Calvert Public School Retirees Reveal Serious Issues With New Medicare Advantage Plan 

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. — Retirees of Calvert County Public Schools aren’t holding back about their dissatisfaction with changes to their health care plan.

In October 2025, the Board of Education (BOE) voted to begin shifting Medicare-eligible employees to a Medicare Advantage plan through CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Since the change, the district has received complaints about the plan, and several retirees spoke at the Aug. 13 BOE meeting about the struggles they’ve faced with health care costs and services since making the switch.

Retired teacher Joella Boggs spoke about a monthlong delay getting a procedure and the “major hardships” for her and her family.

“When I retired, I built my financial future around the public promise Calvert County Schools made to us through the negotiated agreement that I selected when employed by CCPS,” Boggs said. “After trying four medications, an over-the-counter med seems to be helping the best. It was written as a prescription and CareFirst Medical Advantage sent a letter stating possible medical denial. FYI, I will be on this med the rest of my life. Shifting costs or reducing coverage on vulnerable seniors who rely on this coverage breaks the trust between CCPS and the employees who built it.”

Boggs asked the board to consider allowing retirees to return to the previous plans before adopting CareFirst.

Another retired teacher, Terry Goldstein, spoke through tears about the struggles seniors face navigating a complicated system of preauthorizations or denials when they may not have the help of younger family members.

“We really would like to go back to a Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan where we have a choice, and we feel like we need that choice.”

Speaker Victoria Karol said in the seven months since the new plan rolled out, retirees have reported higher out-of-pocket costs, unexpected copays and deductibles, prior authorizations, prescriptions, and procedure denials. Retirees have also had difficulty accessing doctors and specialists, seen delays in care, and struggled finding in-network providers, all of which are “serious concerns.”

Yet another retiree outlined the increase in cost of care for his wife, who has been living with an incurable cancer for seven years. One minor medication went from $16 to $80. Her required monthly blood analysis now costs $150. And when her cardiologist required an immediate iron transfusion for anemia, she was told she’d have to wait because she hadn’t been preapproved by the insurance company.

“What I don’t understand at this point is why this new insurance was done to us, rather than with us,” the speaker said.

In response to the comments made during the public forum, BOE President Jana Smith-Post thanked the retirees for their service.

“We see you, we hear you, and we understand that this is a serious issue and has a time constraint,” Smith-Post said. “We are looking into it and we will make sure the retirees are taken care of. There was no intention of making it so you guys didn’t have proper healthcare. We appreciate you coming forward and sharing that with us and we encourage more people to come forward so we can make the best decisions for you going forward.”

Smith-Post said later in the meeting that the BOE was working to set up a meeting with CareFirst to address these challenges.

So far, there is no meeting set. BOE administrator Karen Maxey told Smith-Post that CareFirst had “acknowledged” the request for a meeting and was looking for availability.

However, CareFirst will be present at the Sept. 10 meeting to review health care plans for active employees at CCPS.

---