As I meet with folks every week, they commonly ask how their health insurance plan covers a particular medical service or medical equipment.
But I am surprised that many folks miss their plan’s extras or free benefits, and they don’t know they have them because they don’t read their plan’s Summary
of Benefits.
For instance, does your Medicare Advantage plan offer dental coverage? How much coverage? Is it a copay or a reimbursement benefit? Is the benefit limited to a certain amount of dental work per year or unlimited as long as you pay a copay? Can you use any dentist, or does it have to be a dentist in the plan network? Some plans only cover a yearly cleaning, while others cover preventative comprehensive coverage. Do you know?
What about free “over-the-counter” (OTC) drug store items? Some plans give you $40, $50, or even $75 per quarter to get OTC items like vitamins, bandaids,
shaving cream, toothpaste, and even medical equipment like walkers, canes, knee or elbow braces. Does your plan offer this benefit? You better “use it or lose it” each quarter, unless your plan lets the quarterly OTC benefit accumulate and spend it before the year’s end. Do you know?
Many Medicare Advantage plans provide an allowance for a pair of glasses or hearing aids. Do you know?
Are you using all the benefits your plan offers… and are the benefits what you expected? Do you, know?
If you’re not sure what’s in your plan or you can’t find your Summary of Benefits, call us! We’ll be happy to send you a link to your Medicare Advantage plan. So you will know!