Are you planning to retire in 2026?
If you plan to retire in 2026 and take a monthly retirement benefit, are eligible for retiree health insurance and expect to enroll in Medicare during the year, think carefully about the UC medical plan you choose during Open Enrollment. The choice you make will affect which Medicare plan you’re transferred into when you turn 65. Consider whether the Medicare version of your current medical plan offers the benefits you may want and whether your primary care physician (PCP) or primary medical group (PMG) accepts Medicare. If not, Open Enrollment is the time to change plans.
Unless you are enrolled in HealthSavings+ or Kaiser Mid-Atlantic HMO (which don’t have corresponding Medicare plans), you can’t change plans mid-year simply because you have become eligible for Medicare or have elected to retire. Kaiser Mid-Atlantic HMO is only offered to active employees at the Washington Center (UCDC).
For California retirees, below are non-Medicare plans and the corresponding partner Medicare plans.
| If you’re enrolled in | You’ll transfer to this Medicare plan when eligible |
|---|---|
| UC Care PPO | UC Medicare PPO (Anthem Blue Cross) |
| UC Blue & Gold HMO | UC Medicare Choice PPO (UnitedHealthcare) |
| Kaiser CA HMO* | Kaiser Permanente Senior Advantage (CA) |
| HealthSavings+ | No partner plan; Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) to enroll in UC-sponsored Medicare plans in your service area |
*Please note: Kaiser Mid-Atlantic HMO is only available to active employees of Washington Center (UCDC). If you’re enrolled in Kaiser Mid-Atlantic HMO, you’ll have a Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) to enroll in a UC-sponsored Medicare plan in your service area.
If you are enrolled in HealthSavings+ or Kaiser Mid-Atlantic HMO as an employee and you or a covered family member will be Medicare-eligible upon your retirement, you will have a 31-day Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) to transition and enroll in a UC-sponsored Medicare plan and the corresponding non-Medicare partner plan.
Split-Medicare families
If, after your retirement, some family members have Medicare coverage and others are not currently eligible for Medicare, you’ll be considered a split Medicare family. You and the family members you cover must enroll in plans that work together. See Split or mixed Medicare families for more information. UC Medicare PPO without Prescription Drugs and UC High Option Supplement to Medicare plans are not available to split-Medicare families.
Read the Medicare Factsheet (PDF) for more information.