The past several years have seen a lot of changes in the medical and health insurance industries. Most people with employer funded health insurance plans have experienced changes to coverage as well as increases to premiums.
While Medicare insurance coverage has not been as volatile as the private sector insurance, there are some big changes in store for 2011/2012 that affect every person enrolled for Medicare coverage.
Upcoming Changes for Medicare
While Medicare Part A and Part B benefits are standard for all those who qualify for coverage, many variables come into play in Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans. Choosing a supplementary insurance plan for Medicare can be very confusing. Particularly with Medicare Advantage plans where the insurance carriers renew their contracts every year, just as with private insurance, the coverage and benefits can change year to year.
Checking Your Medicare Plan
Conventional wisdom recommends reviewing your insurance coverage once every five years or sooner if you have had a major life change. However, in the case of health insurance where the landscape changes so dramatically, it is a good idea to review your coverage and compare other offerings every year prior to renewal. Not only may coverage and benefits of a particular plan from an insurance carrier change, but physicians may change which plans they accept.
Free Consultation for Coverage Review
In the case of Medicare insurance plans, other than the initial enrollment period, there is only a specific window of time when changes can be made to your policy. The 2011 enrollment period has been moved up a month from previous years and the 2011 dates are October 15 through December 7th.
If you or a loved one are currently enrolled in a Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan, please contact me for a free consultation and review of your current coverage with no obligation.
