Bethany Village Retirement Community

Medicare’s Open Enrollment for 2012 plans begins and ends earlier this year, October 15 through December 7. The new schedule allows you more time to review your options and gives Medicare more processing time, ensuring that your coverage continues without interruption on January 1, 2012.

If you are a Medicare participant, you should have received your annual notification letter by now. You have two important decisions to make:

• All Medicare enrollees must choose a "Part D" plan to help pay for prescription drugs.
• If you are in a "Part C" Medicare Advantage plan for basic health care services, you can stay in that plan, choose a different plan or go back to the Original Medicare program.

As a Medicare participant, you also have some important new benefits:

• You are entitled to an annual wellness visit with your doctor to discuss your health and health care needs.
• Prevention services like mammograms and other cancer screenings are now available with no cost sharing.
• If you reach the "donut hole" in your drug costs, you will now get a 50% discount on covered brand-name drugs and a 14% discount on generics.

It is definitely worth re-visiting your Medicare coverage during Open Enrollment to check that you have the best options in place to meet your needs. But don’t feel like you have to go through this decision-making process alone. Involve a trusted family member or friend.

Visit company websites to compare plans for additional services such as free transportation to medical appointments, nurse hotlines, pharmacist counseling and house call visits that help save money and keep you out of the hospital. Check the rules. Some plans require you to see specific doctors and obtain advance approvals prior to care. Other plans let you select your physicians and receive treatment without pre-approval.

After considering your options, if you think that the plan you have suits you best, you don’t have to do anything. But if your current plan does not meet your needs and expectations, look for a better one and make that change before the Medicare Open Enrollment period ends on December 7, 2011.

Here are a couple of links for websites with more information:
www.medicare.gov  and the Ohio State Health Insurance Assistance Program www.insurance.ohio.gov/consumer/pages

Or call the Medicare hotline by dialing 1-800-MEDICARE  (1-800-633-4227) to ask questions or gather more information by telephone.