Eye on 65 artwork

Eye on 65

20 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratings

Eye on 65 showcases creative ways for public sector plan sponsors to keep the promise of retiree health care.

Ask public sector employees why they chose a government job, and many will note the expectation of a stable pension and retiree health benefits.

But the percentage of public sector retirees who receive these benefits is shrinking. Five years ago, 83 percent of state and local governments provided retirees health care coverage; today it’s 68 percent. And retirement without health care isn’t very secure.

Via Benefits helps plan sponsors make sense of the various options available when it comes to their retiree population’s healthcare benefits. From Group Medicare Advantage Plans to individual marketplaces for Pre-Medicare retirees health reimbursement arrangements, Via Benefits helps plan sponsors manage change and helps retirees navigate choice. Subscribe to Eye on 65 with WTW’s Marianne Steger and Nina Krammer to find out how plan sponsors can sustain their retiree healthcare programs while offering their retirees personalized plans that fit their unique needs and budgets.

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Episodes

Episode 20: Less complicated than you think

April 16, 2024 18:27 - 14 minutes - 20 MB

Retiree Randy Mayberry shares his opinion on group Medicare versus individual Medicare and what transitioning to an individual marketplace was like for him.

Episode 19: Truly my choice

March 21, 2024 18:21 - 16 minutes - 22.5 MB

In the newest episode of Eye on 65, retiree Susan Morey shares her experiences in selecting drug coverage, choosing a medical plan and the overall enrollment process into both drug and medical plans.

Episode 18: No buyer’s remorse

February 22, 2024 20:09 - 13 minutes - 19.1 MB

In the latest episode of Eye on 65, retiree Robert Hoey shares his experience transitioning from a group plan to Medicare, what he looks for in a retirement plan and the benefits he found with his Health reimbursement arrangement (HRA).

Episode 17: It’s a no brainer

January 16, 2024 12:55 - 23 minutes - 31.9 MB

Kicking off season 2 of Eye on 65, retiree David Sauter provides insights on transitioning into an individual marketplace as an early retiree, annual enrollment, and adapting to change in retirement.

Episode 16: Two-time retiree failure

July 14, 2023 13:46 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

Third time’s a charm. Marianne celebrates her retirement in this episode of Eye on 65.

Episode 15: Medicare when turning 65

May 10, 2023 19:55 - 12 minutes - 11.9 MB

Marianne and Nina discuss what happens when someone turns 65 years old in the United States.

Episode 14: Breaking down the Healthcare Enhancement for Local Public Safety (HELPS) law

March 28, 2023 15:30 - 8 minutes - 8.17 MB

Helping you break down the HELPS law. What public safety retirees need to know.

Episode 13: How the IRA reduces healthcare costs

February 23, 2023 14:45 - 8 minutes - 8.27 MB

Discussion about how the IRA, with a new law from Congress in place, makes for significant savings for today's retirees.

Episode 12: Demystifying OPEB

July 19, 2022 15:51 - 11 minutes - 11 MB

Host Marianne Steger and Chief Actuary Trevis Parson discuss what Other Post-Employment Benefits (aka OPEB) liabilities are and what plan sponsors can do to reduce them.

Episode 11: The Retired World

February 02, 2022 09:38 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MB

The true story of five retirees, picked to share their Via Benefits experiences.

Episode 10: Making Part D plans affordable

November 12, 2021 13:39 - 11 minutes - 10.6 MB

Drug coverage affordability really does exist in the individual Medicare marketplace!

Episode 9: Which Medicare plans are best for retirees?

November 12, 2021 13:38 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MB

Understand the differences between group Medicare and individual Medicare plans and which plans are best for retirees.

Episode 8: Pre-Medicare Retiree Health Care Solution

June 29, 2021 20:28 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MB

Many workers retire before they are Medicare-eligible. Providing retiree health care coverage for them is quite challenging and expensive. Host Marianne Steger explains how the recent changes to the ACA made by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), have made health care for Pre-Medicare retirees accessible and more affordable.

Episode 7: The ABCs of Medicare

February 24, 2021 20:15 - 13 minutes - 18 MB

A, B, C, D. Confused by the Medicare alphabet soup? Listen in as John Barkett and Marianne Steger sort through the ABCs of Medicare in this latest episode. 

Episode 6: Who's to Complain?

October 22, 2020 14:59 - 8 minutes - 11.2 MB

In this episode, retiree Donna Adassa shares her experience transitioning from a retiree group health plan to a Medicare marketplace and provides insights on why she prefers the Medicare marketplace.

Episode 5: How the City of Memphis Reduced its OPEB Liabilities

November 06, 2019 18:10 - 10 minutes - 15 MB

The City of Memphis was facing $1.3 billion in unfunded OPEB liabilities and needed a solution. Our guest, Chief Financial Officer Shirley Ford, shares how she helped the city and its retirees find a win-win solution using the Individual Medicare Marketplace.

Episode 4: Built to last?

May 30, 2019 20:08 - 9 minutes - 6.73 MB

Providing retiree health care is more difficult than ever. As a result, the percentage of public sector employers who provide these benefits is shrinking. In this episode of Eye on 65, Marianne and John share the seven-question stress test that can be used to determine if your retiree health care program is built to last.

Episode 3: How to Preserve Retiree Health Care

February 26, 2019 20:42 - 10 minutes - 16.1 MB

The individual Medicare marketplace – the best kept secret for delivering affordable retiree health care.

Episode 2: Searching for Sustainability

February 26, 2019 20:39 - 10 minutes - 16.2 MB

Options available for maintaining retiree health benefits.

Episode 1: The Great Trade Off

February 26, 2019 20:35 - 10 minutes - 17.3 MB

What makes working in the public sector unique and what’s at stake if retiree health care goes away?