QUESTION:
I am wondering what will happen if I join a drug plan during the AEP, Nov. 15 through Dec. 31 and find out I made a mistake or change my mind to get a better price? What can I do?
ANSWER: The Centers for Medicare state that you can change your drug plan up until Dec. 31st. If you feel that you made a mistake about the plan you joined and want to switch, you can do so all the way till the 31st of December. YOU ARE NOT STUCK!!! Don’t feel as if it is written in blood. All you need to do is send another enrollment to Medicare, and the last one standing Dec. 31st is the drug plan you will have for 2009.
QUESTION: I am losing my GROUP RETIREMENT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE ON JANUARY 1, 2009. If I join a plan, say in November, and realize I could get better coverage with something else, can I change it? What are my options?
ANSWER: If you are losing your coverage you are in your OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE UNTIL 63 DAYS AFTER JANUARY 1, 2009, TO MAKE ANY KIND OF CHANGES THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE. Let’s say you joined a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN
, and a few weeks later you decide you don’t want it, all you have to do is cancel it and send in an application to a MEDIGAP/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT
company. Then you can get a stand alone drug plan to go with it. NO PROBLEM. You are still in your guaranteed issue period and no health questions will be asked. EVEN IF YOU WAIT UNTIL AFTER JANUARY AND GO TO THE DOCTOR AND FIND OUT YOU DON’T LIKE THE COVERAGE ON YOUR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN, YOU CAN CHANGE IT TO A MEDIGAP/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT WITHIN THAT 63 DAY PERIOD. Please don’t feel like you can’t change your decisions. THIS WILL TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF OF YOU, SO THAT YOU HAVE TIME TO THINK, EDUCATE YOURSELF, AND CALL US TO GET PRICES AND OPTIONS.
QUESTION: I was told by my sales representative that was helping me decide on my health coverage that I HAD TO MAKE MY DECISION WITH HIM IN 48 HOURS. COULD THIS POSSIBLY BE TRUE?
ANSWER: I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING MORE RIDICULOUS IN MY ENTIRE LIFE TIME. IF A SALESPERSON TRIES TO PRESSURE YOU BY GIVING YOU ULTIMATUMS AND TIME RESTRICTIONS, THEY ARE VERY DESPERATE TO MAKE A SALE. PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THAT. YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE AND DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO WITHIN THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE’S ANNUAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD OF NOVEMBER 15TH THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST. IF YOU ARE LOSING YOUR GROUP RETIREMENT BENEFITS YOU HAVE YOUR ENTIRE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD TO CHANGE AND DECIDE ON PLANS. THERE ARE NO TIME LIMITS SUCH AS 48 HOURS, A WEEK, ECT…..I THINK I HAVE NOW HEARD IT ALL, FOLKS!!!!!
PLEASE CONTACT ME, KARYN BLAKE, IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS OR IF YOU ARE BEING PRESSURED BY A SALESPERSON WITH ULTIMATUMS OR ARE GIVEN INFORMATION THAT IS QUESTIONABLE. I WILL BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS IT HERE ON THE BLOG, SO THAT EVERYONE CAN GET THE CORRECT INFORMATION. YOU MAY BE SAVING SOMEONE ELSE FROM FALLING FOR SCAMS.
