Lt. Gov. Gregory R. Francis, who serves as the territory’s commissioner of insurance, reminds all government retirees who are Medicare beneficiaries or Medicare eligible that they can contact the VI SHIP/Medicare office for assistance or information regarding their Medicare status. VI SHIP is a program federally funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and locally administered by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
Francis is advising government retirees who will be impacted by the upcoming changes to the government’s health insurance program to contact the Division of Personnel for more information regarding their coverage. “In recent days, our VI SHIP/ Medicare offices have been inundated with calls from retirees who are concerned about the switch from CIGNA to United Healthcare. While our staff has done their best to serve the clients, we can only provide definitive information regarding the Medicare program. The government’s health insurance program does not fall under the purview of the lieutenant governor’s office, nor are we in a position to answer their questions regarding potential changes to the retirees’ coverage,” Francis said.
Retirees impacted by the change in coverage are encouraged to contact the Division of Personnel at 773-0341 in the St. Croix district or 774-8588 in the St. Thomas-St. John district for more information.
Persons with questions regarding their Medicare coverage or status can contact the VI SHIP/Medicare Office at 772-7368 or 1-800-MEDICARE.