Medicare confusion
I spent the morning with about 130 Medicare recipients talking about the changes and confusion surrounding Medicare, and particularly the current enrollment period for selecting prescription drug coverage, supplemental plans and Medicare Advantage plans. The meeting was sponsored by AARP Virginia and was intended to address questions and confusion.
Many people in attendance said they are struggling with the choices and feel inundated with information from insurance companies. They said they are struggling to decipher what’s true and more importantly how to determine the best option to cover their health needs while not breaking the bank. Others were particularly frustrated by Medicare’s online system for evaluating options. The website, they said, isn’t working properly.
What are your experiences? Have you had trouble navigating your Medicare options and/or the website?
December 2, 2010 - 3:43 PM
I own a Medicare insurance agency and run about 3,000 Part D analyses a year on the Medicare.gov website. In my opinion, the re-design has made it considerably more user-friendly. This time of year, the site does “time out” some, which is definitely frustrating; however, it has done that in year’s past as well.
I know those on Medicare have many options and it can be confusing/frustrating. I certainly would recommend using a more unbiased source than AARP to compare/contrast the various options. While they can be useful and do provide some good plans, you are only getting “one side of the story”. We provide the Part D analyses, showing the top 3-5 plans to all of our clients this time of year, and I’m sure many other independent agencies do the same thing.
THE ELDERLY NEED TO STAY ON TRACK AND KEEP THEIR TRADITIONAL MEDICARE BENEFITS. AGAIN,THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO TAKE JOBS AND BENEFITS AWAY FROM THE ELDERLY AND OTHERS. THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS ARE WITH INSURANCE COMPANIES THAT ARE OUTSOURCED OUTSIDE OF THE U.S., TAKING JOBS AWAY AND CUTTING JOBS IN THE U.S. ONCE AGAIN. PEOPLE YOU NEED TO WAKE UP AND STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND ESPECIALLY FOR THE ELDERLY. THERE ARE HIDDEN CO PAYMENTS THAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PATIENT AND THE PATIENTS ARE NOT BEING TOLD THESE THINGS. GOVERNMENT IS GIVING OUT MEDICARE RECIPIENTS NAMES WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION TO INSURANCE COMPANIES AND ALLOWING THESE PEOPLE TO CONTACT ELDERLY PATIENTS WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THEIR CAREGIVERS, DAUGHTERS, SONS, ETC. PLEASE TAKE EVERYTHING IN CONSIDERATION WHEN CHOOSING.
I have a few concerns regarding the comments that have been left regarding the insurance companies that are outsourced outside of the US. In Downtown Roanoke we have a large division of Anthem Insurance. At the Downtown building there are 22 direct senior sales agents for Medicare Advantage. United Health also houses a call center division to sell Medicare in Roanoke. So not only are they not outsourced to a different country they are actually local to our economy. These agents work multi-states to help seniors with their Medicare questions. Seniors also have the option to meet with an agent at the building in Downtown Roanoke. In order to sell insurance policies your MUST be a licensed insurance agent, which means that you must receive certifications/licenses and be a US Citizen. Their jobs will not be outsourced. What you also fail to realize is that these individuals that work with seniors to help them with their insurance options work very long hours and are away from their families from Oct 1 through the entire Holidays. It is also a Medicare requirement that BEFORE a senior can enroll in a policy, the insurance booklet, which outlines EVERY INCH of their policy has to be sent via fedex or ups to them for review. They must understand their policy BEFORE they can enroll, it is a requirement of Medicare.
I agree with how Medicare’s website has been cumbersome to navigate. Fortunately, there’s gomedigap that I can go to when I need to know anything about Medicare, and or Medicare Supplements. We have all the information about Medicare you will ever need, in an easy to navigate website. You can take a look at it at: http://www.gomedigap.com
I also own an agency offering Part D research as a free service to all seniors. We provide this service free of charge even if they are not our client. I have seen numerous glitches with the new Medicare website and believe it should have been left alone.
You do not have to “go it alone.” There are many reputable insurance professionals that are ready and able to help you. How do you find a good one? Some questions you should ask to determine if you are dealing with one:
1)You will want to make sure that you are dealing with an independent agent or broker. This type of agent does not work for just one carrier. They are not limited to talking to you about just one company’s options. The independent agent forms relationships with multiple carriers. This enables him/her to fit the solution to you rather than try to you into the limited options they have the ability to offer. There is the added worry that the agent will lose the connection with that one company and then no longer have the resources to provide service to you or your policy.
2)If your agent doesn’t start out by finding out some key things about you and your lifestyle, he/she is just not doing a good job for you. Questions like: How much traveling to intend to do? How is your health? What is your budget? Are you comfortable with sharing some of the cost for your medical expenses or do you want total coverage? The answers to all of these questions are key if the agent is going to recommend the right plan for you.
3)Does the agent specialize in Medicare specifically? The world of insurance is extremely diverse. Look for an agent who specializes in Medicare. Someone who is up to date on the laws and the changes is going to be able to advise you. It is wise to avoid a “jack of all trades” when it comes to Medicare. There is a lot to know about any genre of insurance.You are better with someone focused on the segment that you are dealing with.