By: Chuck Dow, Humana Regional President of Medicare for Illinois Humana
If you’re one of 56 million Americans eligible for Medicare, it’s important to understand coverage options when selecting your plan for 2020. Research can take time, and many people find a licensed health insurance agent helpful. Answering these questions can help you make an informed choice during the Medicare Annual Election Period, October 15 to December 7:
• Are my doctors and hospitals in network? Most Medicare Advantage plans offer online tools to help you find who’s in a plan’s network.
• Which plans will cover my prescription drugs? Original Medicare does not cover most prescription drugs. Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage, or you can sign up for a Part D Prescription Drug Plan separately.
• Are there innovative benefits I should consider? Beyond vision, dental and hearing coverage, look for fitness program benefits and transportation services.
• Do I need to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B if I’m still working? If you have health insurance from an employer, you can delay enrolling in Medicare until the employment or the coverage stops. At that point, you’re entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months.
• Resources are available, including licensed sales agents, local seminars, and websites such as medicare.gov and humana.com/Medicare. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (or TTY: 1-877-486-2048) 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or call Humana at 1-800-213-5286 (TTY: 711) 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time seven days a week.
As with any major decision, proper research will go a long way toward making the best plan choice.
