A PRIMER ON THE ROCKY FLATS RETIREE REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT FOR THOSE  OVER AGE 65: (updated Dec 2021)

This is not a Homesteader, A Rocky Flats Benefits, An Optum Bank, or A United Health Care document.  It was prepared by a retiree and for his children and friends.  The complete and official rules are in The Rocky Flats Benefits, United Health Care, and Optum documents. 

Call the UHC call center at 844-355-3359 for forms, or questions.

Eligible Rocky Flats retirees and their eligible spouses over the age of 65 have a Retiree Reimbursement Account (RRA) that is to be used for reimbursing eligible medical expenses, prescription drugs, insurance premiums, dental, eyeglasses, co-pays, etc.  For those married couples who are both eligible for an RRA; in the event one spouse depletes all funds in their RRA account, that spouse may submit expenses for reimbursement from the other spouse’s RRA account provided funds are available.  No new eligible spouses or dependents will be allowed after 1/1/2022.  UHC’s call center can answer questions/assist regarding these types of claims at 844-355-3359.

All eligible participants, retirees and spouses, must be enrolled in at least one Rocky Flats sponsored United Health Care (UHC) plan: medical, prescription drug, or dental/vision plan, or the RRA benefit will be permanently lost.  There are a couple minor exceptions (TriCare, Kaiser Permanente) to this rule which can be explained by the Rocky Flats Benefits Center at 1-866-296-5036.

Unused RRA funds are carried forward from one year to the next.

In the event RRA funds are exhausted in a participant’s account, that account is frozen until additional funds are deposited, i.e., Medicare Part B premium amounts are deposited quarterly for those eligible (see below For Salaried Retirees only); new annual funds are deposited at the beginning of the next calendar year.  It is important to note that even though the RRA account is frozen, any eligible claims not previously paid or that are submitted during the period that the account is frozen are put in a hold status and are processed (deducted from available funds) when the account is once again funded.  Retirees and spouses can track individual Available Account Balances, Paid Claims, Pending Claims, Denied Claims, etc., by regularly reviewing their specific RRA information at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com.   Each participant (retiree and spouse separately) must set up their own username and password in order to access this information.  

Funds in an RRA are forfeited upon death.  Family members have 180 days from the date of death to submit claims for reimbursement incurred prior to the date of death for the deceased eligible retiree/spouse. 

For eligible surviving spouses, their RRA remains intact as long as they remain eligible for the benefit.  In order to retain eligibility, they must complete a Surviving Spouse Affidavit form annually, mailed to all surviving spouses by the Rocky Flats Benefits Center, certifying that they continue to be eligible for benefits, i.e.:  they have not remarried, are not employed, etc.  Failure to complete and return the affidavit timely will result in permanent loss of benefits.  Questions regarding this Surviving Spouse Affidavit and/or surviving spouse eligibility should be directed to the Rocky Flats Benefits Center at 1-866-296-5036.

How the RRA is funded

The Rocky Flats Benefits Center automatically funds each RRA account at the beginning of each calendar year with an amount predetermined based on the retiree’s date of retirement. No action by the retiree is required for this annual funding to happen.  Eligible retirees and spouses can track/confirm these annual contributions by viewing the Contributions Overview section of their RRA accounts on-line at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com. 

For salaried retirees only, The Rocky Flats Benefits Center will also fund the RRA quarterly with an amount equal to the eligible salaried retiree’s and spouse’s standard Medicare Part B premium provided the Benefits Center receives, on time, appropriate documentation from the retiree/spouse. Late requests will not be honored.  Only after the salary retiree and/or eligible spouse submit(s) the annual Social Security “Your New Benefit Amount” statement (received in December) will this funding commence. A letter to the retiree and/or spouse from RF Benefits requesting this documentation is sent each year in November, December, or January. The retiree and/or spouse must each submit their own documentation so that they each receive the Medicare Part B funding.  Submit each request in a separate mailing envelope.  Eligible retirees and spouses can track/confirm these quarterly contributions by viewing the Contributions Overview section of their RRA accounts on-line at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com. 

How money is disbursed / reimbursed from the RRA

Insurance Premiums

To be reimbursed for the Medicare Part B premium, health insurance premiums, and prescription drug insurance premiums, an annual Recurring Premium Expense Reimbursement Request form must be submitted at the beginning of each year. This form is received from the carrier at the end of each year or can be obtained on-line at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com (Statements and Documents) or by contacting UHC’s call center at 1-844-355-3359. Proof of the coming year premiums must be submitted with this request form. The proof for the Medicare Part B premium is on: the annual Social Security “Your New Benefit Amount” statement which is received each year in December; the UHC health and prescription drug premiums are in the UHC Annual Notice of Changes 202x received in the fall of each year. Properly filled out, this will result in premium amounts being reimbursed and deposited monthly in the retiree’s/spouse’s bank account as designated. The retiree and/or spouse must each separately submit the Recurring Premium Expense Reimbursement Request form at the beginning of each year to receive a monthly reimbursement. Questions should be directed to the RRA call center at 1-844-355-3359.  This information can be mailed to the address on the Claim form or it can be submitted on-line at http://www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com.

How to use the RRA for non-insurance premium medical expenses

The easiest way is to use the United Health Care Payment Card (Mastercard Debit card) to pay the service provider.

A detailed (itemized) receipt must be obtained from the service provider.  This receipt will be requested by the RRA custodian. Receipts are not usually requested for pharmacy co-pays.

Acceptable receipts can be a problem. To obtain the required receipt, call the provider’s billing office and tell them you need an ITEMIZED receipt acceptable to a Health Reimbursement program. This receipt must have the patient’s name, the date of services, a description of services, total cost of services performed, and how much the patient has paid.

Tip:  Submit one Retiree Reimbursement Claim Form for each type of expense.  These forms are received from the carrier at the end of each year or can be obtained on-line at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com (Statements and Documents) or by contacting UHC’s call center at 1-844-355-3359.

If a receipt request is received from UHC(Optum) but the required itemized receipt is not sent in by the retiree/spouse, the UHC Mastercard payment card and the RRA account can be suspended until the required information is received by UHC.

Send itemized receipts with a Retiree Reimbursement Claim form to the address on the claim form, or this information can be submitted on-line at www.UHCRetireeAccounts.com.

 Call the UHC call center at 844-355-3359 for forms, or questions.