Are you happy with your current Medicare plan?  Perhaps your healthcare needs have changed during the past year, or you’re just curious to see what’s out there.  Or maybe you’re planning to enroll in Medicare for the first time.

The annual enrollment period for Medicare Advantage plans is fast approaching.  From November 15 to December 31 each year, if you’re eligible for Medicare, you can enroll in or change to a different Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Part D (prescription coverage) plan.

While it’s true that Medicare Advantage plan providers do not release details on plan changes until October – by law, they cannot release the information before October 1, and must make it available by October 31 – you can prepare now to be in a good position for decision-making when October rolls around. 

Focus on what’s important to you.  Is it how much you pay in premiums, or how much you spend in total, premiums and co-pays combined?  It is the drug benefit?  Are you out of town often and need insurance that travels with you? 

“Depending on what’s important to you – and that can be different from your neighbor and even your spouse – that will help define which product and which company suits your individual needs,” said Karen Wintringham, Vice President of Medicare and Public Sector Programs for Health Alliance Plan.  “It’s about understanding what is most important to you.  It really helps to organize your thinking so you’re prepared to either talk to the health plans or go to their Medicare workshops and make sure your questions are answered.”

Wintringham suggests thinking about the follow list when choosing a healthcare plan.  What is important to you?  What would you like to have and at what cost? What’s already covered through employer-sponsored or other insurance?

• Prescription drug coverage
• Network of doctors and hospitals
• Personal care physician
• Ease of access to specialists
• Low/no copays
• Inpatient coverage
• Preventive care benefits
• Vision care and eyeglasses
• Hearing aids
• Health and wellness programs, such as fitness benefits
• Dental benefits
• Worldwide emergency care coverage

Write down what you must have in a plan, what you’d like to have, and what is less important to you.  Once you’ve honed in on what really matters to you, you’ll be prepared for the next stage: comparing plan benefits when they’re released in October. 

To request a free copy of HAP’s educational brochure, “Making Sense of Medicare,” call (800) 501-6771. TDD (313) 664-8000.

Additional Resources:

Medicare – Official U.S. Government Web site:
www.medicare.gov

Medicare Rights Center:
http://www.medicarerights.org/

Medicare Interactive Counselor:
http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor

Center for Medicare Advocacy:
http://www.medicareadvocacy.org/default.htm

Medicare & You 2008 – Official government handbook
Click here to download (.pdf format)