10-12-2022 PTL - Flipbook - Page 23
A Special Advertising Section of Baltimore Sun Media Group | Wednesday, October 12, 2022 23
Medicare, continued
from previous page
since January 2020, Medicare Supplements
no longer cover the Part B deductible. You can
find a link on the Medicare.gov website to see
which insurance companies offer policies –
and which policies – in your area.”
At any time, you can contact your State
Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP:
www.shiphelp.org) for additional help. As it
says on its website, “State Health Insurance
Assistance Programs help you navigate the
complexities of Medicare.” In Maryland, SHIP
is part of the Maryland Department of Aging:
1-800-243-3425.
Medigap policies are identified as follows:
Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D, Plan F, High
Deductible Plan F, Plan G, High Deductible
Plan G, Plan K, Plan L, Plan M, and Plan N.
They are completely separate from Medicare
Parts A, B, and D.
“You should buy a Medigap policy during
your six-month Open Enrollment period as
no insurance company can turn you down for
any pre-existing health conditions,” explains
Jacobson. “You’ll also get better pricing at
that time. If, later, you want to change policies,
there is no special time – no open enrollment
period – for you to do this. You will have to go
through medical underwriting and be accept-
ed, so if you have any health problem(s), that
may cause you to be rejected.”
Medicare Advantage
Medicare.gov describes a Medicare
Advantage plan as “A type of Medicare health
plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare. Medicare Advantage
Plans provide all of your Part A and Part B benefits, with a few exclusions, for example, certain aspects of clinical trials which are covered
by Original Medicare even though you’re still in
the plan. Medicare Advantage Plans include:
• Health Maintenance Organizations
• Preferred Provider Organizations
• Private Fee-for-Service Plans
• Special Needs Plans”
“Most of these plans include Part D,”
Jacobson says. “Often, they will require you
to use providers in its network and will have
a limit on your out-of-pockets expenses, but
these copays can be expensive until you reach
the cap. They may dictate where you can
go for non-emergency treatments, like which
hospitals or facilities. You may need a referral
to see a specialist. Be aware that the rules can
change every year. Make sure you understand
all the requirements of participation in the plan
before you enroll.”
As with Part D plans, Medicare Advantage
plans have an Open Enrollment Period that
runs from October 15 through December 7
each year.
Maryland’s SHIP, State Health Insurance
Assistance Program, has a detailed downloadable post about the differences when
you consider selecting a Medicare Advantage
Plan versus Original Medicare and a Part D
Plan: www.shiphelp.org/about-medicare/blog/
original-medicare-vs-medicare-advantage. It’s
worth reviewing these differences based on
your lifestyle along with asking questions
about your costs, out-of-pocket expenses, innetwork versus out-of-network cost differences, if a drug plan is included, and extra benefits
and what they add to your monthly cost.
Maryland’s SHIP handout also has an
alert to “be aware of marketing violations and
enrollment fraud.” If you encounter any deceptive marketing practices, “you should report
these red flags to your Senior Medicare Patrol
(SMP). SMPs empower and assist Medicare
beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers to prevent, detect, and report Medicare
fraud, errors, and abuse.” If this occurs, “you
may be able to change your plan by calling
1-800-MEDICARE.” SHIP can also help. Given
the ubiquity of advertisements for Medicare
Advantage Plans, make sure you understand
what is involved.
Finding a Medigap Agent
The National Association of Health
Underwriters, http://nahu.org/, has a search
function at the very top: Find an Agent. You can
skip right down to Practice Area(s) and click
Medicare. Scroll further down to “Certified to
Sell Health Insurance Exchange Marketplace
Coverage” and click on Maryland (or the state
where you live). You’ll get a list of agents who
specialize in Medicare-related policies.
“Medigap and Medicare-related policies,”
Jacobson says, “are very complicated. There
are new regulations that have passed recently.
One will eliminate out-of-pocket costs for vaccinations like the Shingles vaccine in 2023,
which will allow more seniors to get vaccinated. Other changes will take effect in two to
three years. It helps when you have someone
who knows the ins and outs of what is available and has your best interest in mind.”
The bottom line is that there’s a comfort in
knowing that as you age, your health is covered. Medicare does exactly that.
Proudly serving the Annapolis
community for 160 years.
Since 1862, our commitment to providing personal, compassionate
care to every family we serve remains strong. We’ve had the
privilege of helping families leave a lasting legacy with attention to
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Call or visit us for more information as we celebrate
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FUNERAL HOME
147 Duke of Gloucester St. | Annapolis, MD 21401
JohnMTaylorFuneralHome.com | 410-263-4422
Licensed funeral establishment in the State of Maryland.