Holes in Medicare coverage need a fix

The Island Now

I believe there must be other persons in the same situation as I. I am addressing this to you in the hopes that you will be able to help.  

I lost my secondary health insurance beginning 2013 because Nassau County’s new prescription plan is now a Medicare Drug plan that is all-inclusive with Medical, Hospital, Surgical, Mental Health etc.  

The federal law only allows a person to have one Medicare prescription drug plan.  Until Jan. 1, 2013 I had my primary insurance through my retirement plan for free for the rest of my life,  Aetna Medicare Advantage PPO with a Medicare Drug Plan plus Empire NYSHIP as my secondary with their private drug plan through my husband’s retirement plan free.  

This secondary plan picked up anything that my plan did not cover.  Now I will only have one plan, because the drug coverage is inclusive in both medical plans.  Maybe each Medicare drug plan could be changed to an independent Medicare Drug Plan which people could opt out of one without loosing all of their Medical, Hospital etc. benefits.  

It is sad and scary when you reach 75 years old and have worked for these benefits to have them taken away.  You know that as we age it is inevitable that we will end up in a hospital at some point needing all the coverage we can get.   Your help in addressing this issue and bringing it to the attention of the proper people would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanking you in advance for your help in this urgent matter. 

 

June Schickler                        

New Hyde Park

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