This web page has been created specifically for those retirees who are either on a Medicare plan with the City of Newton or are Medicare eligible.

We are happy to introduce Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBS) as our newest partner in providing exceptional health insurance and wellness benefits to our retirees and their family members.

Click to view the 2026 Benefit Comparison Chart

Health Insurance Options

BCBS Medex 2 with PDP

• Offering nationwide coverage with every provider that accepts Medicare.
• No Plan Design Changes: You can count on the same coverage and benefits you're accustomed to.
• Effective January 1, 2026, there will be an increase in your monthly premium rates.

Tufts Medicare Preferred HMO

• This plan offers coverage in the following service areas: Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties.
• No Plan Design Changes: You can count on the same coverage and benefits you're accustomed to.
• Effective January 1, 2026, there will be an increase in your monthly premium rates.

Medicare PPO Blue FreedomRx 

• Medicare PPO Blue FreedomRx provides a national network of healthcare providers, giving you the flexibility to choose the doctors and specialists you prefer for your medical needs.
• Competitive cost-sharing options, with $0 copayments in and out of network and no deductibles.
• Effective January 1, 2026, there will be an increase in your monthly premium rates.
• Enjoy peace of mind with out-of-network coverage, providing you with essential healthcare services even when you travel or seek care outside the network.

Information for plans beginning January 1, 2026

Our partners at BCBS have created a website for City of Newton Medicare Eligible Retirees. You can access this website by clicking here  or the first link below. Check out the E-KIT which includes plan summaries and other helpful resources such as information relating to the newly added fitness and weight loss benefit available 

• Blue Cross Blue Shield City of Newton Medicare Eligible Retirees Website
• Blue Cross Blue Shield E-KIT for Medicare Eligible Retirees
• BCBS Medicare PPO Blue FreedomRx Benefits Summary
• BCBS Medicare PPO Blue FreedomRx Enrollment Form
• BCBS Medicare PPO Blue Freedom Flex card
• BCBS Medicare PPO Blue Freedom Weight Loss Reimbursement Form
• BCBS Medicare PPO Blue Freedom Fitness Reimbursement Form 

• BCBS Medex 2 with PDP Summary of Benefits
• BCBS Medex 2 with PDP Enrollment Form
• Blue MedicareRx (PDP) Medicare Prescription Drug
• Blue MedicareRx (PDP) Enrollment Application

• Tufts Medicare Preferred Benefit Summary
• Tufts Medicare Preferred Plan Highlights
• Tufts Medicare Preferred Disenrollment Form
• Tufts Medicare Preferred Evidence of Coverage
• Tufts Weight Management Reimbursement Form
• BCBS Retiree Dental Benefit Summary
• BCBS Retiree Dental Enrollment Form

Additional helpful resources and documents:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield At-a-Glance – About US

• BCBS Fitness and weight loss benefit
  • BCBS Fitness reimbursement request form
  • BCBS Weight-loss reimbursement request form
  • BCBS Member services
  • BCBS Find a doctor

  • BCBS MyBlue App FAQ

  •  BCBS Get the MyBlue App

  ---

  Wellness

  As a reminder, all of our plans offer a $150 fitness and a separate $150 weight-loss reimbursement benefit.  You can submit for reimbursement for each calendar year, by March 31st of the following year.  Please call the Member Service number on your ID card or log on the plan website for more information.

  Medical ID Cards
  If you are changed your health insurance plan during the open enrollment period, you can expect to receive a new medical ID card prior to January 1st.

  Life Insurance
  

  The Hartford is our Life Insurance provider. To change or update your beneficiary information, please complete this Beneficiary form and return it to the Human Resources Department. If you need assistance accessing the form, feel free to call 617-796-1262.

  Medicare Part B reimbursement information
  As previously communicated, beginning with the June 2026 reimbursement, eligibility for the City’s Medicare Part B Reimbursement Program will be based on income levels using the Newton Area Median Income (AMI) as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Eligible retirees will receive $230.00 (or $460.00 if both retiree and spouse are eligible). Retirees and/or spouses with incomes above the policy limits will not qualify for reimbursement. Eligibility will be determined through a self-certification process based on your 2024 federal tax return. You will not be required to submit tax documents to the City.

  To qualify, eligible members must:

  • Have previously received Medicare Part B reimbursement from the City. Individuals who retired after June 30, 2023, are not eligible for this program.
  • Be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, as well as one of the City’s Medicare plans, for the entire fiscal year July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.
  • Certify that their household income is at or below 65% of the Newton AMI based on HUD income guidelines for calendar year 2024.
  • Submit a completed certification to the City by May 1, 2026, and recertify annually thereafter.

   

  To view the memo click Medicare Part B reimbursement memo March 2026

  To view the application click Medicare Part B reimbursement certification March 2026

  Important Notes:

  • Retirees who experience a decrease in income in future years may apply for reimbursement at that time.
  • It is the retiree’s responsibility to notify the City of any income changes that may affect eligibility.
  • Retroactive reimbursements will not be issued.

   

  Stay Informed
  Do you want to receive up-to-date information regarding retiree health and wellness benefit information from the HR department as soon as it becomes available? Click the box below to sign up:

  

  Do you have specific questions about your benefits? Contact the City's Human Resources Department at benefits@newtonma.gov or 617-796-1271.

  Human Resources Department 
  City of Newton
  1000 Commonwealth Avenue
  Newton, MA 02459

  We thank you for your service to the City of Newton and wish you good health.