NRECA High-deductible Health Plans Deemed Creditable for 2022

NRECA’s high-deductible health plans (HDHP) will be deemed creditable beginning January 2022 as a result of a recent independent, third-party analysis.

Creditable coverage testing of prescription drug benefits offered to Medicare-eligible individuals is required annually by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure they provide the same level of benefit as the defined standard Medicare Part D benefit. Prior to 2020, all prescription drug benefit options for NRECA non-high-deductible medical plans were deemed creditable, but all HDHPs were deemed either non-creditable or borderline creditable.

What does this status change mean for my co-op and our medical plan?
Until now, many co-ops have chosen to keep a non-high-deductible medical plan alongside their HDHP so that employees 65 and older could stay in a plan deemed creditable. With this recent change, these co-ops may choose to eliminate the non-high-deductible medical plan option beginning in January 2022.

Creditability letters with the current year’s status will be mailed to all Medicare-eligible participants in late September 2021. Benefits administrators will receive a report of the current status through the Message Center on the NRECA Employee Benefits website.

In January 2022, the creditability status of all HDHPs will be updated to creditable and another credibility letter will be mailed to all Medicare-eligible participants.

If you have questions about this change or your plans, contact your NRECA field representative.