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Medicare Advantage Plans And The Open Enrollment Period Explained


Most people are well aware of the gaps within the original Medicare plan. For one, there’s no ” stop loss ” feature. Other health insurance policies will pay 100 percent toward certain medical services after you meet your deductible, for example, you might have to pay $1,500 per year before your benefits will kick in. If you have Original Medicare and need hospital care or must enter a nursing home, this applies to you. Many of these individuals buy Medicare Supplemental[spin] (Medigap) Insurance policies to fill in the gaps within their existing coverage, which might include co-payments or deductibles. [spin]Medicare Advantage Plans cover all the same services Original Medicare covers, and potentially some it doesn’t.

These plans are offered in some parts of the country through private long term care insurance companies, but are still part of the Medicare program. If you’d like to switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan, now’s the perfect time. The open enrollment for Medicare Advantage plan extends from January 1st to March 31st. You are eligible for a Medicare Advantage Plan if you currently have Medicare Part A or Part B. However, you will have to see doctors and use hospitals within the plan much like you would with an HMO. If you’d like to switch plans, keep in mind that you cannot drop Medicare prescription drug coverage. If your existing plan has prescription drug coverage, then your new one needs to have it as well.

For more information on the plans listed for your area, visit Medicare’s web site or call 1-800-633-4227. Your new plan should be effective on the first of the month after your request is received. Still not sure what all the Medicare plans cover? Gilbert Guide lists all of the major types of insurance as well as what they cover. For a detailed explanation, check out Gilbert Guide’s Medicare Explained or Senior Care Reimbursement Overview, which will show you where each type of insurance pays benefits.

CCRCs are living communities for seniors. Most have three levels of residence: independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing. Each level of residence is tied to the level of care that the resident requires. The primary idea behind a CCRC is that it offers a wider spectrum of care, so that once a senior moves into the community, he or she will be able to receive the appropriate care as his or her needs change. Many CCRCs support aging in place.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, July 11th, 2009, 8:32 pm and is filed under Insurance. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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