Employees currently on LTD

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Employees on LTD may generally enroll or make changes to certain benefits as outlined below.

Benefit

Changes permitted

Medical plan

Changes permitted

Vision plan

  • Changes permitted
  • Coverage is not available to legacy Merck employees who went on LTD prior to January 1, 2011

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)

Not eligible to participate in FSAs

Life insurance plan

In general, can decrease or drop employee life insurance coverage, and can make any change to dependent life coverage (with EOI, as applicable)
Ineligible for AD&D coverage

Short-term disability

Does not apply

Long-term disability

No changes permitted

Group legal

Not eligible for group legal coverage

Group auto and home

Changes and/or enrollment permitted

Pet insurance

Changes and/or enrollment permitted

Monthly invoice

If you are on LTD, you will continue to receive a monthly invoice from the Benefits Service Center for your insurance coverage. For more information, contact the Benefits Service Center at 800-666-3725. Representatives are available Monday through Friday (excluding New York Stock Exchange holidays), 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET. Or go to NetBenefits.

Reminder: enroll in Medicare as soon as first eligible

If you are an employee on LTD and have been out on disability leave for at least six months, you are no longer considered an active employee. Once you receive Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) benefits (generally 24 months after you become disabled) or you are at least age 65, you are generally eligible for Medicare. Once you are eligible for Medicare for any reason (e.g., due to disability), Medicare becomes the primary payer for you and your covered dependents who qualify for Medicare, and the medical plan is the secondary payer. In this case, the medical plan will coordinate benefits with Medicare.

All of the medical plan options available to you require you and your covered dependents who are eligible for Medicare to enroll in Medicare — Parts A and B — when you are first eligible. The medical plan options will coordinate coverage with Medicare Parts A and B, even if you fail to enroll. Click here for additional information regarding Medicare — scroll to the bottom section on the page under “Additional plan features.”

Contact Allsup at 888-421-4377 if you or a covered dependent may qualify for Medicare benefits.

Note: Participation in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage is voluntary and Merck does not require that you or your covered dependents sign up for Medicare Part D while you are covered under the Merck medical plan.

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