Sometimes people who are elderly find it hard to manage their health care insurance or plan for getting the right program. That’s why here we have gathered some basic frequently asked questions from them. In this article, we will talk about the answer to these questions that might help you in the future.
- How can I sign up for Medicare?
Those who are over 65 or will be 65 in the next 3 months and not have any benefits from Social Security, they need to sign up for getting the Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.
By default, you are not going to get Medicare automatically. For the signing up process, contact your social security administration by phone, online, or in-person and learn the process.
- Can you give me the information about Medicare Open Enrollment Period?
According to researches, the Open Enrollment Period for Medicare starts from October 15th and goes one until December 7th every year. If you make any changes during this time, you will see the effects on 1st January.
Those who already have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will get an additional Enrollment Period from 1st January to 31st March each year. In this time, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch back to your original Medicare. You can also consider taking the Medicare Plan G at this time.
- What key things should be considered when someone chooses a Medicare Plan?
- The cost- Every Plan has different costs for monthly premiums, copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums.
- What will be covered- Each Plan has different coverage. You should look for a Plan with services which you will need
- Doctor and hospital care- A few Plans will require you to use in-network doctors for best coverage.
- Drug Plan- Find out if your current Plan has a prescription drug coverage option or not. If yes, find out if the drugs you need are included in the Plan or not.
- Quality of the care- You can receive tools for comparing the quality of care from the Medicare government. This will help you to compare the quality of care from providers, hospitals, and more.
- Do I have an ‘In-Network’ doctor?
Some Plans will require you to see providers that are in your network. This way, you will get the highest level of coverage. If you have taken a Plan, to make sure that you have gotten ‘in-network’ providers, call the insurance company directly and ask them.
- When comparing Medicare Plans what should a couple consider?
Each people must purchase their separate Plan. When it comes to considering a different plan for each spouse, it will depend on how much medications they will need and how their health condition is.
- If I like my current Plan, do I still need to make any change?
You will get an annual notice of change every year in the fall. You should review your notice and find out if you want to change your current plan or not.
