Benefits for AFGE Members

When you join the union, you have access to these AFGE benefits. These benefits are backed by the collective strength of over 10-million members of AFL-CIO unions. By using one or two of the programs, many members save as much as their annual dues.

These Money-Saving Benefits are Available Only to AFGE Members:

Health Savings Program

The Union Plus Health Savings program offers a great financial cure for members interested in saving money on health care costs. AFGE members and their family in the same household can reduce out-of-pocket expenses for a variety of health care services as soon as they join the program.

This program is available for AFGE members, retirees and their household members - including spouses, children and parents - are eligible for this program.

There are three money-saving packages to choose from:

Standard Program:

$14.95 per family per year OR One Time fee of $4.95 when the member uses their AFGE Union Plus Credit Card

Includes:

1. Retail and mail order prescriptions
2. Vision Care
3. Foot and ankle care
4. Hearing Care
5. Medical and Diabetic supplies

Premium Program:

$69.95 per family per year

Includes:

1. Retail and mail order prescriptions
2. Vision Care
3. Foot and ankle care
4. Hearing Care
5. Medical and Diabetic supplies
6. Dental Care Services
7. Nurse hotline

Premium Plus Program

$159.95 per family per year OR $15.95 per month

Includes:

1. Retail and mail order prescriptions
2. Vision Care
3. Foot and ankle care
4. Hearing Care
5. Medical and Diabetic supplies
6. Dental Care Services
7. Nurse hotline
8. Physician and hospital care services

BENEFITS OF PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

Dental Care Discounts

Save 20% to 50% off the standard charges on services performed by over 54,000 participating dental providers. Savings cover comprehensive general and preventive dentistry including:

• Annual Exams,
• Cleanings,
• Fillings, X-Rays,
• Root Canals,
• Extractions,
• Crowns and Bridges, and
• Orthodontics (Braces).

AFGE members also have access to specialists including oral surgeons, endodontists, periodontists, orthodontists and pediatric dentists. Choose any provider from the list of over 54,000 qualified dental professionals. Then make an appointment and show your Union Plus Health Savings card when you visit the dentist's office and get instant savings with the program's reduced fees.

Vision Care Discounts

Save 15% to 45% off the retail price of eyewear. AFGE members can enjoy substantial savings on exams, frames, glasses and contact lenses at more than 40,000 providers nationwide and independent optometrists. Significant savings are also available on costly vision-care items such as progressive lenses or contact lenses, as well as upgrades such as UV and scratch resistant coatings.

Prescription Savings

Save an average of 20% off brand name drugs and 55% off generic drugs at more than 53,000 pharmacies nationwide including Rite Aid, Safeway and many more.* Or get even greater savings when you choose to have convenient, money-saving mail-order prescriptions delivered right to your door. (*Discounts available at participating pharmacies only.)

Union Plus Health Savings is a discount program, not insurance. Health Savings can sometimes help reduce out-of-pocket costs under some prescription programs, but it is not a replacement for a prescription drug insurance program. If a member has questions about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance program, they should contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Foot and Ankle Care

With the Union Plus Health Savings program you can save 20% to 40% off the normal charges for foot and ankle care services and procedures performed by over 3,800 podiatrists nationwide. Typical services available include treatment for bunion removal, corns, calluses and heel spurs. The program also provides discounts of 50% or more on orthotics.

Hearing Care Discounts

Save 30% on hearing evaluations and exams. Save 5% to 60% on all hearing aids provided by credentialed audiologists at more than 1,600 locations nationwide. Typical services include hearing tests and hearing aids.

Medical and Diabetic Supplies

By special arrangement with an established mail-order program, AFGE members receive discounts of 20% to 40% off retail prices on disposable medical supplies, including disposable diabetic supplies such as needles, syringes, test strips and more. Members also receive discounts of 20% to 30% on durable medical supplies, including durable diabetic supplies and other durable medical equipment. Orders can be made via phone or mail and are conveniently delivered to your door.

Nurse Helpline and Health Library

Receive health care advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling a toll free number staffed by trained nurses with extensive clinical backgrounds. Members also get access to a large library of pre-recorded health information topics, or members can request to have information mailed to them.

Physician and Hospital Care Discounts

The Premium Plus program adds discounts with a large network of participating doctors, ancillary providers (labs, X-rays, MRIs and more), and hospitals.

Premium Plus a discount program, not insurance. It is not a replacement for health insurance, but can help provide some relief to offset the high cost of healthcare by helping members reduce out of pocket medical costs. Note that members are billed at the program's discounted rates and are required to pay participating providers at the time of service.

The Premium Plus program might be best for members who have:

1. No health insurance.
2. Limited or inadequate health insurance coverage -- large out of pocket expenses without access to referred provider network.
3. Family household members without access to the member's insurance coverage.
4. Are temporarily without health insurance -- students who can no longer get coverage under their parent's, retirees not yet ready for Medicare (under age 65).
5. Health insurance coverage, but are looking for discounts for an uncovered or elective procedure.

Members can access savings averaging 20% to 45% on medical services at over 1,500,000 provider locations nationwide. (Hospital discounts are not available in Maryland and West Virginia.)

Members can access savings averaging 20% to 45% at more than 500,000 physicians nationwide. Doctors in the network include general practitioners and pediatricians. There are participating physicians in just about every medical specialty, including:

• Family Practice
• Internal Medicine
• Cardiology
• Radiology
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Orthopedic
• OB/GYN
• Allergy
• Dermatology

Members can also access savings at participating providers of ancillary services--lab tests, imaging centers (X-rays, MRIs) and more.

Participating providers are screened by a team of professionals and must pass strict credentialing criteria prior to joining the network. This network is offered through PHCS the largest proprietary preferred provider network in the country.

Choose any provider from the list of over 1,500,000 doctors, hospitals, labs and other ancillary service providers.

To help ensure members have a positive experience when using the physician and hospital discounts, a live program representative will pre-certify that a provider is in network and accepting new patients, confirm a provider is aware of how the program works, and verify the discount will be honored at the time of service. The representative will even schedule an appointment for the member.

Many other medical savings discount programs do not offer this special feature. With many other programs that provide physician discounts, the member doesn't have a live operator to help ensure that the doctor is participating and understands how to process the discounts, or is aware of how the plan works, and will charge correctly. The live operator feature helps eliminate errors and confusion on either the member's or the doctor's part at the time of service.

This program is available for AFGE members and their household members, including spouses, children, parents and extended family.

Disclosures:

1. THIS PLAN IS NOT INSURANCE.
2. The plan provides discounts at certain health care providers for medical services.
3. The plan does not make payments directly to the providers of medical services.
4. Plan members are obligated to pay for all health care services but will receive a discount from those health care providers who have contracted with the discount medical plan organization.
5. Discount Medical Plan Organization and administrator: CAREINGTON International Corporation, 7400 Gaylord Parkway, Frisco, TX 75034; phone 800-441-0380.

Note to Texas Consumers: Regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration, P.O. Box 12157, Austin, Texas 78711; telephone 1-800-803-9202 or (512)463-6599 website: www.license.state.tx.us/complaints. *This program is not available in Vermont and Montana.

Available outside the US?

Answer: Yes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands*. No in Guam.

*Free or Standard program available only (since there are no dental providers). USVI there are 2 participating retail pharmacies and no participating providers for other program benefits (vision, hearing and foot & ankle care). AFGE continues its effort to expand this and other benefit programs to all members regardless of where they reside.

_{updated 7/24/08}

Access: This benefit is only available to members of AFGE. If you are a member of AFGE, please login to the Members Only section. If you are not a member, but would like to find out how to become one, please visit the Join AFGE section.

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