get familiar with your plan options now, consider how you’ll use your health care this year and determine what health goals you want to meet.
Provider Finder Search Tool
We know the plan you choose may ultimately depend on whether your provider is in-network. That’s why we’ve rolled out the new Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Provider Finder search tool. With the new search tool, you can check whether your providers are in-network and locate new providers in your area.
Want to subscribe to The Pulse?
Visit our Subscribe! page for information on TRS news topics. Or subscribe directly to TRS-ActiveCare or TRS-Care news updates at TRS email subscription service.
What is TRS care?
What makes your plan unique. The TRS-Care Medicare Advantage plan was specifically designed for retired Texas public school employees. It’s not like any other Humana plan or any other Medicare Advantage product. Some plans that Humana offers are health maintenance organizations (HMOs), which have smaller networks and no out-of-network benefits.
How to contact Humana about a reimbursement?
Call Humana’s Customer Care Center at 1-800-320-9566 (TTY/TDD 711) to have them work with your provider on accepting your plan. Humana Customer Care will follow up with you in three to five business days to let you know ...
What happens if Humana doesn't accept Medicare?
If your provider isn’t willing to accept your plan, which only happens in a small number of cases, Humana will offer assistance in locating a new provider who will. If your provider accepts Medicare but won’t bill Humana under the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage Plan, you have to pay the provider up front for health care services.
What to do if your doctor says they won't accept Humana?
What to do if your doctor says they won’t accept Humana plans. Identify yourself as a TRS-Care Medicare Advantage participant. Confirm with the provider that they take Medicare. Inform the provider that your plan provides out-of-network coverage.
How do I contact Humana?
Humana has even set up a dedicated phone line just for providers to answer their questions about your plan: 1-800-626-2741. You can also call Humana’s Customer Care number to request that they reach out to your provider regarding acceptance.
Does Humana accept TRS?
Every day, TRS fiercely works for you to get the health benefits you need. We’re working closely with Humana to reach out to providers who don’t accept TRS-Care Medicare Advantage and explain to them how the plan works in hopes of getting them to change their policy.
Who administers TRS care?
SilverScript, an affiliate of CVS Caremark, administers the TRS-Care Medicare Rx prescription drug plan. If you have questions or need an ID card, you can contact SilverScript at 1-844-345-4577 or visit the TRS-Care Medicare Rx website.
What is TRS-CARE Medicare Advantage Plan?
This means that you can see providers both in and out-of-network for the same cost as long as the provider accepts Medicare and is willing to bill UnitedHealthcare.
What is TRS care?
Whereas the TRS-Care Standard is typically the plan offered to retirees that are under age 65 and not eligible for Medicare.
What plan do dependents enroll in?
If they're eligible for Medicare, they'll also be enrolled in the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage medical plan and the TRS-Care Medicare Rx plan.
How much is the Medicare premium for Medicare Part B?
The $144.60 per person paid to CMS is the premium amount for enrollment in Medicare Part B. This, in conjunction with the $135 a participant pays for the TRS-Care Medicare plan, to help cover medical claims.
How many people left TRS care in 2023?
A number of factors contribute to the $3 Billion projection in 2023: First, following the 2018 health care changes, around 30,000 participants left the program. As a result, TRS-Care has fewer claims each year.
Do you have to have Medicare to participate in TRS-Care?
You must maintain Medicare coverage, including Medicare Part B coverage, to participate in the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage plan. You risk losing all TRS-Care coverage if you do not have Medicare Part B coverage. If you have a special enrollment event, you can re-enter, but these are rare.
Does TRS-CARE Medicare RX have a gap?
TRS-Care Medicare Rx does NOT have a coverage gap.
Does TRS Care have a copay?
With the TRS-Care Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll have low doctor visit copays, a low inpatient hospital admission copay, and low maximum out-of-pocket costs. Although the monthly premium may be higher than some plans, you’ll benefit from more predictable costs when receiving medical care.
What does it mean when a provider opts out of Medicare?
What it means when a provider opts out of Medicare. Certain doctors and other health care providers who don't want to work with the Medicare program may "opt out" of Medicare. Medicare doesn't pay for any covered items or services you get from an opt out doctor or other provider, except in the case of an emergency or urgent need.
How long does a doctor have to opt out?
A doctor or other provider who chooses to opt out must do so for 2 years, which automatically renews every 2 years unless the provider requests not to renew their opt out status.
Do you have to pay for Medicare Supplement?
If you have a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, it won't pay anything for the services you get.
Can you pay out of pocket for Medicare?
Instead, the provider bills you directly and you pay the provider out-of-pocket. The provider isn't required to accept only Medicare's fee-for -service charges. You can still get care from these providers, but they must enter into a private contract with you (unless you're in need of emergency or urgently needed care).
Do you have to sign a private contract with Medicare?
Rules for private contracts. You don't have to sign a private contract. You can always go to another provider who gives services through Medicare. If you sign a private contract with your doctor or other provider, these rules apply: You'll have to pay the full amount of whatever this provider charges you for the services you get.
Does Medicare cover health care?
You're always free to get services Medicare doesn't cover if you choose to pay for a service yourself. You may want to contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) to get help before signing a private contract with any doctor or other health care provider.