So here we are again. In a year that has been anything but normal, Medicare Open enrollment period is upon us. Starting Oct. 15th and ending Dec. 7th if you are on a Medicare Advantage (MA) Plan you have the option to make changes to your current carrier. This includes MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug) plans or PDP (Prescription Drug Plan) or MA plans. Your current carrier’s plan is good through Dec. 31st and you should have received an ‘Annual Notice of Change’ (ANOC) letter stating the changes in your plan for 2021. If you have not had any issues with your plan and the changes for 2021 are acceptable to you, you need not do a thing – you will be renewed for the plan year 2021.
Choosing Medicare Options
“However,” states Ben Davis, CSA (Certified Senior Advisor) at Select Pointe, LLC “this is a great time to look at the other options available in your county/area”. He has been in the Medicare arena since 2005 and has seen many changes since MA plans started being sold in the middle Tennessee market. “Drug formularies change, tier co-pays change, co-insurance amounts change, and providers may change”. “It can be a bit overwhelming for the over 65 age group especially for those folks that are new to Medicare”.
There are 3 options when it comes to selecting Medicare plans. Which option is right for you? “That depends, says Davis, and that is why you should seek out professional help to guide you to the best decision as it relates to your current situation”. That is what he and the other agents at Select Pointe, LLC have done since 2012. Do you want to have original Medicare (Parts A, B, and D), or add a Medicare Supplement (also known as Medi-gap), or is a MA/MAPD (parts A, B, C, and D) plan right for you? “We have been helping people for the last 8+ years by asking them questions they didn’t even know to ask and then make a decision based on that information”. Making sure Hospitals, Doctors, and providers accept a MA/MAPD plan is very important.
There are 4 parts to Medicare: Part A is Hospital insurance coverage, Part B is Medical insurance coverage, Part C Medicare Advantage coverage, and Part D is Prescription Drug coverage. The types of Medicare Advantage plans are Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS), and Special Needs Plan (SNP). This information as well as other information can be found in the ‘Medicare & You 2021’ booklet that has just come out.
So if you need help, have questions, or you are just getting started with Medicare coverage give me a call and let’s get the process started.
H. Ben Davis, III CSA Select Pointe, LLC 615-584-4946 ben.davis@selectpointe,com www.selectpointe.com
