Recovering From a Medicare “Wrong Turn”

By Marc Manor

Much of what I do is problem solving.  Frequently, the problems relate to “wrong turns” through the streets of the Medicare “Metropolis”.  By wrong turns, I mean when someone that has been enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B beyond their initial enrollment period finds themselves outside the traditional open or annual enrollment periods and wants to transition to or from Original Medicare.  Sometimes the constraints of the Medicare “system” prevent immediate relief. However, there are solutions in many cases depending on when and how the “wrong turns” occurred.

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Under the Medicare system, there are two basic paths: 1) Original Medicare and 2) Medicare Advantage (or Medicare Part C).  You can only be on one path or the other.  Typically, the path you choose occurs at the time you initially enroll fully into Medicare Parts A and B.  The choice initially of which path you take is very important so is necessary to give some basic information about these choices:

Employee Group Plans vs. Medicare; When to Cut the Cord.

by Marc Manor

If you are coming up on age 65 and you are still working and are using an employee group health insurance plan you may be asking yourself if you should dump the employer plan to take advantage of your Medicare benefits.  If you thought that, you are not alone.  This situation comes up frequently and as an agent, I can only really answer by making a recommendation that you seek assistance from your company benefits advisor.

Seeking assistance from your benefits advisor is really the only answer because they should be the most knowledgeable about the group plan benefits.  Human Resource professionals earn their living managing employee benefit plans.  So, as you ask yourself the question of whether to part ways with your employee group plan to join Medicare, you need to go to HR.  You may be fortunate and get the HR professional that provides you with all the information you need to make an informed decision; or you may just be handed a form and be left on your own to make the decision.

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Either way, you need to know the questions to ask just in case you aren’t presented with enough information to make a determination best suited for your situation.  Here are some tips:

Medicare Myth Busters: Medicare Supplement (Medigap) and PPO Plans

By Marc Manor

Welcome to a series we call “Medicare Myth Busters”!  So much of what I hear about Medicare comes from word-of-mouth.  We know from our childhood, the game “telephone” can drastically transform an original message to something completely different.  Because I hear Medicare beneficiaries talk, I would like to help separate some fact from fiction on some of the most common Medicare misconceptions that I hear. We will insert the "Medicare Myth Busters" into the regular blog on occasion as we continue to advocate for our Medicare beneficiaries.  The first myth buster in the series is:

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“My Medicare Supplement Plan F is a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) so I can go to any doctor that accepts Medicare and I don’t need referrals.”

Setting the Course for Your Medicare Voyage

By Marc Manor

You’ve already had that milestone birthday and reached the big six-O; you survived mid-life crisis and now you can access your IRA without being penalized!  So, before you ponder that next milestone birthday at age 70; let’s talk about that big 65^th!  Sixty-Five is really something to be excited about because that is when you will likely become eligible for Medicare. 

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Now you have reached the age of eligibility and you can look forward to the Medicare benefits you have been working toward all these years with your hard-earned tax dollars!  You are enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, and you have received that nice red, white, and blue card and are all set to go, right?  Not so fast!  Low and behold there is a fork in the proverbial Medicare road!  Do you stay on Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage (otherwise known as Part C)?

HMO Is Not a Four-Letter Word

 By Marc Manor

In the course of talking to people about Healthcare or Medicare Plans, I sometimes hear the words “no-way!” when the subject of HMOs or Health Maintenance Organizations come up.  In certain circumstances, after hearing why this immediate response was given, I totally understand.  Other times, I think these negative opinions are derived from “urban legends” or based on “what happened to my friend’s friend.”  Anyone could have a bad experience for any number of reasons on any type healthcare plan.  A healthcare plan is not necessarily bad just because it’s an HMO.  It may not be the right fit for some people; however, there are some things you should know before you just write-off a plan just because it is an HMO.