MEDICARE CORNER UNDERSTANDING MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS BY ELAINE SANDBERG When Mah-Jongg was introduced from China to the U.S. in the ’20s, the game was basically a simplified version of Chinese Mah-Jongg. Different regions of China had different versions— Northern Chinese vs. Southern Chinese vs. Hong Kong. In the ’20s and ’30s, as Mah-Jongg grew in popularity, so, too, did the number of “experts.” There were innumerable books written about how to play Mah-Jongg—all different, reflecting the conflicting rules of Chinese Mah-Jongg. Alas, playing couldn’t have been much fun and it is speculated that the lack of harmony is one of the reasons men stopped playing the game, even as the women persisted. Enter the ladies of the National Mah-Jongg League, who brought stability, simplicity and standardization to the game. The League introduced the card, the Charleston (so called to mimic the dance-craze of the era), did away with scoring and proscribed the rules of Mah-Jongg. They have persisted, with a few changes, since 1937, when the National Mah-Jongg League was created. Now everyone, everywhere plays by the same rules. With no arguments. Well, almost… One of the areas of contention is “Table” rules, made up rules which vary from the “official” rules of the League. The “hot Wall” is not mentioned by the NMJL. When you play “hot Wall,” if the discarder of the Mah-Jongg tile is thrown while picking from the hot Wall, it results in a penalty to the discarder of paying the winner four times the value required. Some play if a double is rolled on the dice, everyone pays double the amount required to the winner, but the discarder of the Mah-Jongg tile pays four times the amount. The rationale for the hot Wall or “doubles” is to make the game more exciting and challenging, because the penalties for discarding the Mah-Jongg tile are more severe and the players need to be more circumspect and wary of discarding a Mah-Jongg tile. Even so, financial insolvency is not a usual consequence of a mistake in American Mah-Jongg. There are rules about the Wall—using the last two in each Wall as a “tail” placed in the middle of the table, placing a Joker, face up, at the end of East’s Wall. The Charleston’s “mush” allows players an additional exchange of tiles after the final Courtesy. Most table rules are benign. But there is one which is open to some serious cheating. Who would cheat at Mah-Jongg?! Don’t be fooled— there are people who are obsessed with winning and they do cheat. This one is easy. East does not roll the dice to break the Wall and the game starts by picking tiles from the Wall, as built. The reasoning behind this table rule is that rolling the dice, breaking the Wall, etc., is a bother. But if East is one of these obsessive players, it’s not difficult to make sure Jokers are part of the first four tiles he/ she picks from the Wall. It’s been done. While the mixing of tiles from a previous game is going on and players are chatting, the East player can easily palm a couple of Jokers and be sure to position them to his/her advantage. This is one table rule I definitely oppose and will not play in a game, if the Wall isn’t broken by a roll of the dice. There is no doubt some table rules make the game more challenging. Others don’t seem to provide any great excitement. There are many more. But for a “purist”, like me, I’ll stick to the REAL rules. Whichever way you play, MAY THE TILES BE WITH YOU! Reprinted courtesy of the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles and Elaine Sandberg. Elaine is a mah-jongg instructor, who has taught the game for Holland American Cruise Lines and at American Jewish University, and the author of “A Beginner’s Guide to American Mah-Jongg: How to Play the Game and Win” (Tuttle, $14.95). NOTE: If you have retiree health coverage, to avoid being dropped from your health and prescription drug coverage, speak with your Health Benefits Administrator or Union before making any changes in your health or prescription drug plan. Your cost sharing and coverage may be different if you have retiree health coverage and you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. There are basically two ways to get Medicare Coverage. One way to get coverage is through Original Medicare. Or you may choose Medicare Advantage (MA), which is sometimes referred to as Part C. M e d i c a re Advantage Disenrollment period is January 1st through February 14. The change will become effective March 1st. During this period, you may disenroll from the plans prescription drug plan (Part D) and enroll in a stand-alone prescription drug plan (Part D). Do not disenroll directly from your MA Plan. Enrollment in a standalone Part D will automatically disenroll you from your MA Plan. Medicare Advantage Plans includes Part A and B. Coverage is provided through private companies approved by Medicare. If you are enrolled in a MA Plan you cannot be sold a Medigap Plan. Depending on the MA Plan, some or all the following may apply: • You may be required to see doctors or providers in the plan or pay more • The plan may have monthly premiums, copays/coinsurance, deductibles and other cost sharing • Cost sharing and coverage varies by MA Plan • Some MA Plans offer extra coverage, such as dental, vision, hearing, Part D, non-emergency care coverage, etc. Plan costs and coverage may change each year. Review the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) and Evidence of Coverage (EOC) provided by MA Plans. Information regarding changes in your plans coverage and cost sharing can be found in the ANOC and EOC. This information is helpful when making decisions about keeping or changing your MA Plan. Descriptions and lists of types of MA Plans begin on page 128 of the “Medicare and You 2017” handbook. Refer to pages 126 through 127 to understand how to read each of the plans charts. NEXT MEDICARE CORNER: Learn how to avoid being a victim of Medicare fraud. “TABLE” RULES 20 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ February 2017
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