[ad_1]
<div _ngcontent-c15 = "" innerhtml = "
By Joe Baker, Next Avenue contributor
Credit: Getty Royalty Free
If you are enrolled in Medicare – the federal health insurance program for seniors 65 years of age and some people with disabilities – you will soon be able to make changes to your health and prescription drug insurance. Medicare Fall Enrollments begin Monday, October 15 through Friday, December 7. This can be confusing, so here's what you need to know:
During the registration period open in the fall, you will be able to join a new Medicare Advantage plan (from a private company; instead of using Original Medicare) or a plan. independent prescription drug (a Medicare Part D plan). You can also switch between Medicare Original (with or without a Part D plan) and Medicare Advantage. Any changes you make at registration open in the fall will come into effect on January 1, 2019.
Before making any decisions, review your current Medicare coverage, even if you are satisfied with the coverage you have. The costs, benefits and restrictions of Medicare Advantage plans and Part D independent drug plans may vary from year to year; your health care needs can too.
Also on Forbes:
Start by reading 2019 Medicare and you manual available online. This brochure contains information on the costs and benefits of Medicare over the next year.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan, review the annual change notice and / or proof of coverage. You should have received the notice of change by mail or will be there soon. Previously, Medicare Advantage and Part D plans were required to mail recipients to the proof of coverage documents, but this ended in 2018; now, all they have to do is publish them on their website before October 15 and send them to recipients who request a paper copy. These notices contain information about changes to the costs, benefits and rules of your plan over the next year. You will want to know if your current coverage will still meet your needs in 2019.
Before subscribing to a Medicare Advantage plan, know what questions to ask, for example if the plan will continue to cover the medications you are taking.. My organization, Medicare Rights Center, has a helpful online checklist to ask you important questions you want answered.
Even if you are satisfied with your Medicare coverage, consider other Medicare options in your area that may be better suited to your needs in the coming year. For example, check if there is another plan that will provide similar coverage for health and / or drugs at a more affordable price and possibly fewer restrictions.
Take advantage of the tools and resources that can help you find the best plans. For example, the Medicare Plan Finder tool from the Medicare Medicare.gov website (or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get it) allows you to compare the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. The Plan Finder compares plans based on the medications you need, the pharmacy you visit and your drug costs. It also provides an estimate of your costs with a given plan for the next year.
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can provide free, accurate and unbiased advice on choosing Medicare coverage. If you are overwhelmed by the choices, you can find your BOAT by calling 877-839-2675 or visiting the BOAT website.
If you are looking for an online plan and intend to choose it, call it to confirm what you have learned. Make sure the plan will include your doctors and hospitals in its network in 2019. Also confirm that the plan covers all your medications and that your pharmacies are part of the preferred network.
When talking to a Medicare representative or plan, write down everything that relates to your conversation, including the date, who you talked to, and the results or next steps. This information can help you protect yourself from misinformation.
To sign up for a new plan, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Subscribing to a new plan directly through Medicare is the best way to protect yourself in case of a registration problem.
If you are dissatisfied with the Medicare Advantage Plan you have chosen, you can change it from 2019 during the open Medicare Advantage registration period. This period extends from January 1st to March 31st. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the month in which you make a change. Meanwhile, you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or from a Medicare Advantage plan to an original Medicare plan with or without a Part D plan. If you have Medicare subscriptions, you will not be able to change your coverage.
For more information about Fall Enrollment and Plan Selection, visit Medicare Interactive, the Medicare Rights Center's free online resource containing hundreds of answers to Medicare questions, and download the "Registration Guide". opened in the fall of Medicare Rights of 2018 ".
">
By Joe Baker, Next Avenue contributor
Credit: Getty Royalty Free
If you are enrolled in Medicare – the federal health insurance program for seniors 65 years of age and some people with disabilities – you will soon be able to make changes to your health and prescription drug insurance. Medicare Fall Enrollments begin Monday, October 15 through Friday, December 7. This can be confusing, so here's what you need to know:
During the registration period open in the fall, you will be able to join a new Medicare Advantage plan (from a private company; instead of using Original Medicare) or a plan. independent prescription drug (a Medicare Part D plan). You can also switch between Medicare Original (with or without a Part D plan) and Medicare Advantage. Any changes you make at registration open in the fall will come into effect on January 1, 2019.
Before making any decisions, review your current Medicare coverage, even if you are satisfied with the coverage you have. The costs, benefits and restrictions of Medicare Advantage plans and Part D independent drug plans may vary from year to year; your health care needs can too.
Also on Forbes:
Start by reading 2019 Medicare and you manual available online. This brochure contains information on the costs and benefits of Medicare over the next year.
If you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D plan, review the annual change notice and / or proof of coverage. You should have received the notice of change by mail or will be there soon. Previously, Medicare Advantage and Part D plans were required to mail recipients to the proof of coverage documents, but this ended in 2018; now, all they have to do is publish them on their website before October 15 and send them to recipients who request a paper copy. These notices contain information about changes to the costs, benefits and rules of your plan over the next year. You will want to know if your current coverage will still meet your needs in 2019.
Before subscribing to a Medicare Advantage plan, know what questions to ask, for example if the plan will continue to cover the medications you are taking.. My organization, Medicare Rights Center, has a helpful online checklist to ask you important questions you want answered.
Even if you are satisfied with your Medicare coverage, consider other Medicare options in your area that may be better suited to your needs in the coming year. For example, check if there is another plan that will provide similar coverage for health and / or drugs at a more affordable price and possibly fewer restrictions.
Take advantage of the tools and resources that can help you find the best plans. For example, the Medicare Plan Finder tool from the Medicare Medicare.gov website (or call 1-800-MEDICARE to get it) allows you to compare the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. The Plan Finder compares plans based on the medications you need, the pharmacy you visit and your drug costs. It also provides an estimate of your costs with a given plan for the next year.
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can provide free, accurate and unbiased advice on choosing Medicare coverage. If you are overwhelmed by the choices, you can find your BOAT by calling 877-839-2675 or visiting the BOAT website.
If you are looking for an online plan and intend to choose it, call it to confirm what you have learned. Make sure the plan will include your doctors and hospitals in its network in 2019. Also confirm that the plan covers all your medications and that your pharmacies are part of the preferred network.
When talking to a Medicare representative or plan, write down everything that relates to your conversation, including the date, who you talked to, and the results or next steps. This information can help you protect yourself from misinformation.
To sign up for a new plan, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Subscribing to a new plan directly through Medicare is the best way to protect yourself in case of a registration problem.
If you are dissatisfied with the Medicare Advantage Plan you have chosen, you can change it from 2019 during the open Medicare Advantage registration period. This period extends from January 1st to March 31st. The changes take effect on the first day of the month following the month in which you make a change. Meanwhile, you can switch from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or from a Medicare Advantage plan to an original Medicare plan with or without a Part D plan. If you have Medicare subscriptions, you will not be able to change your coverage.
For more information about Fall Enrollment and Plan Selection, visit Medicare Interactive, the Medicare Rights Center's free online resource containing hundreds of answers to Medicare questions, and download the "Registration Guide". opened in the fall of Medicare Rights of 2018 ".
