In June 2010 there will be a major reorganization of the Medicare supplement plans that are available. Several of the plans are scheduled to be discontinued and there will be a couple of new options. Also a new hospice benefit will be added and the preventative care and at-home recovery benefits will be eliminated.
However, the [...]
Both Coventry and Wellcare announced yesterday that they were not going to renew their private fee for service contracts with Medicare in 2010. They both noted that the combination of reduced payments from Medicare and costs associated with meeting the network requirements in 2011 made this segment unattractive.
However, Coventry indicated they were pleased with the [...]
The Obama administration took a shot at the Medicare advantage program last month by announcing plans to institute a bidding process for the Medicare advantage reimbursement payments. Although the details are very unclear, this process is expected to dramatically cut payments to insures which would ultimately be seen in either higher premiums to beneciaries or [...]
We are rapidly approaching the end of this year’s open enrollment period and we just received some clarification on the enrollment requirements. Most of our Medicare advantage companies are telling us that the forms need to be in our office by March 31st, not just signed by that date. So make sure you plan for mail time [...]
We are fast approaching the end of the open enrollment period for Medicare advantange plans. From January 1 to March 31 Medicare allows you to join switch or drop your Medicare advantage plan provided you met certain requirements.
In general, this means you can’t switch or join a plan with prescription coverage unless you already have a prescription [...]
Medicare insurance is increasingly becoming localized. It used to be Medicare plus a supplement was the only option for seniors and individuals on disability. Because of that, nearly all doctors offices and hospitals used to accept Medicare insurance.
This is no longer the case. With the creation of the Medicare advantage program and the decline in [...]
One of the questions I get all of the time is “What type of plan should I choose, a Medicare advantage plan or Medicare supplement?” This can be a very difficult question to answer.
In general, our clients seem to fall into two categories. Clients who are more concerned about the plans coverage and clients who are [...]
As the Medicare open enrollment is coming to an end. We have some quick obervations to some frequently asked questions.
Medicare part D is getting more complicated not less. Although we had high hopes coming into this sign up season that the number of plans would shrink, this has not been the case. In fact, it has [...]
Since we are coming up on the open enrollment period for Medicare advantage plans, I thought it would be a good idea to quickly review the rules for switching Medicare Part C plans. During November 15th to December 1st, you may switch or enroll for the first time in any Medicare Advantage plan provide you [...]
Although it’s not a surprise, it appears that for 2009 there will be no company that offers coverage for brand name drugs in the coverage gap. There are still several companies that offer coverage for generics in the coverage gap, but generics are usually very inexpensive anyway. The good news is the initial coverage limit [...]
