Posted on 05/14/2013
Do you live in the five-county Philadelphia Pennsylvania area? Are you going onto Medicare soon? If you are, than you are probably wading through a lot of confusing material concerning Medicare and all your Medicare Insurance options. To many seniors, it is all pretty confusing.
The first decision that a senior needs to make is whether to opt for a Medicare Supplement Plan (also know as Medigap) or a Medicare Advantage Plan (also known as Part C if Medicare). Medicare Advantage Plans are becoming more and more popular. These plans are have significantly lower premiums than Medigap plans, and several of these plans offer extra benefits, such as vision, dental, hearing and even a a gym membership. These plans, however, often have higher copays for such medical costs as doctor visits and hospital stays. When that senior is deciding between both plans, the lower premium and extra benefits of a Medicare Advantage Plan looks great, but there sometimes there is hesitancy due to the higher copays. What most senior don’t know is that Medicare allows seniors to “try out” a Medicare Advantage plan such as Keystone 65 or Bravo Health and have the option that if you don’t like it, you can get out without any problems. This is something that every senior should be aware of, since it is such an important component of someone’s Medicare decision.
So, you are getting ready to sign up for Medicare. You are considering a Medicare Advantage Plan, possibly with
Keystone 65 or
Bravo Health. The low premium sounds very attractive, but you are still a bit hesitant. You are not 100% sure that’s what you want a Medicare Advantage Plan. What if something goes wrong? What if the copays add up too fast? It is important that you are aware of the Medicare Advantage Trial Period, which is a test run for new Medicare Beneficiaries who want to try out a Medicare Advantage Plan.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stipulate that Medicare beneficiaries have a 12-month period to try out a Medicare Advantage plan. If they are dissatisfied, they can disenroll from that plan anytime during the one year period, prior to the one-year anniversary of the effective date. They can rejoin Original Medicare and have a guaranteed right to purchase a Medicare Supplement policy. This guaranteed right means that the Medicare Supplement insurance company cannot deny you coverage, no matter your health status.
Let’s look at a real life example of CMS’s trial period:
Bob is turning 65 in September 2013 and Medicare Part A & B become effective September 1, 2013. Bob enrolls in a Medicare Advantage Plan, through
Independence Blue Cross Keystone 65 Select HMO, effective September 1, 2013. His trial period lasts to August 31, 2014. If he does not like his Medicare Advantage Plan, anytime during that time period, for any reason, he can get out of his existing Medicare Advantage plan, go back into Original Medicare and purchase a Medicare Supplement Plan, all on a guaranteed basis by CMS.
So, if you are going onto Medicare soon, and thinking about a Medicare Advantage Plan, know that you can “kick the tires.” Try it out for up to one year and if you like it, you are able to make a change, no questions asked.
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