How to handle unsolicited Medicare calls

 A lot of my clients are calling me asking about the number of unsolicited phone calls they are getting and how to stop them.  Please remember that this is strictily forbiddem for someone to call you without your written permission.  

Here is a suggestion on how to handle this.  Immedicately ask "do you have my written consent to contact me"? They will hang up immediately and make a note not to call you back.  

This may not stop the illegal calls, but it will slow them down.

How to apply for Medicare benefits

Virtual appointments with Alta Vista Benefits

With the advent of COVID-19, Alta Vista Benefits is changing the way we do business.  Many of our Medicare clients no longer want to meet in person.  To accommodate the needs of our current and future clients, we will be using a secure meeting to discuss plans and answer questions. This is effective immediately.  

All our clients will need is a smart phone, tablet or computer to access the online meeting. We can share our screen and give control to the client to sign any applications.  This is compliant with Medicare marketing guidelines.  

To check out our complete list of services, go to www.altavistaben.com

Virtual Medicare 101 training

If you are new to Medicare and confused about the information available, help is available.  If you have a computer, tablet or smart phone, you can now access Medicare 101 training online.  This training will discuss the basics of the types of coverage available, explain the differences and talk about when you can enroll.  Just visit www.altavistaben.com and look at the video on the home page. 

If you want a follow up conversation after you view the presentation, you can call our office at 614-889-0934 and talk with Lucy Grosz. Or, you can request an appointment with Lucy at lucy@altavistaben.com.

If you prefer, we can set up a virtual meeting with you, answer all of your questions and then help you enroll.  It is that simple and easy. We can do a full presentation with you without you ever leaving home.

Check it out!

Kaiser information on Medicare for All

There isn't a lot of credible information being published about the proposal for "Medicare for All".  Kaiser has published an article about it that is very helpful.
Here is the link:
Kaiser article

Medicare for all

We have been hearing a lot about "Medicare for All" in recent days.  How does this impact every American?  Listen to this brief video from Janet Trautwein about the impact to your tax burden.  Medicare for All is not free and it will completely disrupt our healthcare system.
Take a listen: https://youtu.be/OIVOkgCCFHg

Medicare.gov is not always accurate

Did you know that Medicare.gov is not always accurate?  Many of my clients try to look for drug and Medicare Advantage plans on their own during Annual Enrollment.  Doing so early in Annual Enrollment may cause you to choose the wrong plan. 

From personal experience, I can show that you can run the same drug list twice in the same day and get different results.  So, be extremely cautious and don't rely on those results.

The most reliable source is with the insurance companies.  Licensed and trained Medicare agents can check with the carriers to ensure all of your drugs and doctors are covered.  This is the most reliable way to ensure you make the right choice each year.

How Medicare billing works

If you are on Medicare and have any type of additional insurance, the way claims are processed can be confusing.  Providers send the bills for processing to different places, depending on the type of additional insurance in place.  In addition, billing systems often generate bills to Medicare eligible people, even though the bills are not owed. 

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, there is only one Explanation of Benefits from the insurance company.  With a Medicare Supplement, there is an EOB from Medicare and from the insurance company.  It is important to review the EOB(s) to make sure you know what you really owe the provider of medical services.

We can help navigate the confusion about this.  Let us know if you need the help of Alta Vista Benefits. You can reach us at 614-889-0934 or lucy@altavistaben.com.

What is balance billing?

Balance billing is another term for Part B excess charges.  What does that mean?
If you have outpatient surgery, testing and other Part B services and you have a Medicare Supplement, the provider is not allowed to bill you for what your supplement coverage does not cover. 

For example, let's say you have a Plan G Medicare Supplement.  A bill comes to you for $500.00 from a provider.  Plan G has an annual Part B deductible of $183.  So, you are only responsible for $183 each calendar year for Medicare approved expenses.  The provider is not allowed to bill for any more than that.

It is import to look at two pieces of documentation:  the Medicare Explanation of Benefits and the insurance company explanation of benefits.  Medicare indicates what you MAY owe and the insurance company indicates what you do owe.  You should not pay any bills until you look at the insurance company's documentation.  A provider can bill you but you may not really owe them.

For more information, you can contact us at 614-889-0934.

Does Anthem's withdrawal from Ohio affect Medicare clients?

Does Anthem's withdrawal from Ohio affect Medicare clients?
I have been getting a lot of questions since Anthem announced it was leaving the Exchange Market for under 65 clients.  The answer is No, it does not affect anyone who has an Anthem Medicare Supplement, prescription drug plan, or Medicare Advantage plan.  It is only for an individual plan for someone under 65.

American Health Care Act of 2017 (AHCA)

There are many questions surrounding the details of the Obamacare Repeal and Replace legislation.
If you are on Medicare, there are very positive changes that will impact you. 

This new law, if passed, will repeal the taxes on prescription drug companies and medical devices. The largest expense of most Medicare eligible people are prescriptions, so this should start to lower prices on drugs which is good news.  Prices should also decline on durable medical equipment, such as wheelchairs and hospital beds.

There has been much confusion about the coverage for pre-existing conditions with regard to Medicare.  Keep in mind that the majority of this legislation does not affect Medicare.  This is true with regard to pre-existing conditions on Medicare and any changes to pre-existing conditions only affect people who are not Medicare eligible.

Passing the bill through the House of Representatives is only the first step in the process of legislation.  I will provide more updates as information is available.

Lucy Grosz appeared on NBC Daytime Columbus

On November 18, 2016, Lucy Grosz appeared on Daytime Columbus regarding Medicare.  This applied to open enrollment for this year, but is relevant to anyone who is choosing Medicare coverage.  To see the full interview, click on the link below.




http://altavistaben.com/Lucy-Grosz-Daytime-Columbus-Nov-18-2016.mp4

Medicare Marketing Rules

Many people are not aware that there are marketing rules surrounding Medicare.  The state of Ohio protects Medicare recipients and there are several things that agents are forbidden from doing:

1) No door to door solicitations are allowed.
2) No e-mails are allowed without written permission of the Medicare recipient
3) No marketing phone calls are allowed.
4) Marketing letters are allowed but no follow up phone calls to see if the letter was received are allowed.

These rules apply in Ohio, regardless of the product being marketed. This means that even if someone is only calling about a Medicare Supplement product, the call is not allowed by Ohio marketing rules.

If you have been receiving these times of calls, you can file a consumer complaint with the Ohio Department of Insurance.  Filing a complaint is the best way to stop these marketing practices.

Medicare Appeals - The Real Story

Medicare Appeals - The Real Story

If you are on Medicare and you have a service which is not paid the way you think it should be, or your have trouble with a Part D plan, your option is to do an appeal.  There are some tricks to this which most people do not know. 

First, there is a separate and distinct process, depending on what you are appealing.  Part D is a different  process than for medical claims.  So, let's talk about Medical claims first.

When a Medicare recipient goes to any provider for services, Medicare keeps track of those services.  On a periodic (not monthly) basis, Medicare will send out a Medicare Summary Notice.  This notice has information about all of the services you have had during the reporting period.  It can take several months for Medicare to send out this notice to you. The notice can contain multiple dates of service on it, too.

The most important thing you can do is to review the Medicare Summary Notice as soon as you receive it.   You may have bills for the previous quarter and not receive the notice until much later  This creates a problem, since according to Medicare, you only have 120 days from the date of service for you to appeal to Medicare. 

On the last page of the Medicare Summary Notice, there is information about appealing.  If you appeal, you must return a copy of the Medicare Summary Notice and all supporting documentation to the address on the Summary Notice. There is a date listed on the Notice that states how long you have to appeal.  Medicare must receive the normal appeal for that date and the appeal will be denied if you do not respond by then.  All appeals must be in writing and mailed.  Fax notifications are not honored.

Once the appeals vendor RECEIVES the notice, they have 60 days to even respond.  You cannot escalate your appeal before the 60 days is up. 

I have been successful in appealing Part D grievances with the Medicare Redetermination Request and Appointment of Representative form.  This has worked only for Part D.  What decisions have been made were concerning Late Enrollment Penalties (LEP) only. In addition, I was able to fax copies of the documentation in successfully.

The bottom line is this.  If you have a problem with Medicare, you are going to need an advocate to help you.  This is complicated, confusing and requires persistence to get problems resolved. 

If you would like more information, you can contact Lucy Grosz at 64-889-0934 or e-mail lucy@altavistaben.com.

What does balance billing mean?

Medicare and Balance Billing

What does the term balance billing mean with regard to Medicare bills?  Suppose you get a lot of testing done for outpatient services.  The first place the claim goes is to Medicare for approval.  If Medicare approves the expense, it then goes to your insurance company.  Any balance remaining after Medicare and the insurance company pay is called a "balance bill".  Under Ohio law, this cannot be passed on to the Medicare consumer. 


Whether or not balance billing can do done is controlled by state.  For example, the state of Florida allows balance billing and Ohio does not.  That means that if you get sick in Florida and don't have a medical plan in place that covers balance billing, you could end up with a bill for Florida services.


The plan choice you make can have financial consequences if you have not considered the concept of balance billing in your choice.  For more information, you can contact Alta Vista Benefits at 614-889-0934.

When you can change your Medicare Supplement

When you can change your Medicare Supplement


Most Medicare recipients are familiar with Annual Enrollment each year, which begins October 15 and ends December 7.  This is the time of the year where you can make changes to a Medicare Advantage or Part D (Prescription Drug Plan) for the following calendar year. 


What many people don't know is that Medicare Supplements can be changed all year long.  Changes are not restricted to Annual Enrollment. 


If you have a Medicare Supplement and would like to change it, you must answer all underwriting questions in order to be approved.  If you have health issues, the trick is to find an insurance company that is more lenient on underwriting.


If you have questions about this process and would like to explore changing your Medicare Supplement, call the expert at 614-889-0934.  We are your advocate and will help you review your options.

How to pick a Medicare Supplement

How to pick a Medicare Supplement

 

Many people are confused about how to pick a Medicare Supplement.  So here are a couple of hints about your choices.

 

1. Medicare Supplements are not network based plans, meaning you can go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare.  This is an advantage for anyone who travels and is in contrast to Medicare Advantage Plans. 
2. All Medicare Supplements are standardized plans.  That means that any plan you choose is going to be the same regardless of the company you choose. The only thing that varies is the cost with each insurance company and the list of the plans they offer. Not all companies offer all of the available plan designs.
3. Some Medicare Supplements offer a gym membership with them.  This does raise the cost of the plans that offer it. 
4. Medicare plans have premium increases over time. So, it important to choose an insurance company that has stable rates over time.  Only an agent who works with Medicare consistently knows this type of company history and can help you with your choice.

If you want a Medicare Expert to help you select a Medicare Supplement plan, call Lucy Grosz at 614-889-0934 or visit  http://www.altavistaben.com.

Parts of Medicare

The Parts of Medicare

 

There are four parts of Medicare:

1. Part A which pays for hospital care.
2. Part B which pays for medical care, like doctor visits.
3. Part C which is also called the Medicare Advantage program. 
4. Part D which covers prescription medications. 

Part A and Part B of Medicare are administered by the Federal government.  Together they are called "Original Medicare".


You can buy Part C/Medicare Advantage coverage from private companies. Medicare Advantage plans combine Part A and Part B and may offer prescription drug coverage.  The plans can also include additional benefits like eye care, hearing, wellness services and a nurse hotline.


Medicare Advantage plans are area specific, meaning you must live in the plan's service area.  To apply for these plans, you must be enrolled in Part A and Part B.


Part D helps pay for prescription drugs.  It is only offered through private insurance companies.  Part D plans can be standalone or be part of a Medicare Advantage plan. To apply for a standalone plan, you must be enrolled in Part A and/or Part B.


If you are confused about the coverage options with Medicare and when you can make changes, give us a call at 614-889-0934.

Medicare Annual Enrollment - What you need to know

Every year between October 15th and December 7th, Medicare beneficiaries can evaluate their current coverage and change plans for the following January.  Finding a plan that has the lowest premium and the lowest cost for prescriptions can be a confusing and overwhelming process.

We are Medicare experts, represent many carriers, and we are your advocate. We offer a free service to help guide you through this process.  Here are the reasons why it is important for you to evaluate your coverage each year:

Reasons to check your drug coverage:

1.   Medicare’s formulary can change;
2.  Your plan’s formulary can change;
3.  Your own drug list can change;
4.   Pharmacies change their pricing;
5.   Pharmacy networks change;
6.  Insurance carrier plans and pricing changes.

Reasons to check your Medicare Advantage coverage:

1. The plan's network of doctors and hospitals can change;
2. The plan itself can change for the following year;
3. The out of pocket maximum may be higher;
4. New plans may be available in your area;
5. Your drug list may have changed during the year;
6. The plan's formulary may have changed;
7. Some of your drugs may not be covered under your current plan next year.

We will also review your Medicare Supplement coverage to see if you need to change it. 

You can contact us at 614-889-0934.  Call today.