Email: info@HCTCPlans.com
Call Center
1(800) 236.4782
Pre 65 Insurance Plans and Medicare Insurance Plans
Providing the best insurance coverage for Retirees, HCTC Qualified Members and their dependents.
MEDICAL, PRESCRIPTION DRUG, DENTAL & VISION
Pre-65 Insurance
The Voluntary Benefit Trust for Airline Retirees (VBTAR) offers Health, Dental, and Vision insurance for retirees of airline industry retirees. Review the information, provided for plan coverages available, premium rates, co-pays, annual deductibles, and coinsurance responsibility each of which impact your total out of pocket medical services cost. Eligibility qualification and enrollment is administered for all coverages offered by the Trust through Benistar, our Plan Administrator. Benistar handles all pre-65 and post 65 plans for medical, dental, vision and life coverage. BCBS of Michigan will remain the insurance carrier for all pre-65 medical plans and no matter the age, for all dental and vision coverage.
PRE65 ENROLLMENT FORMS
Mail, fax or email the signed and completed Enrollment form along with your Proof of Eligibility to the Benistar Retiree Service Center, 10 Tower Lane, Suite 100, Avon CT 06001,
(Fax) 1-860-408-7025,
(Email) memelig@Benistar.com
eligible for benefits
Retiree
As an airline retiree member, you are eligible for the medical/prescription, dental, and vision benefits. Benefits are outlined within the Trust benefit guide.
Dependents
Spouse
As a Retiree, your legal spouse is also eligible for medical/prescription, dental, and vision benefits. Spouse only life coverage is NOT available. Spouse is not required to have the same medical/prescription coverage as the Retiree if both are individually enrolled in Pre-65 medical/ prescription drug policies.
Surviving Spouse
A surviving spouse is eligible for medical/prescription, dental, and vision coverage.
Former Spouse
Benistar Admin Services (Benistar), our plan administrator, will send an enrollment kit to the former spouse who is required to provide a statement from the Pension Benefit & Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) confirming that he/she has become a pension recipient in their own right due to the divorce. A former spouse is not eligible for voluntary term life insurance coverage.
Child(ren)
Dependent children are eligible for medical/prescription, dental, and vision benefits. The dependent child can remain on the coverage until they are no longer eligible to be claimed as a dependent on the eligible retirees federal income tax return.
Child(ren) are not required to have the same medical/prescription coverage as Retiree and/or spouse if both are enrolled in Pre-65 medical/prescription drug plans.
A disabled child on Medicare must enroll in the BCBSM Pre-65 Medicare Disabled plan. Child(ren) may have dental and/or vision with or without Retiree coverage.
Qualified Family Members
A Qualified Family Member (QFM) is also eligible to elect medical/prescription, dental, and vision benefits. A QFM is defined as a spouse and/or dependent child(ren) of an HCTC-eligible Retiree, who is claimed on the individual’s federal income tax return.
NOTE: The HCTC is only available to a QFM for 24 months after the retiree reaches age 65.
Sunset of the Health Coverage Tax Credit
To date, the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) has not been extended and funding continues to not be available. If you wish to remain in the VBTAR Trust insurance plans you will pay 100% of the plan premium for each month the HCTC program is not in operation. If Congress extends the HCTC Program after the VBTAR Trust open enrollment period, there will be a special open enrollment period available at a later date.
2024 PRE 65 MEDICAL RATES
Vision Plan
Blue Vision benefits are provided by Vision Service Plan (VSP), the largest provider of vision care in the nation. VSP is an independent company providing vision benefit services for Blues members. To find a VSP doctor, call 1-800-877-7195 or log on to the VSP Web site at vsp.com.
Note: Members may choose between prescription glasses (lenses and frame) or contact lenses, but not both.
Dental Plan
Dental Benefits Summaries
The Airline Trust provides dental insurance coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield
Enrolling in a Dental Plan
Dental insurance is offered through Blue Cross Blue Shield. This plan provides nationwide coverage and has both in and out of network coverage for plan participants. If you qualify for HCTC benefits, and you enroll in the Gold, Silver or Bronze Bundled Plans, your dental and vision coverage is already included. HCTC plan participants will pay 27.5% of the cost of their healthcare plans as long as the plans are priced as one cost( bundled). You also have the option of selecting the plan as a standalone plan paying 100% of the cost for you and your family members of all ages, including those members of your family on Medicare. There will be an admin fee of $4.25 of you and/or your family members select the dental coverage as a standalone plan.
To enroll in a dental plan only, you will need to complete, sign and date the enrollment form and return it to the Benistar Retiree Service Center.
Network Access information
With Blue Dental PPO Plus, members can choose any licensed dentist anywhere . However, they'll save the most money when they choose a dentist who is a member of the Blue Dental PPO network.
Blue Dental PPO network- Blue Dental members have unmatched access to PPO dentists through the Blue Dental PPO network, which offers more than 260,000 dentist locations nationwide. PPO dentists agree to accept our approved amount as full payment for covered services - members pay only their applicable coinsurance and deductible amounts. Members also receive discounts on noncovered services when they use PPO dentists (in states where permitted by law). To find a PPO dentist near you, please visit www.mibluedentist.com or call
1-888-826-8152.
1 Blue Dental uses the Dental Network of America (DNoA) Preferred Network for its dental plans.
2 A dentist location is any place a member can see a dentist to receive high-quality dental care. For example, one dentist practicing in two offices would be two dentist locations.
Blue Par SelectSM arrangement- Most non-PPO dentists accept our Blue Par Select arrangement, which means they participate with the Blues on a "per claim" basis. Members should ask their dentists if they participate with BCBS before every treatment. Blue Par Select dentists accept our approved amount as full payment for covered services - members pay only applicable coinsurance and deductibles . To find a dentist who may participate with BCBS, please visit www.mibluedentist.com.
Note: Members who go to nonparticipating dentists are responsible for any difference between our approved amount and the dentist's charge.
