That time of the year is coming up again! The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is just around the corner. Each year from October 15 to December 7th you have the ability to enroll for Medicare. But as you prepare to enroll, now is an excellent time to go over what plans there are and more importantly than that, to look over what is important to you so that as you look through plans you can find the one that will meet your needs. You won’t want a plan that will keep you in a compromising position all year long. Make sure that you are well informed and take the time to know what you really want. For example, If you know that you are going to be on a fixed income you will want to make sure that you are looking at plans that will have low out of pocket costs. Or if you want to ensure that you are maintaining the best health possible then you may want a plan that is very proactive in prevention care.
When you are looking at you coverage make sure that you read the fine print to see what is covered in your care. You may be surprised at what you find there. Many health plans offer extras that are included in their plans such as wellness check ups, 24 hour hotlines to speak to nurses and discounts on fitness and nutrition plans. There is also often preventative care available to you. And the easiest way to prevent expensive out of pocket costs is to make sure that you are catching things before they really blow out of control. In fact, the Center for Disease Control has made an estimation of about 100,000 lives could be saved each year if they received the recommended preventative care. You will also want to know not only what doctors and hospitals are covered but what specialists and specialized medical facilities will be available to you.
We hope that these tips will help you prepare for open enrollment, but if you have any questions about Medicare, please let us at Bernardini & Donovan help you.
