When the ANJC discovered that the state health plan design committees for both government and school employees were automatically rolling Medicare-eligible retirees into a new Aetna Medicare Advantage plan – a plan with virtually no chiropractic coverage – we and our members launched a focused initiative to inform affected employees of the changes. Radio spots on NJ 101.5, a digital billboard in Atlantic City during the teachers’ convention and League of Municipalities convention, a dedicated website and Facebook page, and fliers that members disseminated to patients all proved the ANJC is a force to be reckoned with. Within two weeks of the campaign, Aetna revised the plans to include more services covered under state retirees’ old Horizon Medicare Advantage plan. Meanwhile, retirees mobilized and called their union representatives and the state. Scores of them refused to be automatically enrolled, opting instead for traditional Medicare with a Horizon secondary, and they continued to do so even after Aetna revised the plans. How it All Began First, every Medicare-eligible retiree on the state health benefits plans received a packet from Aetna advising them they will be on the Aetna Medicare Advantage plan starting Jan. 1, 2019. Aetna followed up by holding information sessions all over the state. At those meetings, Aetna representatives told retirees their care would be the same or better – which was inaccurate.  Under the Aetna Medicare Advantage plans, the overall benefits are much different; in particular these retirees would have been subject to pre-authorization for chiropractic care, and limited to only spinal manipulation. This would impact 175,000 retirees statewide. Many of our members’ patients said they were never told they had a choice and could refuse automatic enrollment. That’s where the ANJC stepped in and made a concerted effort to inform state retirees that they did indeed have a choice. 1-800-LAW-2000 www.dsslaw.com New Jersey and New York Injury Lawyers ANJC Campaigns to Save Retiree Benefits: Aetna Revises Medicare Plans NEW JERSEY PUBLICATION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY CHIROPRACTORS WINTER 2019 I VOL. 15 I NO. 1 p r a c t i c e s t r a t e g i e s ENLIGHTENED SOLUTIONS The billboard on the Atlantic City Expressway during the NJEA and League of Municipalities conventions. [ CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 ] “The ANJC initiative to educate the retired state and school employees was paramount in the plan revisions announced by Aetna mid-rollout,” said ANJC Executive Director Amy Boright Porchetta, CFRE. “Many of our members’ patients were directly impacted by the changes and had not gotten any information on the change in benefits they were about to undergo – plan changes that could potentially change their care, and impact their outcomes.” “The 2,000 members of the ANJC supported our efforts by educating their patients and encouraging them to ask questions and get clarification. Our members made this happen – further proof of the strength of our great association.”