Medicare open enrollment season

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By now, most of us have been inundated with marketing materials in the mail and have seen TV ads for the various Medicare plans to cover prescriptions and other Medicare costs.

We are in the middle of the Medicare Open Enrollment Season which runs every year from October 15th through December 7th.

It is important to read any materials that come from your existing plan which spell out the updates for 2019.  Some of these revisions may describe premium changes, updates in prescription formularies which include covered drugs, co-payment changes and changes to networks of providers.

If you feel that these changes make your plan a less than optimum choice for 2019, you should log onto the Medicare website, which is www.medicare.gov.

You can review your current plan and compare it with others that serve Nassau County to see if another plan works best for you.

If you don’t have a computer at home and can’t avail yourself of one at your local library or senior center, you can call the Nassau County Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program (HIICAP) at 516-485-3754 and speak to one of the counselors who can assist you.

This is a free service that has trained counselors who can provide unbiased expertise on how you can navigate the Medicare system.    We can help you switch plans, many times over the phone or in person if you make an appointment.

For Medicare beneficiaries who are in a Medicare Advantage Plan (HMO or PPO) and don’t have time to change their plan, they have an additional opportunity to switch Medicare Advantage plans between January 1 and March 31.

Barry Klitsberg, Assistant Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance (HIICAP) Coordinator

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