A Quarterly Newsletter from Stacey Braun Associates, Inc.
 UPCOMING CHANGE TO BENEFIT The MTABF Board of Trustees have determined it necessary to do away with the Major Medical Deductible Reimbursement. In an attempt to minimize the effect of this change, this benefit will be phased out over the next two years. The maximum reimbursement for 2021 will be $500.00, $250.00 in 2022 and discontinued after that. Please contact your building trustee if you have any questions. To reduce the impact of this change, members may want to consider utilizing the district provided Preferred Flex Plan . Enrollment and plan information was sent in an email sent by Michele Bellantoni on October 30, 2020. The deadline for enrollment or changes to the Flex Plan is November 30th. (Originally posted 11/23/2020) In our planning to resume normal operations the decision has been made in conjunction with NYSUT Membership Benefits to resume in person consultations beginning January 2022. This is due to the difficulty in predicting COVID protocols, potential variants, access to space and the general welfare of the membership. We will continue to offer video and telephone consultations through December 2021 on prescheduled dates or at the convenience of the member.
Due to the success and positive feedback we have received regarding virtual consults we will be implementing a hybrid schedule beginning January 2022. We would like to offer the following dates for in person and virtual consults for Mahopac Teachers Association. Unless it is no longer feasible, in person consults could resume at the normal location or another location of your preference. In Person:
 Need help with you benefits? Speak with an expert! Talk with your MTABF Building Rep. They can help you get the answers you need!
 Come LEARN &/OR REVIEW what the MTABF has to offer you
Each building will hold its own session. Can't make the one in your building, feel free to attend another. Check the MTABF CALENDAR  The attorneys retained by the MTA Benefit Fund are Mirkin & Gordon. Attorneys, at this point, can not come into the buildings & must be directly contacted. To make an appointment with an attorney, members should call the offices of Mirkin & Gordon at 914-997-1576  As a member of the MTABF your are entitled to a fully paid, confidential financial review with a certified financial planner from Stacey Braun Associates. Stacey Braun Associates is committed to discussing your financial concerns & are offering financial consultations via phone or secure Zoom sessions. contact Stacey Braun & they will work with you Phone: 888.949.1925
 If you know or are a NEWLY HIRED person... Meeting August 31st @ Mahopac High School. Get benefits info., forms & enroll. Inquire with the district office for time & room #. To All Currently Enrolled Retirees, PREFERRED IS LATE MAILING RETIREMENT Re-ENROLLLMENT INFO. You should have it this week. Please wait for the paperwork to come to you. Do not send in any money. Your benefits will not be impacted.
Plan to make yourself financially ready for retirement. Join our financial consultants Stacey Braun Associates for a Webinar on May 25th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Registration is required.Webinar 
 As an enrolled member of the MTABF Dental Plan, you may choose whichever dentist you like. However, the MTABF has a list of "Preferred Providers," dentists who have agreed to take MTABF dental rates. This list is updated as needed. If you choose NOT to go to a preferred provider your dental costs will be reimbursed up to what the MTABF rates cover. For example, if MTABF pays $100.00 for a filling & a non-provider charges $125.00, the first $100.oo is covered by the MTABF & the member is responsible for the remaining$25.00 If the dentist you are going to is not on the Preferred Provider List, you can ask them if they would like to become a member. If they do, please give their contact information to your building trustee.  UPDATE - IMPORTANT NOTICE Based on the latest guidance on COVID-19 NYS mandate from the NYSDFS, the plan will cover all Teladoc and other Telemedicine visits (including CareMount or any other provider group Telemedicine visits) at a zero dollar copay only until April 4, 2021. This only applies to all in- network telemedicine services. Deductible and coinsurance will apply for all out of network telemedicine services. However, after April 4, 2021, if there is no additional guidance from the NYSDFS, all three Teladoc Services (General Medicine, Dermatology and Behavioral Health) will revert back to a $10 copay and all other Telemedicine visits outside of Teladoc (e.g. CareMount or any other provider group Telemedicine visits) will NOT be covered. The Plan will continue to waive co-pays for all in-network diagnostic testing related to COVID-19 until April 4, 2021. This only applies to members enrolled in the Aetna Commercial Plan.  Many public employees have been confronted with an identity theft scam involving the filing of fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits in their names. To help others who may be victimized, the MTABF Lawyers, Mirkin & Gordon, thought it would be useful to refresh and update a past article they wrote on identity theft. The article includes information about unemployment benefits fraud and steps that can be taken by victims of identity theft, including contacting the law firm for assistance under the Fund’s plan of legal services benefits. 
 March is the month to enroll/reenroll dependent(s)/ family for dental coverage. Please remember that you, the member, are covered at no additional charge. If you are covering a spouse or other eligible dependents, you must enroll them every year. The cost for dental during the plan year that runs July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 will be the same as last year.
Enrolling a dependent(s) can only be done during the enrollment period of March 1 – 31. Dependents will be covered from July 1 - June 30. If you don’t re-enroll each year, you are electing to drop coverage for your dependent(s). Your dependent(s) must then wait 3 years to re-enter the dental plan. Dependent children are eligible for coverage from birth to their 26th birthday if they are not eligible for dental coverage under another plan. Please note that you use your variable benefit for the same year as the dental coverage is in effect, so you will be utilizing next year’s variable for next year’s dental coverage. A Variable Benefit Claim Form must be submitted w/ your dental enrollment. If you are planning on retiring, you are NOT eligible to utilize the Variable Benefit and may need to pay depending on the retirement plan you elect to participate in.
 All Major Medical Deductible claims for 2020 need to be completed by January 30th. This would be for any out of pocket medical expenses you have incurred for out of network physicians or for medical deductibles you have paid out under a health care plan. The major medical benefit is $750.00 to match the amount for the district’s Aetna healthcare plan. Only claims for the calendar year 2020 are eligible ( Jan. 1st through Dec. 31st 2020). Please submit your claim form with proper documentation to The Preferred Group. All claims must be postmarked no later than January 30, 2021. This is not the variable benefit (reimbursement for copays and prescriptions). That is a separate claim due by July 31st. Claim forms and additional information can be found on the Benefit Fund website: http://www.mtabenefitfund.org/major-medical.html
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MTABF
P.O. Box # 656 Baldwin Place, NY 10505 Phone: 845.380.8629 Find out what's going on & what deadlines you don't want to miss.
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Photo used under Creative Commons from Damian Gadal
