If you’ve been our client, you know that each year during Medicare’s Annual Election Period (AEP) we contact all of our clients via email or phone call. We get this opportunity each year from October 15th through December 7th to shop and select a new plan that starts January 1st of the new year.
Often folks will say “I have a plan I like, so why do I need to change”? Here is a success story explaining the reason why you check your plan every year.
Traci was age 70 and a referral from her friend, Sybil, who was our client. Traci was complaining that her every-six-month infusion was costing her $4000.00. Sybil urged her to call us at American Retirement Advisors to assist her in researching her infusion kit. When she called, I asked her “why are you buying your infusion kit”? She let me know that she is a retired nurse and can perform the infusion herself. “I don’t need a doctor to do the infusion” she proudly exclaimed. I informed her, that if she went to an outpatient facility for the infusion, Medicare and her Medigap Plan G would cover the cost of her infusion at no cost to her. “Nobody ever told me that”! she exclaimed. We then researched her Part D drug plan to ensure her other prescriptions were covered appropriately and found she was overpaying co-pays on the plan that her Agent signed her up for when she first initially enrolled in Medicare years ago. “Why didn’t my Agent tell me there were other plans”? I let her know that an Agent works for one Carrier and it’s their job to sell that one plan. When dealing with our Certified Medicare Planners®, we research all the plans to ensure our clients are enrolled in the most appropriate and cost-effective plan in their market.
Point is that all these Medicare Part D drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans can change their premiums, deductibles, and copays every year. Doctors and hospitals can change their networks every year. Wouldn’t you like the comfort of knowing you are on the most appropriate plan for you for next year? Wouldn’t it be
nice to have a little Medicare Angel sitting on your shoulder checking your options and answering the question of should you stay, or should you switch?