Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider.
Start thinking about next year's coverage before the annual enrollment window begins. Insurers will usually preview their offerings or let customers know about any big changes. That makes anything arriving in the mail from your insurer important to read.
Insurance agents say many people wait until after Thanksgiving to decide coverage plans for the new year. That could be a mistake this year: The holiday falls on Nov. 28, leaving slightly more than a week to decide before the enrollment window closes.
Many Medicare Advantage plans promote a $0 premium. That may sound attractive, but price is only one variable to consider.
Plans offer many supplemental benefits, including help paying food or utility bills. Don't let those distract from understanding the core coverage, said Danielle Roberts, co-founder of the Fort Worth, Texas, insurance agency Boomer Benefits.
The federal government operates a plan finder that lets people compare options. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program can be another resource. Insurance brokers or agents also guide customers through searches.
Sometimes a plan's coverage doesn't work as expected. If that happens, there's another enrollment window in the first three-months of each year where some shoppers may be able to make a change.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
No comments:
Post a Comment