By Barry Klitsberg
It’s open enrollment time for Medicare beneficiaries. This means that from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, people enrolled in Medicare have the opportunity to change their current Medicare drug plan or their Medicare Advantage plan.
Navigating Medicare and choosing a plan that best meets your needs can be tricky. Our health care needs change over time, so you should carefully consider your foreseeable health care needs each year. A plan that worked previously may not be the best choice going forward.
Medicare is a federally run health insurance program for people who are 65 years of age or have collected Social Security Disability for 24 months. It is also available for individuals with permanent kidney failure or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
If you are not yet collecting Social Security, you have to apply for Medicare during the three month period before your 65th birthday. Upon turning 65 you are eligible for coverage and can choose a plan to cover your needs. For people already enrolled in Medicare, the ability to change their existing plan is generally limited to the Open Enrollment period.
As we head into the Medicare open enrollment season, it is important for people to read mail from their current health plans to see if there are any changes that might impact them for 2024. You should have this notice by Oct. 1. Plans frequently change their premiums, co-pays, deductibles and formularies.
Providers may leave or be added to a plan’s network. It is important to keep informed about your coverage. The Medicare & You 2025 booklet, which arrives in homes of all eligible for Medicare by late September, contains valuable information about Medicare benefits and a description of changes for next year. Medicare beneficiaries should review their coverage during the open enrollment period to determine if their current coverage is still the right one for them.
Medicare beneficiaries who are in a Medicare Advantage Plan (HMO or PPO) and don’t change their plan by Dec. 7 will have an additional opportunity to switch Medicare Advantage plans between Jan. 1 and March 31.
The Medicare website (www.medicare.gov) can help you reevaluate and compare available plans.
If you don’t have ready access to a computer otherwise need assistance, Family and Children’s Association (FCA) can help guide you through the process with free help available by calling its Nassau County Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) at 516-485-3754.
One of our counselors will be happy to assist you. FCA’s HIICAP is a free service that has trained counselors who can provide you with unbiased expertise on what Medicare plan can best meet your individual needs.
Barry Klitsberg is a Nassau County Medicare counselor with FCA.
