Medicare open enrollment starts today...

Medicare open enrollment is just around the corner Oct. 15 - Dec. 7. Whether you’re a person with Medicare, a caregiver, or professional helping clients to review their coverage options, we’ve got some helpful tips for you to keep in mind this season.

Tips for Consumers

1. Start early - Yes, open enrollment runs until Dec. 7. But the best time to start thinking about whether you want to change your drug or health coverage is now. If your circumstances have changed—for example, you’re taking different medications, or you’ve heard that your plan is changing—it’s important to have time to review all your options. And if you need personalized assistance, it’s easier to schedule an appointment now than if you wait until after Thanksgiving.

2. Pay attention to your mail - This is the time of year that you’ll start to get a lot of information.
Your Part D or Medicare Advantage plan sends out an Annual Notice of Coverage in September, which explains any changes happening to your plan and/or to your benefits in 2013.
If you get help paying for your Medicare, such as through the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (Extra Help) or Medicare Savings Programs, you may receive mail from Social Security or Medicare asking you to verify your income or informing you of changes to your subsidy. You may also get a letter if your plan is ending service in your area, or has not met quality standards for three years. Save all of these letters, and have them on hand as you discuss your options with an SGIA (Strategic Growth Insurance Associates) counselor.

3. Review, review, review - Many people are happy with their current coverage, and would rather not check what other options are available to them. But this is a very important step, and can save you money. What should you look for? We like to remind people of the 4 Cs:

• Cost - How much have you spent in premiums, deductibles, and co-payments in 2012? How will these amounts change in 2013??
• Coverage - Does your plan cover all of the medications you believe you will need in 2013?? Do you want to get your health care and drug coverage through one single plan? If so, you should review your Medicare Advantage options.
• Convenience - To what extent will your plan restrict access to certain medications you need in 2013, such as through prior authorization or quantity limits? Can you use the plan at the pharmacy of your choice? Can you get your prescriptions through the mail if you prefer to?
• Customer service - Is your plan responsive when you have a question?

Enrollment Period for Medicare Starts Early This Year

The open enrollment period for Medicare will begin earlier this year, so seniors need to start looking at their current plans to decide what coverage they want in 2012, U.S. health officials said Thursday.

The good news is that while benefits will remain essentially the same for the 99.7 percent of Medicare recipients who have access to Medicare Advantage, premiums for that program will fall 4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the program.

Meanwhile, overall enrollment is expected to increase 10 percent, health officials said. Although the enrollment period will last longer this year it will end earlier, on Dec. 7 instead of Dec. 31, they added.

"As we continue to implement the Affordable Care Act, we are taking the right approach to Medicare," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during a Thursday morning news conference. "An approach that begins by improving benefits instead of cutting them, and continues to slow the growth in costs."

All beneficiaries will have access to Medicare-covered preventive services without a co-pay or deductible, including Annual Wellness Visits, in 2012, Sebelius added. Also, people who reach the donut hole in their drug coverage will get discounts on brand name drugs and expanded coverage for generic drugs as part of the Affordable Care Act, she noted.

Premiums for the Medicare Part D, the prescription drug plan, will remain the same, Sebelius said.

"The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS] is encouraging beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug plans to review their current health and drug plan coverage for any changes their plans may be making for 2012 before the annual open enrollment period begins on Oct. 15," the agency said.

Speaking at the news conference, Jonathan Blum, deputy administrator and director of CMS, said that in 2012 Medicare Advantage patients will have "better benefits, consistent number of choices and lower average premiums."

For the first time, CMS will reward Medicare Advantage plans with high quality scores through its so called "Five-Star" rating system. Plans that earn these financial rewards will also be allowed to market to and enroll new patients all year long, Blum said.

Those currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan will be automatically switched to original Medicare if they do not choose a plan. But to keep prescription drug coverage, everyone will need to enroll in a Part D plan, the agency stressed.

To learn more about Medicare and Medicare Advantage, visit the Medicare.gov.