Seniors should check to make sure they’re not spending more money than necessary on their Medicare plan before the current open enrollment period ends, Long Island-based experts say.
Medicare open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec 7, but because the issue of so complicated and there are many new changes, seniors would be wise to review their plans before the window closes.
“I hope they at least check their plan and see if they have the right options,” said Gracemarie Horan-Luce, CEO of Port Jefferson-based Senior Health Plan Specialists, a company that guides seniors in New York, New Jersey, and Florida through the process. “My tag line is, ‘Are you Medicareless?’ Some people go in once and they don’t check. Some people spend a lot of money that they don’t have to.”
Trained counselors are also offered for free by local government officials this time of year to assist Medicare enrollees in reviewing their coverage to make informed decisions.
“People don’t realize how much they need us,” Horan-Luce said. “Whether you’re a kid or your a recipient — a person 65 and older — it’s very confusing and complex. It is a process that you have to plan for.
“Your whole life, everyone’s chosen your insurance and now that your a senior … there’s 30 options — 10 supplements, 29 drug plans, and 30 managed cares,” she continued. “And a husband and wife are on separate plans, because you’re an individual now. … I know where to put you and guide you, but for someone it’s overwhelming not to be with your spouse that you’ve been married to for 50 years. But it goes by your health, so … if someone’s sick, the other doesn’t have to pay extra.”
For more information, visit seniorhealthplanspecialists.com or contact the Nassau or Suffolk Office of the Aging to find out when a seminar is happening near you.
