2nd Quarter 2019 Benefits Corner

Benefits Corner 

By Bill Dodge, CRA Benefits Chair

Bill Dodge

This is my first Benefits Corner as the new Chair of the Benefits Committee. I am indebted to my immediate predecessor John Dewes, who graciously served as Interim Chair, as well as Lezley Barth and Al Horan who also provided excellent service in that position. I retired from Chevron after 24 years of service in Human Resources with both Gulf Oil and Chevron. Throughout my career, I have had a keen interest in the Benefits area. I am certified as a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) and maintain membership in the International Society of Certified Employee Benefits Specialists.                                                                   

My CRA background includes serving as a former PresIdent of both the Metropolitan Houston and Hill County Chapters of the South Texas Area as well as serving as a member of the CRA Benefits Committee. I am joined on the Committee by Mark Engelbrecht, Herb Farrington, Carl Pataky, Jim Schultz and Jos van der Velden who are for the most part employee benefits /Human Resources professionals that retired from Chevron and its Legacy Companies. Our contact information is shown at the end of this article and is also provided on the CRA website under the Benefits menu in the Benefits Guide on page 4.  

 I thought it would be informative to start with a summary of recent developments in multiple areas of interest to CRA retirees. 

  • Updates to Benefits section of CRA website: Contacts and information updates as of January 1 2019, have been made to Benefit’s section of the CRA website. The Benefits Guide and Benefits Tips and Helpful Information documents are updated and can be accessed using the weblinks shown on the website.
  • New BenefitConnect website: Chevron communication to retirees is forthcoming about the full transition to the new BenefitConnect website. 
  • New Medicare Cards:  Here’s some interesting info about the new Medicare cards which have been sent out to Medicare eligible retirees. Some folks have new account numbers with the letter "O" and/or the number"0".  How do you tell the difference???  Well, just look at the date on the bottom right side of the card where the effective date of Medicare coverage is shown on the first of the month listed as "01".  IF your symbol resembles the number "0" in the effective date or does not, you have your answer.  There is a reason that many thoughtful organizations do not use either symbol.
  • How to find and Compare Hospitals using Medicare.gov website: Searching for the right hospital for you or a loved one? When you’re able to plan ahead, use Hospital Compare. This free tool helps you find hospitals and compare differences in quality of care, both locally and nationwide. When you’re comparing hospitals, consider the following information:

    • Has the best experience with your condition,
    • Participates in Medicare and is covered by your health plan,
    • Checks and improves the quality of its care,
    • Performs well on quality measures, including a national patient survey, and
    • Meets your needs in terms of location. 

                 After using  Hospital Compare, talk with your health care provider to see which hospital will best meet your health care needs.

    • MyMedicare.gov website:  Medicare eligible retirees should register on MyMedicare.gov, a secure and personalized website, where you can manage your personal information regarding your Medicare benefits. You may find the following and other features on the site very interesting:
      • Create and maintain a list of your favorite health care providers,
      • View claim statuses and your yearly deductible status,
      • Sign up to receive your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) electronically,
      • Access online forms, publications, and messages sent to you by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and
      • View your preventive services and record your medical history.          
  • Authorized User/s on Chevron and/or Texaco Credit Cards: Questions have been raised about the extension of the Chevron discount on the subject credit cards to authorized users, including spouses, surviving spouses, and other family dependents. 

The eligibility guidelines under HR Policy 820 Employee Product and Purchases provide that an eligible Employee, Retiree or Expatriate (US-based) can apply for the subject credit card and get a Chevron discount as a Primary cardholder. Furthermore, the Primary cardholder can add an authorized user/s to their account. Should the Primary cardholder predecease their authorized user/s, the authorized user/s will need to contact Credit Card Customer Service at 1-800-243-8766 to close the primary cardholder’s account and then apply for a new account to continue receiving the Chevron discount. Similarly, if a surviving spouse of a Primary cardholder was not an authorized user prior to the death of the Primary cardholder, that surviving spouse will need to apply for a new account and request for approval for a Chevron discount.  Requests to receive a Chevron discount on the credit card will be forwarded to Chevron Human Resources for a determination. Requestors will then be notified of the determination made on their request for a Chevron discount on their credit card application.

Any further questions regarding the application process for the subject credit cards should be directed to Credit Card Customer Service at the above toll-free phone number.  

Contact Information for CRA’s Benefits Committee:

 Bill Dodge, Chevron / Gulf : Email: CRABenefits9@gmail.com ; Phone: 832-934-0680 

Mark Engelbrecht, Chevron / Texaco : Email: markengelbrecht@yahoo.com                                                              Phone: 337-984-6490

Herb Farrington, Chevron / Unocal : Email: herbf76@msn.com; Phone:714-904-5825 

Carl Pataky, Chevron / Gulf : Email: cpataky@flash.net ; Phone: 915-584-9306 

James (Jim) R. Schultz, Chevron : Email: jrs@aol.com ; Phone: 925-368-8628 

Jos van der Velden, Chevron / Gulf Canada : Email: jospth.48@gmail.com

                                                                         Phone: 604-542-2049