Should You Supplement Your Traditional Medicare? Most Seniors Answer This With A Resounding “YES” – Here’s Why

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is open from October 15 through December 7. This is the timeframe that we encourage anyone on a Medicare plan to do a plan comparison to decide if it’s beneficial for you to change your Medicare plan based on your needs for the upcoming year.

It may seem overwhelming, but if you had large out-of-pocket expenses this year, or had medication changes, or need extra benefits such as dental, vision, or chiropractic coverage – we strongly encourage you to consider a free plan comparison meeting. During a Plan Comparison Meeting, an insurance broker will simplify the benefits of the different Medicare Advantage plans, so you can compare the plans side-by-side.

Medicare Consists of Four Parts:

• Part A: Helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice, and home care.
• Part B: Helps pay for doctor visits, surgery, lab tests, medical equipment, and preventive exams.
• Part C: Medicare Advantage, which is offered by private insurance companies that provides the benefits of Parts A and B, often including Part D.
• Part D: Help with the cost of prescription drugs not covered by Medicare.

The important thing to keep in mind is that those enrolled in Medicare (Part A and B) may have high out-of-pocket expenses. It’s important to look at your options during the Annual Enrollment Period to see how you can save money.

This is also the time of the year when you may be considering changing your primary care doctor or network of doctors. As a reminder, this is something you can do all year long. You can change your primary care doctor anytime during the year. If you need a recommendation for a new PCP, please reach out to our Medicare Education Specialists. They will be happy to provide you with more detailed information about our network and our outstanding doctors.

Healthcare is complex and as we age, we need it more than ever. MemorialCare is committed to finding you the best plan at the lowest cost for you that will meet your needs by hosting Plan Comparison Meetings. Check MemorialCare.org for a complete list of upcoming meetings or reach out to us directly.