Medicare Open Enrollment ends this Friday, Dec. 7
Anyone who is already on Medicare and wants to join or change a Medicare Advantage plan, or a Part D plan, must do so by this Friday, December 7th. If you are happy with your current Medicare coverage,...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage change? New referrals needed.
During the Medicare Open Enrollment Period that just ended on December 7th, many people changed from one Medicare Advantage (MA) plan to another. Some changed because their doctors were no longer...
View ArticleYou can still drop your Medicare Advantage plan, but…..
I got a call on Monday, December 10th from Bob, who said he needs to change his Medicare Advantage plan. He said he has a problem with his current Medicare Advantage (MA) plan and wants to move to...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage Enrollment in Tucson
The recent Medicare Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 15 – Dec 7, 2012) did not result in major gains for any one Medicare Advantage plan in Tucson or Pima County. CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid...
View ArticleSmaller networks for under-65 health insurance and Medicare Advantage
I was just reading that Obamacare will likely lead to some health insurance choices with small networks. Apparently, the smaller the network of doctors and hospitals, the lower the cost to the...
View ArticleMedicare and the Arizona State Retirement System
TUCSON, ARIZONA - I got a call yesterday from a woman told me she will turn 65 at the end of March and needs to figure out her Medicare coverage. We talked for a few minutes and I remembered to ask...
View ArticleChoosing a Medicare Advantage plan
How does a person pick a Medicare Advantage plan? Is the hospital network the most important factor? Is having the biggest network of doctors important? Is the plan with the lowest co-pays for...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage mayhem this fall?
Are big changes coming to Medicare Advantage? For an answer to that question we’ll have to wait until this fall when the details of 2014 Medicare Advantage plans are announced. But a perfect storm of...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage, enrolling on-line. Beware!
At this time of year, people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan cannot change their plan, or dis-enroll from their plan – unless they meet certain requirements such as: they are moving to a new...
View ArticleBig Medicare Advantage cuts won’t happen.
I recently wrote about the potential for Medicare Advantage mayhem this fall because of significant payment cuts that were announced in February by CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)....
View ArticleTurning 65, Medicare, Junk Mail
If you are turning 65 in the next four months, you are getting lots of mail from Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement companies. Not all of this mail is junk, but some pieces have some...
View ArticleMedicare Annual Wellness Visit
Medicare now covers an annual “Wellness” visit to a primary care physician at no cost to the patient. But, as with the “Welcome to Medicare” visit, the list of what is covered “for free” is very...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage: The future looks good
“What’s going to happen to Medicare Advantage plans with Obamacare?” This is a question I hear over and over as I talk to people on Medicare and those who are turning 65. Predictions about the future...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage Changes Coming for 2014
Changes are coming to Medicare Advantage plans. I’ve been attending meetings for independent brokers who represent Medicare Advantage plans in Southern Arizona and my head is spinning with news of...
View ArticleWoman can’t afford her prescriptions.
Just a few days to go until the end of the Medicare Open Enrollment period and I have a few observations and questions. Why are Part D plans allowed to change drastically from one year to the next?...
View ArticleDid you change your plan for 2014?
Anyone who changed their Part D dug plan or their Medicare Advantage plan for 2014 needs to pay attention to a few things. 1) Did you get your new id card for your plan? If not, you need to call your...
View ArticleMedicare Advantage Winners and Losers
I checked the Medicare Advantage enrollment numbers for Pima County after the most recent Open Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) to see how each of the plans did with their enrollments. Did...
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