Are you prepared for Medicare open enrollment? If you or a loved one are enrolled in Medicare, now is the time to review your healthcare plan and your medical needs to see if you need to make changes to your current Medicare coverage.
Every year in September, Medicare plans send out an Annual Notice of Change letter or an Evidence of Coverage letter outlining your plan benefits and notifying you of any changes to coverage. It can be important to review these notices closely because Medicare insurance policies make changes every year. Those changes may include changes in premium pricing, co-pay amounts and requirements, or even changes in coverage.
It is also important to spend some time thinking about your own healthcare needs for the year as you prepare for Medicare open enrollment. If you want to stick with your current doctors, you should confirm that those doctors are still “in network” for your Medicare plan so that you can avoid any unnecessary out of pocket expenses that stem from visiting “out of network” providers. If you have been diagnosed with a new medical condition or will need to take prescription medication, you may want to make sure that you have appropriate prescription drug coverage so that you do not have to pay out of pocket for expensive medication.
Finally, watch out for scams. Every year during the open enrollment, seniors fall victim to Medicare scams by innocently believing they are providing necessary personal information to callers claiming they are assisting them with their enrollment. Remember, Medicare will not call you and ask you to change your plan over the phone. You will be notified of changes to your plan in writing and you should always confirm these communications with Medicare directly by visiting www.medicare.gov.
To learn more about your options during Medicare open enrollment, contact our office to set up a meeting.