ANSWER: Many people are very confused when they are losing benefits, retiring or turning 65 regarding their Medicare coverage! CONGRATULATIONS on finding us here at My Part D USA! We specialize in taking all the stress, aggravation and worry out of your life.  Read our HUNDREDS OF TESTIMONIALS FROM PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU! You have discovered the best way to get COMPARISONS FOR YOUR DOCTOR AND HOSPITAL COVERAGE (Medicare Supplements) AND PART D DRUG PLANS!

You only need TWO plans: a Medicare Supplement to pay the 20% of all your doctor and hospital bills (that Medicare Part A and B does not cover) & a Part D drug plan.  That is ALL!! NOW you need to find the coverage that will give you the best benefits with the lowest cost.

Click on START NOW and enter in your drugs and let us know in the COMMENTS SECTIONwhat your particular situation is and how we can help!  Your personal Medicare Consultant will shop the Medicare marketplace and get back to you with choices and explanations to help YOU MAKE THE BEST DECISION.

As we all know Medicare is under the knife.  This is a benefit you have worked for, PAID FOR  and deserve.  In my humble opinion, we should not be taking away our Senior Americans’ heath care benefits while we spend billions to keep Corporations out of bankruptcy, while they continue to pay their CEO millions and millions of our tax dollars.

Everything is so backwards…if you ask me.  Republicans don’t act like Republicans anymore!!  I don’t trust either party because they are all BOUGHT AND PAID FOR by these Corporations.

Please be very careful who you vote for…do not give your Medicare Benefits away to a voucher system.  This will be worse than you can imagine.

As a fellow Baby Boomer, I am 51, I would like to welcome the first year of Baby Boomers to the wonderful world of Medicare!  Please don’t feel like you’ve lost your mind when trying to understand all the mumbo jumbo.  It is confusing for ALL of us!  We have to constantly keep on top of the changes too!

If you are turning 65 and need help don’t hesitate to call us toll free at 866-752-1795.  Many of you will have to make choices about what Medigap plan to take out and what drug plan will be best for you and that is what we specialize in…and do comparisons of the plans in your state.  It is hard for you to call every company and wait for someone willing to talk with you, and even more luck is required if you are trying to call Medicare.

My sister Martha is turning 65 this year.  She said to me yesterday “Karyn, I just can’t believe I’m having to do this”. Getting older is a shock to us all, and no one wants to deal with the fact they are getting on Medicare.  However, take solace in the fact that your insurance costs will drop significantly and that you have found a place to get the best information possible.  She is thrilled that she won’t have to pay the very high premiums of her individual health insurance plan any longer.  Her husband is on a retirement plan he has had for years and years and after I explained to him that he may want to look at getting on a Medigap plan, he realized he was paying way too much for this retirement plan premium without any added benefit to doing so!

Retirement plans may be best for you to keep if you have a good dental plan or vision plan, but it just depends on how much they are going to charge you in premium and for your drugs.  Many times we tell people to STAY on their retirement plans, but sometimes we find we can save them thousands of dollars a year by getting on a Medigap plan with a stand alone Part D plan for their drugs.  We will be glad to examine your benefits and make a recommendation that will be of MOST BENEFIT TO YOU! That is why we receive so many Great Testimonials as you can read on the right hand side of this page and even go to the others!  There are hundreds and hundreds of them.  We are so thankful to receive them!

So, again Happy New Year and you can write me and call me with any questions you have about your situation.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing!

1. If you only need a Part D drug plan comparison you can get one online now FOR 2011 at www.Medicare.gov  You can also request one from us, but due to the many thousands we are getting each year we cannot get back to everyone…but will do our  very best.  If you don’t hear from us…please try the Medicare website.

2. If you are losing a Medicare Advantage Plan and you are on disability and under age 65  please contact your local SHIP  (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) office to see what will be available in your area.  Many times there are no Medigap Plans available in certain states.  If you are OVER 65, you are guaranteed issue (no health questions) for a Medigap plan and we can help you find the lowest premiums in your state by calling 866-752-1795.

3. As always through the year when anyone is turning 65 we can help you find the best Part D plan and the best priced Medigap plan.

We have recently heard that the UAW is canceling spousal benefits beginning Oct. 1, 2009.  This means that there will be many people trying to find answers to questions about what to do, what kind of coverage under Medicare should they enroll in and what drug plan will save them the most money and cover all their medications.

My Part D USA has helped thousands of people all over the country from many different companies and unions get comparisons of plans, so that you can understand the REAL QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK AND NOT FEEL “SOLD TO”!!

1.  WHAT DOES MEDICARE COVER?

When you lose your employer coverage and need to get on Medicare, you will join Part A & B for all your doctor and hospital coverage.  This will cover ONLY 80% of those costs.  That is why you will need to get a Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan.  There are many plans out there.  They are all regulated by Medicare, ALL THE BENEFITS ON THE PLANS ARE THE SAME.  A PLAN F FROM ONE COMPANY IS THE SAME AS A PLAN F FROM ANOTHER COMPANY! The only difference is the premium cost you will pay each month.  Some companies will charge you a higher rate than another company.  What you need is a comparison of plans.

2.  WHAT ABOUT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS?

We do not recommend Medicare Advantage Plans.  They are going to be changing and many of the companies that sold them are getting out of the business.  Some Medicare Advantage Plans have gone up so high on their premiums, that it does not make any sense at all to pay the same as a Medigap plan for inferior coverage.  You can read more about the MA plans in the category section on the left side of this blog.

3.  How do we know which drug plan will be best for us?

There are over 50 different plans in every state to choose from.  All the plans have different prices and drugs they cover.  YOU MUST GET A COMPARISON USING YOUR MEDICATIONS!

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS GO TO WWW.MYPARTDUSA.COM OR GO TO THE TOP OF THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE BLOG AND CLICK ON THE WEBSITE NAME.  THERE, YOU CAN FILL OUT A FORM TELLING US YOUR SITUATION.  EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT ISSUES THEY NEED HELP WITH…..READ OUR TESTIMONIALS! SOMEONE WILL GET BACK TO YOU WITH YOUR COMPARISONS.

During the AEP, or Annual Election Period of each year Nov. 15th through Dec. 31st of each year, you will need a NEW comparison to make sure your drug plan is still going to cover your drugs at the lowest prices.  YOU WILL NOT NEED TO CHANGE YOUR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT EACH YEAR, AS THE BENEFITS REMAIN THE SAME!

THE DRUG PLAN COMPARISONS WILL BE LIVE ONLINE FOR YOU DURING THE AEP EACH YEAR AND ENROLLMENT IS EASY AND QUIK ONLINE AT MY PART D USA.

Please read my other blogs about drug savings tips and donut hole help on the left side of this blog.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

To the world you may be only one person, but to one person you may be the world!

OF EVERY YEAR IS THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR LIKE TO LIKE PLANS.  THIS MEANS THAT YOU CAN SWITCH FROM A MEDIGAP PLAN WITH A STAND ALONE PDP TO A (MAPD) MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN WITH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS INCLUDED.  YOU CAN ALSO SWITCH BETWEEN MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS OR CANCEL YOUR MAPD TO GO BACK TO A MEDIGAP PLAN WITH A STAND ALONE PDP.

THIS TIME OF YEAR YOU MAY BE BOMBARDED WITH ADVERTISEMENTS ON TV AND MAIL TELLING YOU THAT THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS COVER MORE THAN ORIGINAL MEDICARE.  WELL, IT MAY HAVE A FEW LITTLE THINGS SUCH AS VERY, VERY LIMITED DENTAL COVERAGE, BUT THEY DO NOT COMPARE THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS AGAINST MEDIGAP PLANS/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS.  THEY KNOW THEY COULD NOT HOLD A CANDLE TO THAT COMPARISON.  IT SOUNDS GOOD ON TV, BUT BEWARE…..MAPD’S DO NOT HAVE NEAR THE COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE PROVIDED BY YOUR MEDIGAP PLAN.

SOME DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TERMS OF PAYMENT

FROM THE MAPD’S.  YOUR DOCTOR COULD ACCEPT YOUR COVERAGE AT ONE VISIT AND DECIDE NOT TO ACCEPT IT AT THE NEXT APPOINTMENT.  THERE IS NO GUARANTEED NETWORK

OF DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS PROVIDED FOR YOU IN THE MAPD’S.  WITH A MEDIGAP PLAN YOU CAN GO TO ANY DOCTOR OR HOSPITAL OF YOUR CHOICE WITH NO WORRIES.

ALSO, THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE WITH AN MAPD IS ALMOST ALWAYS INFERIOR

TO CHOOSING A STAND ALONE DRUG PLAN.  THE FORMULARIES DO NOT COVER AS MANY DRUGS AND THEIR CO-PAYS ARE HIGHER.  WHEN YOU CAN CHOOSE A DRUG PLAN BASED ON YOUR INDIVIDUAL MEDICATIONS AND FIND THE LOWEST CO-PAYS WHY WOULD YOU TAKE A PLAN YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER?

THE ONLY PEOPLE WE RECOMMEND MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS TO ARE THOSE THAT ARE ON DISABILITY OR THOSE THAT CANNOT GET ANY OTHER TYPE OF COVERAGE DUE TO HEALTH REASONS .  ALSO THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT CAN ABSOLUTELY NOT AFFORD THE PREMIUMS ON A MEDIGAP PLAN AND THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN WOULD BE BETTER THAN NOTHING AT ALL IN SOME CASES.  HOWEVER, MANY OF THE MAPD’S HAVE GONE UP ON THEIR RATES AND SOME OF THEM ARE AS HIGH IN PREMIUM AS A MEDIGAP PLAN NOW.  PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU THINK YOU WANT TO JOIN AN MAPD THAT YOU ALSO COMPARE PREMIUM PRICES ON A MEDIGAP PLAN.  IT WOULD BE VERY UNFORTUNATE TO BE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT FOR AN INFERIOR COVERAGE PLAN.

I AM ALWAYS VERY ENTERTAINED BY THE TV COMMERCIALS FOR MEDICARE COVERAGE.  I GUESS THAT IS BECAUSE I CAN READ BETWEEN THE LINES AND SEE WHAT INFORMATION THEY ARE DELIBERATELY LEAVING OUT OR HOW THEY ARE SPINNING THE BENEFITS THEY OFFER

TO SOUND SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.  IF I DIDN’T KNOW BETTER, I MIGHT CONSIDER THEM AS WELL.  THAT IS WHY I WANTED TO WARN YOU ALL ABOUT THE HURRICANE A’COMMIN’ DOWN THE PIKE.  I CAN HEAR THE WINDS AND SEE THE RAIN.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SOMETHING YOU WERE TOLD OR HEARD ON TV, PLEASE WRITE ME AND I CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MEANING.  TAKE CARE!  KARYN

This should air either this Saturday or the next.  I will let you know as soon as I find out, so maybe you can watch me.  I don’t know if I can watch me!!!  HA!  So you all will have to tell me about it.

If anyone sees us in a paper where you live, please write and let me know.

Thanks,  Karyn

AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WARNING YOU ALL ALONG ABOUT MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS AND THEY AGGRESSIVE WAY THEY ARE MARKETED.   I RECEIVED NEWLETTERS FROM THE MEDICARE RIGHTS CENTER AND GOT THIS NEW MESSAGE TODAY.  I HAVE TOLD YOU IN THE PAST THAT THE REASON SALESPEOPLE TRY TO ENROLL PEOPLE ON THESE TYPE PLANS, INSTEAD OF WHAT MOST PEOPLE NEED, A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP POLICY AND A STAND ALONE PART D DRUG PLAN, IS THE INCREDIBLY HIGH COMMISSION THEY GET PAID FOR DOING SO!  I HAVE EVEN BEEN THREATENED FOR TELLING YOU THIS BY SOME SALESPEOPLE THAT SELL ADVANTAGE PLANS. 

SOME PEOPLE DO NEED THESE PLANS BECAUSE THEY ARE ON DISABILITY AND CANNOT GET ANY OTHER KIND OF COVERAGE.  OTHERS JUST CANNOT AFFORD THE PREMIUM ON A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP PLAN.  THOSE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WE RECOMMEND TO ENROLL ON THESE PLANS AND THEN WE GO OVER IT AND OVER IT, SO THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF COVERAGE THEY HAVE AND UNDERSTAND THE TERMS OF PAYMENT FROM THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN. 

THERE ARE MANY, MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT NEED MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS!  THAT IS WHY I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY SOME SALESPEOPLE TRY TO GET THOSE THAT DON’T NEED A MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN AND REALLY SHOULD NOT BE ON ONE, FOR THIER BEST COVERAGE OPTION, TO JOIN THESE PLANS.  AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU CAN DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR PEOPLE AND STILL MAKE A LIVING! 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

Asclepios – Your Weekly Medicare Consumer Advocacy Update Medicare Advantage Commissions – October 23, 2008; Volume 8, Issue 43

Recent reports indicate that some of the major national Medicare private health plans are going to pay independent agents $500-plus per year over five years, $2,500 in total—for every new enrollee in their “Medicare Advantage” plans. The new totals are at least double the top commissions typically paid over the last couple of years a period when people with Medicare were regularly victimized by predatory agents looking to make a quick buck. Older adults and people with disabilities were bullied or tricked into Medicare private health plans that no longer allowed them to see their doctors or that stuck them with high out-of-pocket costs when they fell ill.

These new commissions are an attempt by some of the major plans to undermine efforts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to restrain commissions and in particular to eliminate incentives for agents to “churn” move customers from plan to plan just to earn commissions. Many agents believe that these higher commissions actually increase incentives to churn.

CMS should not allow Medicare Advantage plans to pay these commissions. The agency has broad authority, under the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, to establish commission guidelines that create “incentives for agents and brokers to enroll individuals in the Medicare Advantage plan that is intended to best meet their health care needs.”

There should be no incentive to move someone from one Medicare Advantage plan to another just to earn a higher commission.  There should be no incentive to move someone from a Medigap supplemental plan to a Medicare Advantage plan just to earn a higher commission.

With those twin goals in mind, CMS should establish a cap on commissions consistent with existing requirements to pay level commissions over 5 years, starting with the 2009 plan year. The cap should be set at a level that approximates current renewal rates for Medicare Advantage enrollments made in 2007 and 2008. And it should approximate Medigap renewal rates for a healthy 66-year-old, the low-cost consumer that Medicare Advantage plans target for enrollment.  With those parameters, commissions would be capped at well under half the rates Medicare Advantage plans are now proposing to pay

Remember, Medicare Advantage plans are paying these commissions out of subsidies they receive from taxpayers. It is outrageous that any of these subsidies, which are supposed to pay for the health care of older adults and people with disabilities, are diverted to pay commissions to enroll people with Medicare in plans that cost taxpayers more money, $150 billion over the next ten years than it costs to provide care under Original Medicare.

IT WOULD BE TO YOUR ADVANTAGE TO GO TO WWW.MEDICARERIGHTS.COM AND SIGN UP FOR THEIR NEWSLETTERS, SO THAT YOU TOO, CAN BE INFORMED FROM ANOTHER UNBIASED SOURCE FOR YOUR MEDICARE INFORMATION.