MEDICARE ENROLLMENT UPDATE FOR 2015

[N'Zinga Shani]

Have you received a “Medicare & You 2015 Handbook?  It is the official US Government Medicare Handbook and provides clear guidelines to all aspects of Medicare health coverage.  If you have not received a copy, visit:

http://www.medicare.gov/medicare-and-you/medicare-and-you.html

It contains answers to most of the Medicare-related questions you might have.  Make time to review it.  In Section 3 – Find Out if Medicare Covers Your Test, Service, or Item on page 35.  Section 4 explains Original Medicare.  Section 5 is about Advantage Plans, etc.

Section 12 – Compare Health & Prescription Drug Plans In Your Area – starts on page 145.

Starting on page 148 you will see a clear break out of all the available plans, costs and benefits listed in alphabetical order.  After reviewing each, you can call the toll-free numbers listed to ask specific questions.

Not all plans offer eye wear benefits as an integral part of the plan.  Many plans require additional payment for glasses, hearing and dental care.  If these benefits are important to you be sure to inquire about included (meaning benefits without the cost of added premiums), versus additional premium costs for these services.  Also remember to inquire about deductibles, co-pays and maximum annual benefits.

Here are examples:

a) How much will you have to pay out-of-pocket when you see a primary care (PC) provider? Co-pays vary from $0 - $25. For specialist it varies from $15- $65; it depends on where you live, which plan you select and other specific requirements.

b) When you go to the emergency room (ER), or have an in-hospital stay, what portion of the bill do you have to pay? What will be your deductibles? Get clear explanations and get all benefit information in writing.  Examples: One plan requires enrollees to pay $65 per ER visit.  Another plan requires $265.  One plan requires $550 deductible per hospital stay (regardless of the length); another plan requires $335 per day for 5 days ($1,675); yet another requires $265 per day for the first 3 days only ($795).  Compare everything.

c)  Is Vision Care and/or Dental Care included? If they are, what is your co-pay per visit and per type of service? Are there also deductibles?

Please see our more detailed Blog Post at: http://oneworldpi.org/blog/archives/2362

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