October 2020

Important – Distribution Required to All Covered Employees by 10/15/2020
 

Creditable Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare

Employees and spouses over 65 years of age can join a Medicare drug plan when they first become eligible for Medicare and each year thereafter from October 15 through December 7. Please distribute the attached letter to your covered employees as it has information about their current prescription drug coverage with Medical Mutual and options under Medicare’s prescription drug coverage. This information can help them decide whether or not they want to join a Medicare drug plan. If they are considering joining, they should compare current coverage, including which drugs are covered, with the coverage and costs of plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in their area.

Flu Shot and Preventive Care

This season, a flu vaccine is more important than ever! A flu vaccine this season can help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and save medical resources for care of COVID-19 patients. Please visit the following link for information on what to expect for the 2020-2021 flu season during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/protect-your-health.html

Members and dependents covered by Medical Mutual under the GCADA Group Health Plan are eligible for a FREE flu shot among other preventive services! You may receive your flu vaccine from a preferred network pharmacy (preferred Express Scripts network pharmacy listing attached), local in-network provider, etc. One flu shot vaccination is permitted per insured person per benefit period (1/1 to 12/31 of every year). Please Note: A doctor’s office visit charge may not be covered.

It has been repeatedly shown that personal and workplace costs of lost time due to “the flu bug” are not only expensive (to employers and employees) but easily avoided.

• People who get the flu miss 4-7 days of work
• 60 million+ Americans will get the flu this year
• The easiest way to prevent the flu is with a flu shot (up to 90% effective)

By working together, we can protect our workforce while having a productive fall and winter. Remember to cover your coughs and sneezes and wash your hands often with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available. The CDC stated that up to 80 percent of flu cases are spread by touching contaminated surfaces and by direct human contact. To find out more about preparing for the flu, go to www.flu.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).

If you would like to arrange on-site flu shots at your dealership for employees covered on the GCADA Group Health Plan, please contact Michele Golob with Discount Drug Mart via email at mgolob@discount-drugmart.com.

Also attached is informational literature for distribution your employees:

• Medical Mutual flu vaccination flyer
• Summary of preventive care services
• Print resources from the CDC

Please feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the required distributions or any other questions as they pertain to your dealership’s Group Health Insurance Plan. Thank you for your support!