employer groups of 20 or more emplyees

[Guest Ken Kurtz]

Can an employee of a company of 20+ employees opt out of the plan for a private Medigap policy?

Thanks for your help

Ken

[jpod]

The hyper-technically correct answer to your question is "Yes." However, a brief summary of the pertinent law is that the employer cannot force a medicare-eligible employee out of the plan, and the employer cannot offer any financial incentive to opt out of the plan.

[jpod]

I should have said: ". . . cannot offer a medicare-eligible employee a financial incentive to opt out of the plan that is not offered to other employees." So, for example, if you have a Section 125 plan that offers employees $$ to waive health insurance, you could do that for a medicare-eligible employee too.

[Don Levit]

Go to:

http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02179.pdf.

Don Levit

[leevena]

I am confused about your question. Any employee, at any company, regardless of the size can opt out any plan. Did you mean to ask a different quesion?

[J Simmons]

Hi, leevena,

I think it is the "for a private Medigap policy?" part of the question that raises a concern.