QUESTION:  I am losing my Retirement Plan from my company I worked at for many years.  They are telling me that I can only choose between plans they are giving me at this insurance enrollment number.  If I use another enrollment method or get different plans from what they are offering they won’t pay for it anymore.  Can they do this?  What do I really need to be concerned about getting on Medicare?

ANSWER:  Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus!  I’m sorry for being sarcastic, but it is amazing to me that companies out there are trying to confuse people getting on Medicare.  YOU STILL HAVE CHOICES JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER AMERICAN CITIZEN WHEN THEY ARE FIRST GETTING ON MEDICARE!! What your company is really saying is…..we have made a deal with these “certain” insurance companies that if you “enroll” with them AND take out the plans “we want you to take out”  WE WILL HELP YOU PAY FOR IT.

Most people when they retire go on Medicare with no financial help.  Usually if you have retired from a company, you can afford the $100 a month, give or take a little, for premium on a MedicareSupplement/Medigap plan, which is most certainly the best coverage and what you should be offered. If you are desperate and cannot afford this premium, THEN and only THEN should you take up the offer from your employer and join a Medicare Advantage Plan.  This is INFERIOR COVERAGE AND HAS NO NETWORK OF DOCTORS OR HOSPITALS THAT WILL ACCEPT THESE PLANS. Also, they are not going to be available after 2011 anyway.  So, my “educated guess” (yes, I’m being sarcastic again)  is that since the insurance company gets paid at least twice the commission for selling you Medicare Advantage Plans, they want to get these sold as long as they can, and they make some kind of “deal” with your employer.

After 2011, you will be right back in the same spot of choosing another kind of health plan.  Please read more about Medicare Advantage Plans under the “category section” on the left side of the homepage of the blog.

What you need to do is to call a local agent that you trust, or contact us and get a comparison of Premiums on a Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan and also a comparison based on your drugs, of a Stand Alone Part D for drugs plan.  That is ALL you NEED.

Now some of you are also used to having dental and vision coverage under your retirement program.  There are no insurance plans for people on Medicare for dental and vision.  The Medicare Advantage Plans have these little teaser benefits, but nothing like you used to have and should not be a deciding factor in chosing to use a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Believe me, if there were any kind of decent vision and dental plan out there for Medicare beneficiaries, I would have found it.  There are plans you can join, BUT THE PREMIUM IS NOT WORTH THE BENEFITS, OR YOU ARE WASTING YOUR MONEY. There are plenty of salespeople out there that will sell you dental and vision plans all day long.  So just think about that…..

When picking out a Part D plan, the only thing you need to worry about is saving the most on your co-pay and premium for the first $2,830 worth of drugs you buy.  After that, you don’t need to use your drug plan at all….you NEED TO SHOP AROUND AND BUY YOUR DRUGS AT THE PLACE YOU CAN FIND THE BEST PRICE NOT USING YOUR DRUG CARD.   ALSO, BEGIN THE YEAR BY NOT BUYING YOUR GENERICS ON YOUR DRUG CARD. If you read my other blogs about “drug savings tips” you will understand how this will keep you OUT of the DREADED DONUT HOLE LONGER EACH YEAR!   The only people who should buy all their drugs on their drug plan are those that will hit the donut hole and reach the other side to the 95% coverage!!  Get past that donut hole ASAP and begin getting your 95% coverage.

So, please find yourself a comparison of Medicare Supplement/Medigap plans and a Part D Plan, based on your prescriptions and enroll on those 2 things.  You will be glad you did!!!!

Go to www.MyPartDusa.com and enter in your drugs and tell us what situation you are dealing with in the comments.  We will honestly help you understand and get the best coverage!!!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.

Many of you have lost your employer coverage recently.  We know how suddenly being thrown into the Medicare system with every insurance company sending you information on their products can be so confusing and downright overwhelming!

We have also heard that some companies and even government employees and teachers have been offered ONLY a choice of Medicare Advantage Plans.  Some companies even tell their employees that if they use a PARTICULAR INSURANCE AGENCY to take out their coverage they will get more money to help pay for it.  In other words they are steering you to use a particular insurance agency or insurance company if you want any financial help to pay for your Medicare coverage.

This is amazing!  ARE THEY REALLY TAKING AWAY YOUR CHOICES?  NO, THEY ARE NOT!

They are making you feel as though your only options are to take what they want you to take, when the truth is, when you lose coverage from your employer, you are FREE to join whatever plans you KNOW are best for you, and that is CERTAINLY NOT a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Please read my other blogs under the category section on the left hand side under MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS.

Please know that it is NOT to your advantage to choose anything other than using your Original Medicare Benefits, Part A & Part B and joining a Medicare Supplement/Medigap Plan and a stand alone Part D plan.  You may not get the extra $50 a month to help pay for it, but if you can possibly pay for a premium for a Medigap plan, you must decide to do what is in your best interests.

The main reason these companies want you to join Medicare Advantage Plans is the commission is so much higher for them.  They make more money when you join Medicare Advantage Plans.   I’ll let you wonder why your employer would only give you Medicare Advantage Plans as an option???  You can think about that.

In the year 2011, there will no longer be Medicare Advantage Plans as we know them today.  Even this year, many, many Medicare Advantage Plans have taken themselves OFF the market and many peope are losing coverage from their Medicare Advantage Plan.  The main reason for this is they have NO NETWORK OF DOCTORS  OR HOSPITALS THAT WILL TAKE THIS COVERAGE. You have no way of knowing if the doctor you have seen the past 10 years is going to accept the Medicare Advantage Plan or your preferred hospital will take the coverage.  If they do take it NOW, they can STOP taking it anytime they choose and you will be without coverage.

Tell me, WHY would you take that risk? Medicare Advantage Plans do not pay for durable medical equipment and many times your health is left up to the bean counters, not your doctor!  If you can afford the premium on a Medigap plan, why would you risk your healthcare?

So, the main point I am trying to make is do NOT feel trapped into taking whatever they throw at you.  You have the same choices as anyone else getting on Medicare coverage and you can choose to go to any agency, any website, any company that YOU CHOOSE, to find the best, most affordable coverage.

We can help you here if you are losing employer coverage to give you Medigap cost comparisons along with Part D drug plan comparisons.   We have helped thousands of GM, Whirlpool and other companies retirees…..JUST READ ALL OUR TESTIMONIALS!

GO TO www.MyPartDusa.com and enter in your meds and tell us what your concerns are about your choices today.

 A HUGE Thank You goes out to all the great General Motors Retirees we met in Niles, Youngstown, and Lordstown, Ohio.  We had a really good meeting there.  The first person to speak was a local pharmacist who talked about how important it is to get a Part D drug comparison.  He also mentioned about buying your generics OFF your drug plan at Wal-Mart or another large retailer’s $4 list so you don’t go into the “dreaded donut hole” as quickly in 2009. 

The main thing we tried to get across was:

DO NOT JOIN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN FIRST!!!!

If you think you may want to try a Medicare Advantage Plan, join a Medicare Supplement first.  That way you will be buying yourself a “12 month security of choice guarentee”.  Medicare states that if you get off a Medicare Supplement to join a Medicare Advantage Plan and decide you don’t like the Medicare Advantage Plan FOR ANY REASON, YOU HAVE 12 MONTHS TO GET BACK ON YOUR SUPPLEMENT WITH NO UNDERWRITING OR HEALTH QUESTIONS ASKED.  If you join a MAP first you may be STUCK WITH IT, because you will have to go through underwriting and you will have no guarantee of coverage.

The Medicare Advantage Plans DO NOT TELL YOU THIS!!!!

fierce people divx online
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.

You may ask yourself why some insurance agents are recommending Medicare Advantage Plans?  The commission earned on a Medicare Advantage Plan is more than double what they would get if they recommended a Medicare Supplement and a Stand Alone Part D Drug Plan, which is what the GM retirees really need!!!!  Many other agencies say that Medicare Advantage Plans are better than Original Medicare….BUT, they DO NOT compare Medicare Advantage Plans against Original Medicare combined with a Medicare Supplement and a Stand Alone Drug Plan!!!!  Read my other blogs on this topic.

We have been working with GM Retirees all over the country and we have had some great meetings.  They are so glad that someone out there is providing the best information available so they can make the best decision about their healthcare.  We thank you for all the kind words and appreciate the opportunity to assist you all with such a very important aspect of your retirement. 

If we didn’t answer all your questions in the meeting, please write to me and I will find an answer for you ASAP!!  IT WAS AN HONOR TO MEET EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

QUESTION:  I am retired from American Airlines and they are cancelling our retirement health drug plan and I know the health coverage will soon follow.  I have been wondering what to do about choosing between a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN or a MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT.  Could you please help me?

ANSWER:  I would be happy to explain the differences between these two choices you have for your health coverage with Medicare.  I will begin my answer with the Medicare Advantage Plans:

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS

IMPORTANT WARNING:   IF YOU JOIN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN FIRST, INSTEAD OF A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT, DURING YOUR 63 DAYS OF OPEN ENROLLMENT, YOU MAY NEVER BE ABLE TO GET A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT, YOU WILL FORFIT YOUR RIGHT TO HAVE A CHOICE, EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH  THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN.  AFTER YOUR 63 DAYS OF GUARENTEED ISSUE OPPORTUNITY ON THE PLAN OF YOUR CHOICE, YOU WILL GO THROUGH THE UNDERWRITING PROCESS IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE YOUR PLAN, AND YOU MAY BE TURNED DOWN FOR HEALTH REASONS.  OUR ADVICE IS TO ENROLL IN A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT FIRST, THEN IF YOU WANT TO TRY A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN YOU CAN DO SO, WITHOUT RISKING YOUR OPTIONS TO CHANGE.  YOU CAN ONLY USE THE FOLLOWING 12 MONTH PERIOD IF YOU HAVE BEEN ON A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT FIRST!! If you have joined a Medicare Advantage Plan and are not happy with it for “any reason”, you have 12 months to get back on Original Medicare and a Medicare Supplement policy with NO UNDERWRITING, no health questions.  You cannot be turned down for coverage within that 12 month period PROVIDED YOU LEFT A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT TO JOIN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN.   This is the ruling from the Centers for Medicare. 

The Medicare Advantage Plans do not tell you this!! 

Medicare Advantage Plans do not travel well.  You have many hoops to jump through to see a specialist and your doctor can choose not to take this coverage at any time he chooses.  You may have trouble finding a doctor that will take a Medicare Advantage Plans form of payment, because Medicare does not make the payment for your services.  You are not really using your Medicare benefits, because the insurance company is paying your bills.

Also, they usually have a built in drug plan with formularies that are inferior.

Please read my other blogs about Medicare Advantage Plans by clicking on that catagory on the left side of this page!!!

Medicare Supplements or Medigap Coverage

By choosing a Medicare Supplement policy combined with a Stand Alone Part D Drug Plan, you get the most comprehensive coverage and maintain your choice in drug plans.  As you know, Medicare pays 80% of your doctor and hospital coverage.  You need the Supplement to pay the other 20%.  The only out of pocket costs you will have is your monthly premium.  You can go to any doctor or hospital all over the USA, see any specialist at any time you wish, and there are no “extra hoops” to jump through.  All you need to do is get a comparison of prices for supplements.  A Plan F is a Plan F, no matter what company you choose as all these benefits are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and are exactly the same!  The only difference is one company will charge you a higher premium than another one will.  There is no need to pay a higher price for your coverage!! 

Then you will need a comparison of all the drug plans available to you based on your individual medications!  That way you will always have the best drug plan, saving you the most on co-pays and premiums. 

If after you read all the other blogs I have written about MAPD plans and Medicare Sups, and you still have a questions about your specific situation, please call my toll free number and I would be most happy to talk with you!

This time of year your mailbox is probably full of materials from Medicare Advantage Plans. Most of the drug companies that offer MA’s will be advertising for you to switch from your Traditional Supplelment to a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Please be so careful because you may not be able to totally believe everything the salesperson tells you. They will tell you that Medicare Advantage Plans are as good or better than Original Medicare. Well, that statement can be quite deceiving. They do NOT COMPARE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS AGAINST A TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENT!!!

Medicare pays 80% of your doctor and hospital costs. Your Traditional Medicare Supplement pays the other 20%. With a Medicare Advantage Plan you actually are not using your Medicare benefits, but all your bills go through the Advantage Plan company. It may sound better because the premiums are lower, but you may have co-pays for many things. There are many more hoops to jump through to see a specialist, and they just don’t cover every illness as comprehensively as a Traditional Supplement does.

One of the biggest problems people are having is that their doctor that they have seen for years will NOT accept the terms of payment from the MA company. We always tell people, especially if they have an ongoing illness, DO NOT SWITCH TO A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN.

These are the reasons to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan:

*If you are on disability and can NOT get any other coverage

*If you are in excellent health and want to risk staying in excellent health

REMEMBER: IF YOU JOIN A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN AND DO NOT LIKE IT, FOR ANY REASON, YOU HAVE 12 MONTHS TO GET BACK ON A TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENT WITH NO UNDERWRITING. IF YOU WAIT AFTER THE 12 MONTHS, YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER HEALTH QUESTIONS, AND YOU MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED BACK ON A TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENT.

So, readers, please all this this in mind, when you hear the very attractive sales pitch of the Medicare Advantage Plan salesperson.

I am NOT against Medicare Advantage Plans. We recommend them to some people everyday. YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS THE COVERAGE FOR YOU AND GET THE FACTS!!!

If you have any questions, just call me, Karyn Blake, toll free at 866-752-1795.

If you would like a Senior Consultant to call you to discuss your options, call us or go to the website and fill out a worksheet at:

www.MyPartDusa.com

In addition to changing your drug plan from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31st divx glory road you can also change your health plans.

Americans with Medicare can choose to receive their health benefits through Traditional Medicare, the program that allows you to see any doctor anywhere in the USA. 4 out of 5 people choose to use Traditional Medicare benefits.

Another option is the Medicare Advantage Plans

or Private Fee For Service Plans. These are managed care plans where rules and restrictions apply.

Some MAP’s have built in Part D Drug Plans and others do not. You should compare the drug plan associated with the MAP to make sure you will save the most money. If you find that the Drug Plan is not the best, you can choose a Medicare Advantage Plan that allows you to have a stand alone drug plan. This means that you can choose which ever Drug Plan will be best for you.

Ask Yourself These Important Questions BEFORE you join a Medicare Advantage Plan:

1. Will I be able to use MY doctors?

If you choose Traditional Medicare, you will need a Medigap policy or Medicare Supplement to pay the 20% that Medicare does not pay. Traditional Medicare covers 80% of your doctor and hospital costs. You may already have this type of coverage through your retirement plan or your spouse’s employment. You will also need a stand-alone drug plan. There are up to 40 plans available in each state. That is why it is imperative that you get a comparison of these plans to make sure every drug you take is on the drug plan formulary and that you are getting the very best prices.

www.MyPartDusa.com can help you sort out all these decisions and help you enroll in the plan of your choice.

If you have been shopping for your Medicare Part D Plan, you have probably been approached by someone or have recieved mail about changing to a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. The season for OPEN ENROLLMENT for changing or enrolling in MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS begins January 1 through March 31st of 2008.

MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS fallen ones the dvd are good for some people, but you must be absolutely sure you can live with the coverage. There are sales people that will tell you that these plans are as good as original Medicare. This can be very misleading. You actually give up your Medicare benefits, and your doctors and hospitals will be paid directly from the MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. Many doctors and hospitals WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TERMS OF PAYMENT FROM THESE ADVANTAGE PLANS. You must be certain that your doctor or hospital will accept these plans before you join them.

We have heard from many people that could not continue to go to the doctor of their choice. They had to search for a doctor that would accept these plans. If you are in the middle of health issues, and you can afford to keep your Traditional Medicare Supplement, YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT. There are many things that may not be covered by your MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN.

An elderly gentleman here in Chattanooga, TN had scheduled a heart surgery and joined a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. When he went in to have the surgery, his doctor nor the hospital would accept the terms of payment from his new plan. He had to postpone his surgery, until we could get him back on his Traditonal Medicare Supplement. This was very dangerous for him because he needed the surgery when it was scheduled.

We were able to do this because Medicare rules say that if you join a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN and are not happy with it for any reason, you have 12 months to get back on your Traditional Medicare Supplement, WITH NO UNDERWRITING. watch butch cassidy and the sundance kid in divx Had he waited after 12 months, he would have had to go through underwriting and all the health questions and would NOT have been able to get back on his Traditional Medicare Supplement. His Traditional Medicare Supplement was accepted at any doctor or hospital and payed the 20% of his surgery expenses and Original Medicare Part B payed 80%.

We recommend MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS only for people on disability that cannot get any other type of coverage. We also recommend them for people who can absolutely NOT afford a Traditional Supplement.

For anyone else a Traditional Medicare Supplement is perferable because there are no hoops to jump through or co-pays to worry about. You know your doctor and hospital will accept them. You can go to a specialst anytime without referral and a Traditional Medicare Supplement is good anywhere in the USA. Many times MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS are regional and do not travel well.

I know we all want to save a dollar where we can, but please, if you can afford your Traditional Medicare Supplement do not be drawn in by the lower or no premium sales pitch of the MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS.

Please read my other blogs with further details about MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS. You can find them on the left side of this webpage under “categories”.

At MY PART D USA we can help you find the best Traditional Medicare Supplement in your state. We can also help you if you feel a MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN is right for you. There are many MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS on the market and we will explain them to you and help you choose the one that benefits you the most.

www.MyPartDusa.com
toll free – 866-752-1795

Today, I got a call from a lady in Ohio saying that she had a salesman coming out to her house to enroll her on a Part D Plan. I would bet you dollars to donuts that he is coming to her house to enroll her in a Medicare Advantage Plan with a built in drug plan called an MAPD. The commission for a salesperson on a Part D plan is very small. I don’t know of a salesperson that would drive all the way out to your home just to talk about a drug plan. Medicare Advantage Plans have the highest commission rate of any kind of Medicare Health Coverage.

Please be careful that you don’t get confused by this and sign up on something you don’t understand. batman returns divx If you already have a Traditional Medicare Supplement

second string free download

and you can afford the premium and you know your Doctor and Hospital will accept your supplemental insurance, you are better off to KEEP

your Traditional Supplement. THEN, just enroll in a stand alone drug plan.

Medicare Advantage Plans will sound good for you because in some cases they have a much lower premium or no premium at all. However, you will have co-pays and many times your Doctor will not accept the terms of payment from these plans. I have heard many stories from people who had an ongoing illness, and they had been seeing the same Doctor for years. After they switched coverage, they had to change Doctors and had no choice who they could see. One man had a heart surgery scheduled and changed his coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan and his Hospital would not accept the payment.

These salespeople will tell you that an MAPD is better than orignial Medicare. They say this because they may add in some minimal vision or dental coverage, but truly they are not better than Original Medicare that pays 80% of your doctor and hospital costs and your Traditional Supplement that pays the other 20%.

Remember, if you join an MAPD and are not happy with it or feel you had been misled or did not understand the plan, YOU CAN CANCEL IT AND GET BACK ON YOUR TRADITIONAL SUPPLEMENT WITH NO UNDERWRITING, within 12 months. If you stay on the MAPD over 12 months, you must go through the underwriting process to be able to get back on a Traditional Medicare Supplement. This may cause you to be turned down for coverage because of your health conditions.

If you ONLY WANT A STAND ALONE DRUG PLAN, STICK TO YOUR GUNS!! Remember as I said before, YOU ARE THE BOSS OF YOU!!

There are some people that could use a Medicare Advantage Plan and it would be a good decision for them. Many people on Medicare Disability could use a Medicare Advantage Plan before they become fully vested in the Medicare Health Benefits. If you absolutely cannot afford the premium on a Traditional Supplelment and you know your doctor will accept the plan, or you have very few health issues and don’t expect to have any, an MAPD might be right for you. Remember, your Doctor can refuse to accept the terms of an MAPD at ANYTIME.

If you would like more information, please read my other blogs listed in the left hand categories on Medicare Advantage Plans or call me, Karyn Blake.
toll free 866-752-1795.