Hooray! It’s Medicare Season Once Again!

October 1 starts the marketing blitz that is Medicare season. Have you seen the TV or internet infomercials? It seems like they are everywhere…

And starting October 15 through December 7, you’ll be able to do the following:

1. Keep your current Med Sup and Part D plan or your Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD): if everything is OK and there haven’t been any major network, doctor, benefit, or prescription drug changes, then by all means, stick with what works…
2. Change your Part D or MAPD or take one for the first time: beware of the Part D Late Enrollment Penalty if you could have been covered, but have put it off. Over time, that 1% per month of the national average really starts to add up. The 2019 national average for a Part D plan is $32.78, so $0.33 per month equals $3.93 per year added to your cost. Not much is it? What if you wait 5 years? Then, the penalty would be $19.67 added per month. Many plans cost $15 to $20 bucks a month, so you’ll double your costs if you wait…
3. Leave your Medicare Supplement and take an MAPD for January 1, 2021. This is recommended only if the cost for your supplement has just gotten too high. For instance, if you paid $110 when you first got your Med Sup and now it costs you $225 per month for it, it might be time to change to a less expensive per month alternative. My mom has beaten cancer four times with her MAPD, so I know first hand they are wonderful plans…

See Ty Cramer with questions, to make changes, or to refer a friend of family member: tcramer@cabenefitsgrp.com or 614.389.5755 x112.

Travel in the time of COVID? Many of our senior clients enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid may assume that their coverage extends seamlessly overseas. However, that’s not the case. In fact, a U.S. passport contains language regarding international coverage with Medicare/Medicaid and encourages travelers to seek other solutions. To protect yourself from unwanted surprises, here are the gaps that could occur when relying only on Medicare/Medicaid insurance internationally.

Medicare/Medicaid policies have limited lifetime coverage overseas Outside the United States, Medicare/Medicaid policies only carry a $50,000 lifetime maximum. Just one medical evacuation can max out a policy and place your clients at risk of needing more coverage.

You pay up front and file claims later Unlike with GeoBlue plans, domestic policies hold seniors responsible for covering the costs of their treatment until they are able to file a claim for reimbursement. In many cases the domestic policy will only pay for 80 percent of the cost.

Travelers coordinate their own care GeoBlue coordinates hospital stays, arranges transportation, sets up direct pay, and monitors care. Travelers relying on Medicare/Medicaid would be responsible for managing all those details while battling potential health issues in a foreign city.

Access to remote services and emergency evacuation Our Global TeleMD™ smartphone application gives members access to live, remote consultations anytime, anywhere in the world, in their native language. Unlike a domestic policy, they won’t have to leave their location to receive high-quality care. With a travel policy, you also have access to worldwide evacuation! Imagine that if you were stuck abroad because of COVID-19…

See Ty Cramer for further information or to sign up online for a policy: tcramer@cabenefitsgrp.com or 614.389.5755 x112