MEDICARE CORNER
DON’T WAIT
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you receive Health Care
Coverage through the following
Agencies do not make any changes
before contacting them
• Department of Defense
(TRICARE)
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• Federal Health Employee Health
Benefits Program (FEHB)
• Railroad Retirement Benefits
(RRB)
• New York City Office of Labor
Relations
• SUNY
• Employee Retiree Health
Reminder
REMINDER
You may be able to make changes
in how you receive your Health
Care Coverage and Prescription
Drug Coverage during the General
Open Enrollment, October thru
December 2018.
REMEMBER if you are satisfied
with your current health care coverage
you don’t need to make any
changes.
Previously discussed options for
types of coverage included:
Medicare Advantage Plans
and Original Medicare. Original
Medicare is Federally Managed
Health Care Coverage.
You may choose coverage
through a Medicare Supplement
Insurance Policy (Medigap).
If you choose Original Medicare,
it’s important to note it generally
covers only 80% of what Medicare
approves. The Medicare Beneficiary
is responsible for the 20% coinsurance,
copayments and/or deductible.
Many Medicare Beneficiaries
with Original Medicare, to offset
the 20% Medicare does not cover,
select a Mediga Insurance Policy
sometimes referred to as Medicare
Supplement Insurance Policy.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
TO KNOW ABOUT MEDICARE
SUPPLEMENT INSURANCE
POLICIES (MEDIGAP)
• Medigap Insurance Policies are
private plans, providing coverage
through private insurance
companies
• Medigap Insurance Policies
are sold by private insurance
companies
• Medigap Insurance is not part of
Medicare or any Federally funded
insurance
• Medigap Insurance Policies
are not Medicare Advantage
Plans (MA)
• It is illegal for a Medigap
Insurance Company to sell you
a Medigap Insurance Policy if
they know you have a MA Plan
in effect
• You must have Medicare Part A
and B
• Most Beneficiaries enrolled in a
Medigap Insurance Plan add a
Prescription Drug Plan (Part D)
• You will pay a monthly premium
for the Medigap Insurance Policy
and the Part D Plan. This is in
addition to the monthly Medicare
Part B Premium
• Medigap Insurance Policies are
guaranteed renewable, regardless
of your health for as long as you
pay the monthly premium.
EXCEPTION: CHANGES IN
MEDIGAP PLANS C AND F IN
2020
• Some Medigap Insurance Policies
have a pre-existing wait period,
during which the Medigap
Insurance Policy will not cover
the pre-existing condition
• Medigap Insurance Policies are
licensed by the State
• Medigap Plans are not Medicare
Insurance Policies
MEDIGAP PLANS ARE
STANDARDIZED BY THE STATE
NOTE: Massachusetts, Minnesota
and Wisconsin have a different
way of standardizing Medigap
Insurance Plans. In all other States,
Medigap Standardized Plans offer
the same benefits and are identified
by letters A through D, F through
G, and K through N.
See page 80 in the “Medicare
and You” Handbook (NYC)—the
page may be different in the Florida
“Medicare and You” Handbook—
for a comparison chart showing
standard benefits covered by
Medigap Insurance Plans.
If you are under age 65, the
Federal Government generally does
not require Medigap Insurance
Companies to sell you an Insurance
Policy.
CHANGES IN MEDIGAP
INSURANCE PLANS IN 2020
Medicare ACCESS and CHIP
Reauthorization Act of 2015
(MACRA), signed into law in April
2015, made changes in Federal
Health Care coverage. These changes
include Medigap Plans F and C.
As per Congress, to reduce
Government spending on Medicare
all persons should pay for their Part
B Premiums. Thus, Plans C and F
will no longer be sold as of 2020. If
you are already enrolled in Medigap
Plan C or Plan F, as of December 31,
2019, you will be grandfathered in
and may be able to keep your plan.
If enrolling in a Medigap Plan
in 2020, consider Plan G, which
is similar in coverage to Plans C
and F.
WHERE TO GET ONE ON ONE
FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL
ASSISTANCE
SHIP Counselors are available
9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday thru Friday
except for legal holidays.
New York City Residents:
Contact New York City State
Health Information (SHIP)
Counselors by dialing 311 and ask
for Medicare Counseling
North Shore Towers Florida
Snow Birds:
Contact Florida State Health
Information (SHIP) Counselors
at 1-800-963-5337
The Time for Change is Near!
2018
September ¢COURIER THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO MAKE THE NORTH SHORE
TOWERS 2018 ART EXHIBITION A HUGE SUCCESS!
Our Gratitude extends to many:
TOWERS • Bob Ricken and his Special Projects Committee
• The Management Team—Glen Kotowski, Bruce Vogel, Barbara Cronin
• The irreplaceable Mary Anne Langone and her Assistant, Jessica Buffolino
• Our ever-diligent Maintenance and Security team
SHORE • Stephen Vrattos, for months of ads, making deadlines and support
• John Virga, for always being available so our Artists shine this
special day!
NORTH • To our many volunteer escorts who greeted our artists and helped them set up
• To our incredibly talented artists who continue to inspire us all!
Warm regards,
Art Show Committee (l. to r.) Karen Perry, Lynda & Morty
28 Karen Perry, Julie Weissman, Lynda & Morty Schwartz, and Sylvia Landau
Schwartz, Sylvia Landau, Bob Ricken and Julie Weissman