By Jose Juarez, Guest columnist
Each year, Medicare’s annual election period is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. This is the time frame that I encourage anyone on a Medicare plan to do a plan comparison so you can decide if it’s beneficial for you to change your Medicare plans based on your needs for the upcoming year. Medicare consists of four parts:
- Part A: Partial coverage for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice and home care.
- Part B: Partial coverage for doctor visits, surgery, lab tests, medical equipment and preventiveexams.
- Part C: Medicare Advantage, which is offered by private insurance companies and provides thebenefits of Parts A and B, often including Part D.
- Part D: Help with the cost of prescription drugs not covered by Original Medicare.
The important thing to keep in mind here is those enrolled in Medicare are only getting partial coverage.I tell anyone who is planning on a joint replacement surgery or any other planned hospitalization, or has achronic condition that requires daily medication to look at Medicare Advantage to supplement theircoverage.
Medicare Advantage has a proven track record of reducing costs and improving care as an effective public-private partnership between health insurers and the government – for a fair price and with extended benefits. According to Better Medicare Alliance’s State of Medicare Advantage July 2022 report, enrollment more than doubled between 2011 and 2021. Medicare Advantage offerings include:
- No monthly premium other than Part B premium.
- Maximum out-of-pocket expenses under $1,000 for many plans.
- Part D prescription drug plan included at no additional cost.
- $0 co-pays for Primary Care Physician and Specialist visits.
- Some offer a significant discount on inpatient stay.
- Some offer a significant discount on outpatient procedures, including imaging studies.
- Some offer basic dental, hearing, and vision benefits at no additional cost.
- Some offer free transportation for medical…
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