Moments That Matter and the Health Choices With Them

TRS-Care Medicare Advantage includes benefits designed to help you stay independent in the home you love. These benefits include an annual in-home visit through Optum® HouseCalls, 24/7 virtual medical and behavioral health visits, routine $0-copay transportation to appointments and up to eight hours a month of in-home nonmedical personal care.

Learn more on the Retire in Place resource page.

If you are caring for a spouse, parent or other loved one, TRS-Care Medicare Advantage also includes caregiver resources. Topics range from managing caregiver burnout to helping a loved one transition to an elder care facility. Learn more through TRS Caregivers. 

• Review Eligibility & Enrollment to confirm your eligibility, coverage start date and any important enrollment deadlines. If you did not enroll in TRS-Care upon your initial retirement, you have another chance when you turn 65. Pay close attention to that enrollment window period.
• Sign up for a TRS-Care Medicare Advantage and You webinar. These quarterly webinars walk you through the ins-and-outs of eligibility, how to enroll, pricing, and the benefits included in the plan. Find a session that works for you at TRS Health Events. 
• Compare your Medicare options thoughtfully. Use TRS’ Medicare Comparison webpage to help guide you. If you have any questions, you can also securely login to your MyTRS member portal and send messages directly to TRS Health counselors.  

A plan's value includes more than its monthly premium. Looking at deductibles, prescription coverage and annual out-of-pocket limits can give you a clearer picture of what you'll pay over time.  

TRS-Care can help make those costs more predictable, which can make it easier to budget in retirement and get more value from a health care benefit you've already helped support throughout your career. 

• Provider Finder helps you search for in-network doctors, hospitals and specialists by location and specialty — and lets you move forward with care quickly since TRS-Care Standard doesn't require a referral to see any doctor in the network. 
• Health Advisors are medical professionals who provide no-cost, personalized guidance during challenging health situations, including chronic condition management, recovery after surgery or hospitalization, and serious illness. They may proactively reach out to offer support, coordinate care and help schedule follow-up appointments. 
• Member Rewards is a useful tool to check before scheduling nonemergency procedures. Costs can vary significantly between facilities, and eligible procedures may qualify for a cash reward (after you meet your deductible). 
• Estimating Costs gives you a clearer picture of what you'll owe before a scheduled procedure, so you aren't surprised by a bill later. 

• Find a Provider lets you search UnitedHealthcare's nationwide PPO network for doctors, hospitals, behavioral health providers, and more — with the flexibility a PPO plan offers if your provider is out of network. 
• Healthy at Home supports you for up to 30 days after a hospital or skilled nursing facility discharge, with home-delivered meals, rides to follow-up appointments and the pharmacy, and hours of in-home personal care — helping you recover safely without managing it all alone. 
• In-Home Personal Care covers non-medical support like meal prep, medication reminders, and companionship each month, which can make a real difference while you're regaining strength after a health event. 
• Virtual Visits connects you with a provider or behavioral health specialist from home, which is especially useful for follow-up questions or check-ins while you're still healing.

Support during life's more difficult milestones can help ease the burden that comes with them. Your health plan is something you've already paid into throughout your career, so make sure you're using it when you need it most. It can help improve health outcomes and reduce costs. 

• Ask about lower-cost options. Your doctor or pharmacist can tell you whether a generic version is available. Certain preventive generic medications are covered at no cost. 
• Check your medication costs before you fill. Log in to your Express Scripts account to price a prescription and compare costs of different medications ahead of time, so there are no surprises at the pharmacy counter. 
• Consider home delivery for maintenance medications. Express Scripts Pharmacy can ship up to a three-month supply of long-term medications directly to your home — just ask your doctor to send an electronic prescription, or call customer support to get started. 
• If you're prescribed a specialty medication, Accredo is here to help. Accredo, Express Scripts' specialty pharmacy, serves patients managing complex and chronic conditions, with specialty-trained pharmacists, nurses, and clinicians available 24/7. If you're enrolled in TRS-Care Standard, you can also ask about the SaveOnSP copay assistance program for eligible specialty medications. 
• Know your ID card and support line. If you don't receive an ID card, a temporary one is available online, and help is available 24/7 by phone — TRS-Care Standard members can call (855) 778-1459; TRS-Care Medicare Rx members can call (844) 863-5324. 

More details are available through Express Scripts' TRS-Care Standard Prescription Benefits Plan or TRS-Care Medicare Rx Prescription Benefits Plan, depending on which plan you're enrolled in. 

Prescription costs can add up over time, especially for medications you take long term. A quick conversation with a pharmacist, or a few minutes checking costs online, can help you identify lower-cost options, avoid unnecessary expenses, and feel more confident about your treatment plan.