It’s Medicare enrollment season—have you reviewed your Medicare plan to make sure you have the best-priced plan?
Every year from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has what’s called an open enrollment period for Medicare. During this time, you can change your Medicare health plan and prescription drug coverage for the upcoming year. It’s an ideal time to review your plan and make sure it covers your current medical needs. Keep in mind that plans often make changes each year, and that can affect how much you have to pay out of pocket. This is why Medicare open enrollment is an important time.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind and to-do steps during Medicare’s open-enrollment period:
- Give some thought to your changing health needs. Have you or your partner had a change in health status over the past year? Do you use any medications that you may not have used before? Knowing your current health needs will make it easier to match you with the right plan.
- Let a trusted advisor walk you through your options. Do you get Medicare-related mail? If you do, then you’ve probably received an overwhelming number of fliers and emails trying to convince you that certain plans are best for you. Instead of trying to wade through this on your own, a trusted Medicare insurance expert can drill down on the right coverage for you.
- Find out what Medicare plans your doctors will accept in 2021. This can help you choose the right coverage for you.
- Check out your plan’s ratings. This is possible to do through Medicare.gov or the U.S. News and World Report’s site.
- Watch out for Medicare open enrollment scams. This can include people who say they are “official Medicare agents” (there are no salespeople from Medicare) or someone who says you must get prescription drug coverage to keep your current Medicare plan. Also make sure to not give out personal information over the phone, the Federal Trade Commission warns.
- Keep in mind that your current plan still may be the best one for you. There’s no obligation to change plans if your current Medicare plan works best for you. However, Medicare’s open enrollment period at least gives you the chance to compare plans and confirm your current one best suits your needs.
Call Secure Aging to Find Out How We Can Help Seniors With Care Management
At Secure Aging in Bradenton, we transform the weight of the world into a sigh of relief for our senior clients and their concerned family members. The mission of Secure Aging is to protect and preserve our client’s independence and dignity through careful and thoughtful financial and care management. As our clients’ age, it is their desire to remain independent and age with dignity. Our services protect our clients from talented con artists looking to exploit and deplete the financial resources of our vulnerable seniors. Secure Aging helps families in Manatee County and Sarasota County and in and around the communities of Anna Maria, Bradenton, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Holmes Beach, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat Key, Myakka City, Palmetto, Parrish, and Sarasota. Call us at 941-761-9338, or visit us online at www.secureaging.com.
