Medicare Prescription Drug Growing Pains 2020

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Have a new Prescription Drug Plan for 2020? If so you may be experiencing some "growing pains" associated with moving to a new plan. Plans sometimes have different formularies and there are other requirements such as pre-authorization (PA) and Quantity Limits (QL) that may be required that cause delays on processing your prescriptions. Be sure to put your first fill/refill in with a least 5 working days in advance of your need to allow these requirements to process. Call us at 904-222-0698 or email marc@marcmanor.com if you have questions!

Marc Manor is a 30-year military veteran who is now dedicated to teaching his fellow Americans how to make the most of their Medicare and healthcare benefits. As an independent agent, Marc has access to a wide variety of carriers with an abundance of resources to find tailored solutions. There is no charge for a consultation so call 904-222-0698 or email: marc@marcmanor.com.

Dear Politician: Just What Is “Medicare For All”?

By Marc Manor

As we prepare ourselves for the onslaught of political rhetoric associated with the 2020 presidential and Congressional campaigns, we have all heard the term “Medicare for All” as a means to fix our healthcare system.  I must admit, the more I hear the talk about Medicare for All, the more questions I have.  As an insurance agent who works to place Medicare beneficiaries into appropriate coverage, I can tell you that most people I talk to do not really understand our current Medicare system when they become eligible.  Based on much of what I have heard from politicians, it seems to me they also don’t understand Medicare.

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I should disclose, I do have some personal interest in how Medicare for All would come to be.  Obviously, if commercial insurance companies were cut out your proposed system, me and thousands (if not millions) of people would have to find a new livelihood.  Having said that, I would support any functional system of healthcare over what we have now for people not eligible for Medicare.

Tiers of Sadness...Tiers of Joy: Strategies for Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

By Marc Manor

The plight of those Medicare beneficiaries that take one or more high cost prescription drugs can be challenging; and as with anything in the Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) world, the landscape can be foggy and difficult to sift through to find affordable solutions. Sometimes, it may be possible to save a few dollars if we take the time to research a few variables. Prescription drugs are categorized in “tiers” that relate to the coverage level according to the benefit schedule of each PDP. As a rule, the higher the tier, the more expensive the drugs will be for the consumer (and the plan). I say “as a rule,” because there are some exceptions to the rule if one digs deep enough and searches through several variables.

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Generic vs. Name Brand Drugs

Preparing for Annual Medicare and Healthcare Insurance Renewals

By Marc Manor

With Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and Healthcare Open Enrollment right around the corner, I thought annual renewals would be a timely and appropriate subject for this week’s blog.  Many of our clients want to know what this means to them. People looking for healthcare or a change in providers want to know when and how they can make those choices when the time comes.  Because AEP and Open Enrollment  coincide with the holiday and shopping season, it’s important to have a plan before the throws of shopping and family consume us. Here are some questions to consider:

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Is my current Medicare or healthcare plan the right fit?

If your Medicare or healthcare plan is providing you with all the coverage you need, and it fits your budget, then you should likely stay with where you are.  Your provider probably already has the information they need and you have become familiar with the benefit schedule, co-payments etc.  If this is the case, you may want to just stay put and roll into next year with the same plan. 

I got a letter about “renewal” what does this mean?