If you’re enrolled in a medical or prescription drug plan through Via Benefits, you likely pay monthly premiums and may also pay out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copays. If you’re eligible for ACERA’s Monthly Medical Allowance (MMA), you can get reimbursed for some or all of those costs—putting money back in your pocket. This page offers helpful tips from ACERA and walk-through videos from Via Benefits to make the reimbursement process easier, including how to set up automatic premium reimbursements, direct deposit, and more.

Making Your Via Benefits Reimbursements Easier Brochure

This brochure walks you through how to get reimbursed for your health care costs—like premiums, deductibles, and copays—if you’re enrolled in a plan through Via Benefits and eligible for ACERA’s Monthly Medical Allowance (MMA). It includes helpful tips, answers to common questions, and step-by-step guidance to make the reimbursement process smoother.

Making Your Via Benefits Reimbursements Easier (PDF)

 

Helpful Walk-Through Videos

Turn On Automatic Premium Reimbursement

Streamline your reimbursement account by turning on the automatic premium reimbursement feature. It’s a simple way to make sure you’re consistently reimbursed for eligible premiums.

 

Set Up a Recurring Premium Reimbursement

Automate your reimbursements by setting up a recurring premium reimbursement. This lets you get reimbursed monthly for your premium payments—no need to submit a claim each time.

 

Set Up Direct Deposit

Setting up direct deposit is the fastest and most secure way to receive your reimbursements. This video shows you how to get your funds deposited directly into your bank account.

 

Choosing Between the ACERA Monthly Medical Allowance and a Federal Subsidy

If you’re eligible for ACERA’s Monthly Medical Allowance (MMA), you may have a choice to make about how you want to use your health care subsidy. You can either:

1. Use your MMA to help pay for one of ACERA’s retiree health plans, or
2. OR Apply for a federal subsidy (also called a tax credit) and choose a plan through the federal or state health insurance exchange (like Covered California, if you live in California).

It’s important to know that you can’t combine the two—you must choose one or the other. If you enroll in a public exchange plan and accept the federal subsidy, you won’t be able to use your ACERA MMA. And if you use your MMA, you won’t be eligible for the federal subsidy.

This decision can be especially important if you’re not yet eligible for Medicare. In some cases, even after applying your MMA, the monthly cost of an ACERA-sponsored plan may still be higher than the cost of a public exchange plan with a federal subsidy. That’s why it’s a good idea to compare your options carefully.

Via Benefits offers an online tool that can help you understand which option may be more affordable for you. This video walks you through how to use that tool. While the video was originally created for people with employer-sponsored plans, the process is very similar for ACERA retirees. And if you’d prefer to talk to someone, Via Benefits can also help you make this decision over the phone.

 

Prefer to Use a Form?

If you’d rather use the traditional paper method, you can download personalized, barcoded reimbursement forms by logging into your Via Benefits account.

Early Retirees:

www.acera.org/via

Medicare Retirees:

www.acera.org/via-med

Or call: 1-888-427-8730