Seniors Need To Check Options As Medicare Advantage Plans Change, Drop Out

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 09 Nov 2010 - 5:00 PDT

Current ratings for:
'Seniors Need To Check Options As Medicare Advantage Plans Change, Drop Out'

Patient / Public:
Healthcare Prof:

The Seattle Times: "The exodus of dozens of Medicare Advantage plans from various counties or from the state entirely is leaving 40,588 seniors across Washington to wade through charts in search of new plans. In some counties, most Medicare Advantage plans no longer will be offered, leaving patients with little choice. ... Those whose Medicare Advantage plans have left their areas should have been notified, and have until Jan. 31 to change. However, the state Insurance Commissioner's Office advises signing up before Dec. 31 to make sure there's no break in coverage. Although Medicare Advantage (MA) plans come and go every year, turnover here and nationally is much higher this year than last, when almost 18,000 Washington residents lost their plans" (Ostrom, 11/7).

Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Out-of-pocket prescription drug costs will drop sharply next year for thousands of Minnesotans who carry Medicare drug insurance -- especially those with the highest expenses. That's because the federal health care overhaul passed last spring will begin to erase the 'doughnut hole' gap in Medicare coverage that has required beneficiaries to shoulder sizable costs. Most affected will be the 125,000 or so Minnesotans with the highest drug expenses -- about a quarter of the 510,000 beneficiaries with Medicare Part D -- who traditionally hit that $3,610 gap in coverage and begin paying the full cost for drugs. Starting next year, a federal subsidy will allow those who hit the gap to pay 50 percent of the cost of medications, for brand-name drugs covered by their policy, and 93 percent of the cost for the much cheaper generic drugs" (Wolfe, 11/7).

Omaha World-Herald: "Comparing drug plans for Medicare Part D has become more important because of the tight economy, Nebraska and Iowa health insurance officials say. Enrollment for 2011 coverage starts Nov. 15 and runs through Dec. 31. It's the period in which people can switch plans. The federal Part D program provides subsidized prescription drug coverage for people 65 and older or people who have disabilities. Premiums and co-payments have increased for some plans in 2011, [Rachel Schlesselman of the Nebraska Senior Health Insurance Information Program] said" (O'Conner, 11/7).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

Additional
References
Citations

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our medicare / medicaid / schip section for the latest news on this subject.

There are no references listed for this article.

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA

Kaiser. "Seniors Need To Check Options As Medicare Advantage Plans Change, Drop Out." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 9 Nov. 2010. Web.
25 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/207136.php>

APA

Kaiser. (2010, November 9). "Seniors Need To Check Options As Medicare Advantage Plans Change, Drop Out." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/207136.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.

Rate article:
(Hover over the stars then click to rate)

Patient / Public:

Health Professional:

Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Seniors Need To Check Options As Medicare Advantage Plans Change, Drop Out'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.

Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP

What is Medicare / Medicaid?

Medicaid and Medicare are two governmental programs that provide medical and health-related services to specific groups of people in the United States. Although the two programs are very different, they are both managed by the Centers for Medicare and... Read more...

Follow Our Medicare News On Twitter

Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.

Conditions Information

View list of all 'What Is...' articles »

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*