40 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • NOVEMBER 15, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Medicare Open Enrollment 101
Know your options
where you live. To fi nd available health
and get free help
or drug plans, you can look in your 2019
As autumn progresses, it’s important to
Medicare & You handbook or visit medicare.
keep your health in mind. Medicare’s fall
gov. If you’re unsure where to start,
open enrollment period is the time for you
your local State Health Insurance Assistance
to review your plan options and make any
Program (SHIP) can help.
changes to your Medicare coverage.
SHIPs off er free one-on-one assistance
Maybe you have a new prescription that
year-round to Medicare-eligible benefi
is not covered by your current drug plan or
ciaries, their families and caregivers.
you have a new health condition. To ensure
Trained counselors in your area can help
you get the most from Medicare in 2019,
you understand Medicare benefi ts and
you should research your health and drug
the enrollment process. Assistance is personalized,
plan options during Medicare open enrollment.
so SHIP counselors can help
you fi nd available options that best meet
Open enrollment closes Dec. 7. Changes
your unique needs.
made during this time will take eff ect on
The program - funded by the
Jan. 1, 2019.
Administration for Community Living,
During open enrollment, you can adjust
part of the U.S. Department of Health
your Medicare health or drug coverage:
and Human Services - provides services
• Change from Original Medicare to a
in every state as well as in the District of
Medicare Advantage Plan or vice versa
Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the
• Switch between Medicare Advantage
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Plans
Don’t wait until the last minute. Take
• Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
care of your health now and fi nd your SHIP
• Switch your current drug plan
at shiptacenter.org, or contact Medicare
• Drop Medicare prescription drug coverage
directly at 1-800-633-4227 or medicare.gov.
TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
Your Medicare plan options depend on
Courtesy Family Features Photo courtesy of Getty Images
5 Medicare mistakes that could cost you
You have a lot of choices when it comes
to Medicare. And the most important
might be choosing to take charge of your
Medicare decisions in the fi rst place.
Medicare Annual Enrollment, which
runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, is your
chance to take charge. Here are fi ve common
mistakes that you don’t want to
make during this time.
1. Allowing automatic
plan renewal to make
your choice for you
Your Medicare Part D or Medicare
Advantage plan renews every year on Jan.
1, unless you decide to change it.
Automatic renewal may be easy, but
it might not be the best way to make
your Medicare decisions. Plans may
change what they cover from year to
year, including what you will pay in
deductible, premium, copay or coinsurance
amounts.
Insurance companies review their plans
each year to make sure they’re still viable.
Shouldn’t you do the same?
2. Ignoring your plan’s Annual
Notice of Changes (ANOC)
Each fall, you receive an Annual Notice
of Changes (ANOC) from your Medicare
Part D or Medicare Advantage plan. (It
should have already hit your mailbox.)
Th is document explains any changes in
your plan benefi ts or costs for the upcoming
year. Th e changes may aff ect your
health care and your budget, so take time
to learn about what to look for in your
ANOC.
3. Basing your plan choice
on the premium alone
It’s easy to focus only on premiums
when looking at Medicare costs. But it’s
important to look at the big picture, too.
A plan with a $0 or low monthly premium
may charge a large medical or prescription
drug deductible or have high
copayments. You might prefer this if you
rarely go to the doctor and don’t take
many medications. But a plan like this
could be expensive if you use health care
services oft en, even with the low premium.
It’s important to think about all the outof
pocket costs as well as your health care
needs when choosing a plan. For example,
many Medicare Advantage plans
off er routine vision, hearing and dental
coverage, and certain plans also provide
fi tness membership benefi ts at no additional
cost.
4. Picking a plan because
your spouse or friend has it
You might count on a friend’s word
when deciding what new restaurant to
try, but a Medicare plan is a personal
choice. What works for one person may
not fi t the needs of another.
You may have several plans to choose
from, so it’s smart to look at all your
options, keeping your health care needs
and budget in mind. Coverage and costs
can vary quite a bit from plan to plan.
5. Assuming you don’t qualify
for help with Medicare costs
Several programs off er fi nancial assistance
with Medicare premiums and other
costs. You may want to investigate them,
even if you think you might not be eligible.
Call your State Health Insurance
Assistance Program (SHIP) offi ce to discuss
your situation.
Take charge today
Medicare Annual Enrollment exists so
that you have a chance to change your
Medicare coverage if you decide to. Take
the opportunity to review your current
coverage and health needs so you can
make an informed decision.
For more helpful information on
Medicare Annual Enrollment, visit
UHCOpenEnrollment.com.
Courtesy BPT
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