Important Information for Pre-65 Retirees

Mercer Health & Benefits Administration LLC is responsible for the administration of retiree insurance benefits. Mercer operates the Windstream Retiree Service Center to assist members with plan information and questions for individuals who are retired, the number is:

1-855-846-7564
Service Center is available from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Central Time
P.O. Box 14464 Des Moines, IA 50306

Mercer will not have the needed information to speak with you until 10 business days after your retirement.

Obtaining Retiree Insurance Benefits

You will need to complete the enrollment form to elect your insurance benefits in retirement and return to Mercer. Mercer will process the form and send the information to the insurance carriers.

Your benefits will be effective the 1st of the month following the date of your retirement.

Mercer will send you a bill for your retiree insurance benefits premium payment (see billing information below).

The insurance carrier will send you ID Cards for the benefits for which you are enrolled. Once you have retired, you will contact the Windstream Retiree Service Center directly for questions and assistance related to your insurance benefits.  They will assist you with the following types of questions:

• death notifications
• insurance plan eligibility, effective date questions
• requests for enrollment materials and new retiree information
• life insurance verification and confirmation, if applicable
• insurance beneficiary updates
• plan disenrollment and plan changes
• general benefit information for the medical and life program
• how to obtain ID cards/other benefit information from vendors
• designation of an authorized representative or Power of Attorney
• transfer to health plan carriers

Mercer will send you a monthly billing statement for your insurance premiums. For convenience, Mercer offers the option of having your monthly insurance premiums automatically deducted from your bank account; this is called an electronic funds transfer (EFT).  Instructions for setting up automatic deductions will be included with your first billing statement.

Mercer is responsible for communicating enrollment to each of your insurance carriers. If you have a question regarding the activation of your retiree coverage with a carrier, you should contact Mercer.

Mercer handles life insurance questions, beneficiary updates and will begin the life insurance claim process following a reported death.

Mercer handles the Annual Enrollment communication each year which gives you the opportunity to change medical, dental or vision plans. You cannot newly enroll in a plan you did not carry the prior year.