March 31st is the last day you can change from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan.  After that you are stuck until the Annual Election Period which begins November 15 and ends December 31st of every year.

RED ALERT: If you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan within the past 12 months and do NOT like it, or you feel it does not meet your needs or that you were mislead by a salesperson or company, you can get OFF of the Medicare Advantage Plan within the first 12 months!!!  If you keep it longer…you may not be able to get on a Medicare Supplement because of the underwriting or health questions.   Call us to check on your options!

ORANGE ALERT:  If you are NEW TO MEDICARE and you joined a Medicare Advantage Plan and don’t like it, you are still within your open enrollment period and cannot be turned down because of health issues.  You can get back on Original Medicare which pays 80% of all doctor and hospital costs and take out a Medicare Supplement that pays the other 20%.  With a Medicare Supplement your only expense is your monthly premium.  There are NO co-pays, NO NETWORKS of doctors you must use.  You can go to any doctor or hospital of your choice! If you are NEW TO MEDICARE, PLEASE, PLEASE start out with a Medicare Supplement and Stand Alone Part D Plan.  We can help you!

GREEN ALERT: If you are losing your Retirement Plan Group Coverage and need to know what Medicare Supplement plans have the lowest premium, we also do a comparison of Medicare Supplement plans along with a comparison of the more than 50 different drug plans in your state!  You do NOT want to join a Medicare Advantage Plan!  All the Medicare Supplement plans include the same benefits…a Plan F is a Plan F, no matter what insurance company you buy it from.  The ONLY difference is the price they will charge you.  Why pay more?

The ugly truth of the matter is many Insurance Salespeople will try their best to get you to join a Medicare Advantage Plan because they get paid double the commission to do so!  Don’t fall for it!

So, that is the what’s up about the March Madness of Medicare!  Call our toll free number or go to the form on this page or go to www.MyPartDusa.com and fill out the form to get assistance.

Joke of The Day:  Old Man – Honey, what has happened to our sexual relations?  Old Woman - I don’t know, Dear, we didn’t even get a Christmas card from them this year.

I hope all of you are sticking to your new diets or at least adding supplements to your diets, such as CoQ10 and Fish Oil and drinking lots of green tea.

I lost 50 lbs last year and am going to work on losing a few more by June.  It is hard, but I try to keep motivated by knowing I won’t have to take so many medications and that means SAVING MONEY!!!

One great website to get health info on is www.realage.com

Now, to get down to business of Medicare…..as you know My Part D USA can give you the best service.  Why?  Because we actually do comparisons of drug plans and Medicare Supplements that will give you the coverage you need at the best prices.  Just read the Testimonials.  I get them in from people all over the country everyday.  They are so tired of being confused and not knowing what companies to deal with.  Since we are NOT an insurance company, we do not work for any particular plans and can help YOU find what YOU need, instead of what some insurance agent wants to sell you.

As always, if you have lost your retirement coverage or you are new to Medicare, we can help you any time of year get the plans you need.  Just either fill out the online form or give us a call!  Someone will answer the phone as well!  Many people tell me how nice it is just to hear a human being on the other end instead of all the prompts for #1 if you want to listen to a recording, #2 if you want to leave a message or #3 if you want to pull your hair out!!

Hope you are having a GREAT 2010 so far and we hope to hear from you soon.

JOKE OF THE DAY:  A man goes to his psychiatrist and says “Dr. what should I do, my brother thinks he’s a chicken?”  The doctor says “why don’t you get him committed?”  “I would”, the man says, but I really need the eggs!”

We can give you comparison prices for MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT/MEDIGAP plans to cover the 20% that Medicare Part A & B do not cover.

It is not too late to get your healthcare started January 1, 2010, just fill out the worksheet at www.MyPartDusa.com or call us toll free at 866-752-1795.

If you read the testimonials, on the right hand side of this page and click in the RED BOX to read all of them and there are literally hundreds on the blog, you will see why people come back to us each year for their drug plan comparison and refer people to us, their friends, family when they area turning 65 and need Medicare coverage.

We make sure you get the best coverage AND the lowest premiums.  As you know a Plan F is a Plan F, or a Plan J is a Plan J, no matter which insurance company offers the coverage.  THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS ONE COMPANY WILL CHARGE YOU A HIGHER PREMIUM FOR THE SAME EXACT COVERAGE. That is where we come in to help you choose an “A” rated company while still getting the lowest premiums!

Our Consultants are NOT like a call center. They actually CARE about you.  It may sound too good to be true, but we are small enough to still care.  Even though we help thousands of people each year, we are not like those big companies that hire anybody that can fog a mirror to assist you with this most important decision.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:   It’s alright to be Goliath, but always treat people and act like David!

This is a word I hear hundreds of times a day this time of year.

You can use our free online comparison at www.MyPartDusa.com

We hope all of you are enjoying the Holiday Season and/or having a Merry Christmas….whatever this time of year means to you.  It is Merry Christmas to me!

I do wish the government would not have had the Annual Election Period right in the middle of the Holiday Season…wonder why they did that?  I can just hear that conversation….if we do it during the most busy time of year for everyone….maybe they won’t have time to figure out all these crazy plans!  HA!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  If you are not confused, you just don’t know what is going on.

This is a special program for people with limited income and assets where:

1. Medicare would help pay the premium.

2. Your co-pays would range from $2 to $7 on your most expensive meds

3. You Wouldn NOT Have a Donut Hole

Qualifications Income Assets

Single                           $16,245 annually          $11,990

Married                        $21,855 annually          $23,970

(the limits are higher if you have other people living in your home)

You can go online at Social Security to  complete the online application at:

https://s044a90.ssa.gov/apps6z/i1020/main.html OR you can call or visit your local Social Security Office and tell them you want to apply for Medicare Part D Limited Income Subsidy Program

Thanks again for visiting our site, MyPartDusa.com, and working with us.  Make sure you return every year to do a drug plan comparison as Part D drug plans change every year. 

Have a Happy Holiday Season!

• What do you have to help you with your doctors and hospitals?

In some states, a Medicare Supplement may not be available to you based on the affordability, your eligibility, or your existing health conditions may prevent you from getting through underwriting.

You still need good affordable, quality health insurance, and a Medicare Advantage Plan may be best for you.  The only health condition that would prevent you from obtaining this valuable coverage is ESRD. (end-stage renal disease)

There are many different types of Medicare Advantage Plans, some would include your drugs, dental, and vision benefits.  For more information, please call the Medicare Advantage Plan enrollment center to talk with someone about all your options.

866-752-1795 – Advantage Plans

Please visit MyPartDusa.com for your Medicare Drug Plan Comparison.  We hope you find it helpful in making an informed decision for your 2010 drug plan selection.

As you all know our policy is that the best coverage is a Medicare/Medigap Supplement and stand alone drug plan.  However, for people on disability or who absolutely cannot afford the premium on these plans or they do not have a Supplement for disability available in their state…a Medicare Advantage Plan is the only option.

Go to:  www.EasyDrugCard.com

Pass this on to your friends by clicking on the “send to a friend” link below!

DO YOU KNOW WHAT I GOT?

Medicare Advantage Plan Information

Please beware….these companies will try absolutely anything to get you on a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Please read my other blogs in the catagory section on the left hand side of this blog under “Medicare Advantage Plans” about why you should not consider this option.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: When you are arguing with a fool, make sure he isn’t doing the same thing.

This particular company actually had huge pieces of Swiss cheese to help us understand the “holes” in Medicare. The first piece of cheese had lots of holes in it showing what Original Medicare does not cover.  The second piece of cheese had less holes when you purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan, and the third piece of Swiss cheese only had one hole left for Part D drug coverage.  They were trying to help you understand that if you get their Medicare Advantage Plan that you will have NO HOLES IN YOUR MEDICARE PIECE OF CHEESE.

I WILL GIVE YOU A FEW MOMENTS TO STOP LAUGHING!

#1 – Original Medicare Parts A & B pay 80% of your doctor and hospital costs.  If you get a Medicare Supplement this covers the other 20%.

#2 - If you get a Medicare Part D drug plan comparison and choose a stand alone Part D plan you will have no more holes in your cheese.

The 2 options above are the only 2 things you need to have the best, most comprehensive, choice oriented coverage the Medicare system has to offer.

When you join a Medicare Advantage Plan you have no network of doctors or hospitals that may or may not take the coverage.  They aslo try to intice you with gym memberships, wellness care, dental care…etc….But, folks, THESE ARE JUST TEASER OPTIONS.  The actual benefits are not worth the risk you take in joining Medicare Advantage plans…….UNLESS

#1. You cannot afford the premium on a Medicare Supplement/Medigap plan

#2. You are disabled and there is no Medicare Supplement offered in your state or you cannot afford the premiums.

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE SMELL OF AN INSURANCE COMPANY CUTTING THE CHEESE ON YOU!

I am still getting many questions about this subject.  I called Medicare myself and was told that there is NO law that requires you to file a claim on any kind of insurance plan.   If you have a fender bender and decide to pay for the repairs yourself, is that against the law?  NO!

Part D is insurance for your drugs.  It is totally up to you whether or not you want to file a claim for any purchase of any medications.

If a pharmacy tells you they have to file a claim:

1. They are telling a lie in order to receive a higher re-embursement from the government.

2. Report them to Medicare at 800-633-4227 and issue a formal complaint against them.

Some people find it easier to go to one drug store for their generics, and another for their brands.  At the generic store, do not give them your Part D Plan card or your Social Security number.  All they need to process your prescription is your date of birth, phone number and address.

Then make them show you that they did not file a claim.  It should be located on your prescription receipt if it says CASH, or the name or ID number of your Part D Plan.  Also, check your statement from your drug plan like it was your bank statement monthly and make sure that no generics were charged.

Please read the other blogs under “drug savings tips” on the left side under categories to learn more!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: LIVING WELL IS THE BEST REVENGE!