Dec 03, 2022 By Susan Kelly
People 65 and up are eligible for Medicare, the federal government's health insurance program. Medicare Advantage is an alternative to traditional Medicare that provides all the same coverage as Original Medicare, plus sometimes additional advantages like reduced out-of-pocket expenses for dental and vision care.
Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to Original Medicare that may be less expensive and provide more comprehensive coverage. However, they limit your options for medical treatment because you must use only doctors and hospitals in the plan's network. Evaluate your choices to find the strategy that best meets your requirements.
Health Alliance, Inc., Aetna Medicare HealthPartners UnityPoint Health, Humana, Medica, Medical Associates Health Plans, MediGold, Quartz Medicare Advantage, UnitedHealthcare, and Wellmark Advantage Health Plan
Consider these guidelines when you shop for a Medicare Advantage plan that fits your needs. Always remember that the fall annual open enrollment period allows you to switch plans if your requirements change.
Carefully consider whether plans include your current physician's practice so that you can continue seeing them.
According to a survey conducted in 2017, only 10% of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in the Medicare drug coverage plan that provided the most affordable coverage for their prescription medicines. By making the transition, they could have saved $541 on average for the next year.
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans are rated on a scale from one to five stars by the Medicare star rating system. Plans are evaluated on their ability to maintain a healthy membership, their responsiveness to members' requirements, the quality of their customer service, and how they handle member complaints. A plan can get a maximum of five stars and a minimum of one.
Alternatives to traditional Medicare are Medicare Advantage plans. Identical to Medicare Parts A and B, these plans give coverage for hospitalizations and doctor's visits through commercial insurance providers. However, they might also pay for things like drugs and visits to the doctor. Additional advantages, including dental, vision, hearing, short-term rehabilitation, ambulance services, and so on, may also be included.
The federally run Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services assigns star ratings to Medicare Advantage programs (CMS). The quality of treatment, the handling of chronic illnesses, and the responsiveness of customer support are just a few of the metrics by which plans are rated, along with many more. U.S. News' ratings can be found on the individual plan details pages.
Anyone over 65 in Iowa can sign up for the original Medicare program (parts A & B). In light of original Medicare's lack of prescription drug coverage, it is strongly advised that anyone enrolling in Medicare do so in conjunction with a separate prescription drug plan (Part D).
The Medicare enrollment period begins three months before the 65th birthday and continues for another three months afterward. Medicare recipients have the opportunity to examine, customize, or switch plans every year during the period beginning October 15 and ending December 7. Medicare recipients can do the following during the annual fall open enrollment period: • Switch between Medicare Advantage and original Medicare (parts A and B).
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