This has been a headache for many of us over the past several years. As many of you know, OneExchange (formerly known as ExtendHealth) works with large organizations to replace the promised retiree health plans with stipends to have the company retirees buy their own Medicare coverage.
My concern has been that these retirees are being told that they must go through OneExchange to buy their coverage (usually at higher premiums for Medigap) or they will not get reimbursed.
I have found nothing that indicates that they are obligated to go through OneExchange and, on the contrary, have found much evidence (including on their own website) that seems to indicate that the retiree can go outside of the exchange for coverage but would just have to file manually for reimbursement (as opposed to automatically being reimbursed if they buy through the exchange). Inevitably, the "advisors" at OneExchange essentially force them (via threats of not being reimbursed) to buy through the exchange.
Anybody have any experience with the legality of this and whether the retiree does have to go through the exchange or can buy outside the exchange and be manually reimbursed?
I had one of the Q&A documents for one of the companies working with OneExchange that indicated as long as the client bought one product (ie Part D) through the exchange they would be entitled to reimbursement for other plans (ie Medigap) bought outside the Exchange. I'm just not sure if this would be true of every client.
Also, most curious if it is legal to force the retirees to go through OneExchange.
My concern has been that these retirees are being told that they must go through OneExchange to buy their coverage (usually at higher premiums for Medigap) or they will not get reimbursed.
I have found nothing that indicates that they are obligated to go through OneExchange and, on the contrary, have found much evidence (including on their own website) that seems to indicate that the retiree can go outside of the exchange for coverage but would just have to file manually for reimbursement (as opposed to automatically being reimbursed if they buy through the exchange). Inevitably, the "advisors" at OneExchange essentially force them (via threats of not being reimbursed) to buy through the exchange.
Anybody have any experience with the legality of this and whether the retiree does have to go through the exchange or can buy outside the exchange and be manually reimbursed?
I had one of the Q&A documents for one of the companies working with OneExchange that indicated as long as the client bought one product (ie Part D) through the exchange they would be entitled to reimbursement for other plans (ie Medigap) bought outside the Exchange. I'm just not sure if this would be true of every client.
Also, most curious if it is legal to force the retirees to go through OneExchange.