I used to be a first grade teacher. My mom is a retired teacher and so is my mother-in-law. Education has always been near and dear to my heart. It takes a special kind of person to spend your life helping others learn.
The same goes for municipal workers, who perform a variety of important functions — often behind the scenes — that make it possible for community members and businesses to flourish.
When people retire from these careers, they deserve a group Medicare plan that truly rewards them for their years of service. And many educational institutions and municipalities offer these kinds of plans to their retirees.
In my role as Senior Account Executive for Medicare Group Sales at Independence Blue Cross (IBX), it’s my privilege to help ensure that members continue to have comprehensive health care coverage. I work with public school districts, local colleges and universities, and the City of Philadelphia.
Just like IBX, these entities are all part of our local landscape. Many of them already offer IBX health plans to their employees. IBX group Medicare plans let their retirees stay with the hometown health insurer they’ve grown to rely on. There’s really something to be said for having an IBX member card in your wallet from the time you’re hired through the time you retire!
Helping Employees Retire with Independence
Retiring is a whole new chapter in a person’s life, with many different factors they need to consider so they can be financially sustainable on a fixed income. Health insurance is one of those factors.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is a good start, but it doesn’t cover all the medical and prescription drug expenses that people tend to incur more and more as they get older.
That’s why having an IBX group Medicare Advantage plan through a former employer is such a great solution. You get medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and hearing coverage in one wraparound bundle with low out-of-pocket costs — plus valuable extras like a free gym membership, a quarterly allowance for eligible over-the-counter health products, and a lot more.
I give bimonthly onsite presentations on Medicare basics for my clients’ employees. I help them understand how their retiree health plan is going to work and how they can get the most value out of their benefits. It’s a level of support that most other health insurers don’t provide, and it takes a lot of the fear and uncertainty out of retirement.
Helping Employers Do Right by Their Retirees
Municipalities and educational institutions care about their employees and want to be able to offer them a comfortable, affordable, healthy retirement. But cost is obviously an important consideration.
Many of my clients have been offering their retirees Medicare Supplement (“Medigap”) plans for a long time. But those plans can be expensive.
Group Medicare Advantage plans from IBX hit the “sweet spot” that employers are looking for. They offer great benefits with low out-of-pocket costs for employees, at group rates that provide amazing value for employers. Everybody wins.
Coverage That Travels: The Blue Medicare Advantage
Most benefits of our IBX Medicare Advantage plans only apply within our service area of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties. But many of my clients want their retirees to be able to get the same level of care from any U.S. health care provider that accepts Medicare.
That’s why we offer our clients the option of choosing a Blue Medicare Advantage plan. Their retirees get all the benefits that come with our conventional Medicare Advantage plans, but with coverage that’s truly nationwide.
I’m Here to Help
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a retiree health insurance plan. It really helps to work with someone who knows the space. I’ve been at IBX since 2014 and have been part of the Group Medicare Sales team since 2019. So I know all the ins and outs.
IBX itself has been serving the Philadelphia area for more than 85 years. We are the hometown health insurer, and we understand the needs of the communities we serve better than anyone.
I really care about and appreciate the workers who serve our municipalities and provide education to our area’s residents. I take pride in being able to help their employers design, implement, and maintain retiree health plans that are both comprehensive and affordable.
If there’s ever any way I can be of assistance with this, please contact me. I look forward to speaking with you!
Independence Blue Cross offers products through its subsidiaries Independence Assurance Company, Independence Hospital Indemnity Plan, Keystone Health Plan East, and QCC Insurance Company — independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
