Be in the know
Review your retiree coverage and what's new
Update on retiree premiums
Retiree premiums, your contributions to the cost of coverage, are adjusted each year to reflect the overall claims experience within the Dow population and expected medical and pharmacy expenses going forward. They also reflect general trends in costs for medical and pharmacy care, administration and related expenses.
Remember that what you pay depends on your plan and coverage level, so be sure to review your costs when you enroll. If you have more than one option available to you, you could save money by choosing the most cost-effective plan for your particular situation.
Overall costs previously reached caps, limiting the amount Dow pays toward retiree coverage. As a result, your monthly contributions go up when there is any increase to plan costs. Therefore, your medical plan contributions may increase for 2025.
Read more about costs and coverage and review the 2025 summaries.
High Deductible Medical Plan — Embedded individual deductible adjusted based on IRS guidelines
Under the High Deductible Medical Plan, you have an individual deductible level even with family coverage. For 2025, the individual embedded deductible under family coverage is $3,300.
Review the High Deductible Medical Plan summary for other details.
Note: You may notice some changes to your 2025 ID card including the group number. Your Aetna ID will remain the same. Annually, please provide your doctor(s) with the most current copy of your Aetna ID card.
Remember: You can use Aetna Teladoc to get the care you need, when and where you need it. If you're enrolled in an Aetna medical plan, you can get the care you need from the convenience and comfort of your own home ― without the long drive to the doctor's office or sitting in a waiting room. So whether you live in a rural geography that makes it difficult to seek the care you need or you prefer the convenience of seeing a doctor from your own home, Aetna's Teladoc service provides 24/7 access to board-certified providers for non-emergency medical needs, from allergies and sinus infections to the flu, pink eye and more. Learn more.
Blue Care Network (BCN) will no longer cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss effective January 1, 2025
If you are currently enrolled in BCN and taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, coverage will continue until your prior authorization expires (it will not be re-approved after January 1, 2025). Keep this in mind when choosing your coverage for 2025.
Save more tax-free dollars
If you enroll in the High Deductible Medical Plan and meet all the IRS requirements and you have your own Health Savings Account, take advantage of increased IRS limits for 2025.
In 2025, you can contribute $4,300 if you are in individual coverage or $8,550 for other coverage tiers. If you are age 55 and over, you can contribute an extra $1,000.
The High Deductible Medical Plan and and an HSA make a great pair. Consider how they work together.
Stay up-to-date with text messages
Sign up on the Dow U.S. Benefits Site once enrollment begins. It's a new way to stay informed, focusing on important, real time, benefit news and updates only.
Other important things to know
- If your spouse/domestic partner is also a Dow retiree or current Dow employee, don't enroll for coverage twice.
- To allow another person to access information about your plan/benefits, you must have an approved authorization on file.
- To permit another person to make decisions for you without the need for your approval, you need to submit a Power of Attorney (POA) to Dow that describes the powers you wish to delegate.
Don't forget the spouse/domestic partner verification for medical coverage. It's required each year if your spouse or domestic partner is not yet eligible for Medicare (even if you want to keep the same benefit elections). Read more.
If you participated in the Retirement Health Care Assistance Plan (RHCAP) while you were working at Dow, you can use it for reimbursement of eligible Dow or non-Dow medical premiums (including premiums for Medicare Part B and standalone Medicare Part D plans) and Dow will match your funds dollar for dollar. Also, there are two investment allocation options for the money in your RHCAP account.
For more information, sign into your account at viabenefitsaccounts.com or call Via Benefits at (800) 953-5395 (TTY:711).