Medicare discontinuation sends seniors scrambling

CEDAR RAPIDS - Nearly 4,000 seniors will need to find another Medicare supplement plan after one offered by Wellmark and St. Luke's Hospital was discontinued.

The SeniorBlue Select plan will no longer be offered as of Dec. 31, said Courtney Greene, spokeswoman for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

About 3,900 Iowans used the plan to supplement their Medicare coverage.

Greene said the plan, which began in 2000, initially offered members premium savings in exchange for a limited network of doctors and hospitals, but was not sustainable over time.

“St. Luke's and Wellmark made the joint decision to discontinue it, rather than substantially increasing member rates,” she said.

The plan was closed to new members about three years ago when Medicare Advantage plans were introduced into the market.

SeniorBlue Select was Wellmark's only network-based plan; all other existing plans will remain open.

Wellmark will provide guaranteed acceptance into any Medicare supplement plan for affected members. That means companies cannot turn down an applicant; cannot charge higher premiums and cannot enforce a waiting period.

Dennis Beatty, 72, of Cedar Rapids, said he has been looking for another plan since being notified that SeniorBlue Select was discontinued.

So far, he has not found anything as inexpensive as the $108 monthly premium he had been paying.

“I'm pretty sure I'll be paying more for whatever plan I get,” Beatty said.

Members can contact Wellmark at 1-(877) 280-8608.

For more information, call the Senior Health Insurance Information Program at 1-(800) 351-4664. SHIIP volunteers at St. Luke's Hospital can be reached at (319) 369-7475.