From the P.E.A. Pension & Welfare Committee ...Health Benefits Information & Reminders ... |
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No Change in Health or Prescription CoverageHas your doctor told you that your medical or prescription coverage has changed? Have you been sent new prescription cards with different benefits and told you are now covered by Blue Cross/ Blue Shield instead of Benerex/NPA?? As your children might tell you, "CHILL OUT" !!! Your benefits have not been changed!!!
Some doctors confuse our group with the employees of the State of New Jersey. This group negotiates benefits directly with the State Health Benefits Plan and has negotiated down some of their benefits. Their plan changed as of January 1, 2005, PATERSON PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS NOT!. If you are told that under the Traditional Plan, you now need authorization for some services or that the deductible has gone up, DON'T WORRY. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO US. Even if you run into a Blue Cross/ Blue Shield claims worker who tells you it does, just tell that person to check the plan. Our Traditional Plan 's identification prefix is YHA. This plan is one of the ones not affected Also, our prescription plan has NOT changed . P.E.A. members are not covered by Blue Cross/ Blue Shield for prescription . If you receive new cards (only a few people have this was an error made by Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Please call Evelyn McCleod, Supervisor of Health Benefits for the District, if you do receive BC/BS Prescription Cards.
PRESCRIPTION PLAN REMINDER:
Dependent coverage for those attending college will not be renewed unless the parent or guardian can show proof that the dependent is a full time student. A letter from the school indicating full time student status should be provided, usually from the registrar's office of the school. This letter must then be brought to the Health Benefits office at 33 Church Street. Always make sure that you have kept a copy for yourself. Please don't delay on this matter. There are many times when the employee does not realize this stipulation at the beginning of the year following the child's nineteenth birthday, and are taken by surprise when attempting to fill a prescription for their dependent. After proof has been given, the child is covered until the age of 23, while remaining in school. If there are any questions about this matter, please contact the Health Benefits Department of the Paterson Public Schools at 973-321-0745. |
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Do
you have a dependent that turned 19 during 2004 ? Then
please remember that under the District prescription
insurance, these dependents are only covered until the end
of the year in which they turned 19. This means that their
prescription insurance expired on December 31,2004. The only
exception to this rule is if the dependent is a full time
student at an accredited college, university or other form
of further education.