Leonard A. Matarese
Commissioner
Tracy Healy-Barker
Deputy Commissioner
CITY OF BUFFALO
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
Compensation & Benefits Division
65 Niagara Square, Room 1014 City Hall
Buffalo, New York 14202
(716) 851-5909 Fax (716) 851-5828
Important Notice from the City of Buffalo about Your Prescription
Drug Coverage and Medicare
(The introduction of Part D coverage will only matter to you if you or a covered
dependent are or become covered by Medicare in the next 12 months. If this is not
the case for you, you do not need to read further and can disregard this notice.)
The key purpose of this notice is to advise you that the prescription
drug coverage you have under the City of Buffalo medical plan is
expected to pay out, on average, at least as much as the standard
Medicare prescription drug coverage will pay in 2006.(This is known
as “creditable coverage.”) The reason this is important is that if you or
a covered dependent are or become covered by Medicare and you
decide to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan during a
subsequent enrollment period, you will not be subject to a late
enrollment penalty as long as you had creditable coverage within 63
days of your Medicare prescription drug plan enrollment. You should
keep this notice with your important records.
Notice of Creditable Coverage
Please read this notice carefully. This notice has information about your current
prescription drug coverage with the City of Buffalo and new prescription drug coverage
available January 1, 2006 for people with Medicare. It also tells you where to find more
information to help you make decisions about your prescription drug coverage.
1. Starting January 1, 2006, new Medicare prescription drug coverage will be
available to everyone with Medicare.
2. The City of Buffalo has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered
by the City of Buffalo group insurance program is, on average for all plan
participants, expected to pay o