MedicareBob

Each year, you have a chance to make changes to your Medicare Advantage or Medicare prescription drug coverage for the following year. This time frame is called the Annual Enrollment Period. Every year the Annual Enrollment starts on October 15th and ends on December 7th. Below is a list of all the changes you are allowed to make during this period.

• Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.

• Change from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare.

• Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan.

• Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn't offer drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers drug coverage.

• Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that offers drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn't offer drug coverage.

• Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

• Switch from one Medicare drug plan to another Medicare drug plan.

• Drop your Medicare prescription drug coverage completely.

Not all heart problems come with clear warning signs. There is not always an alarming chest clutch followed by a fall to the floor like you see in movies. Some heart symptoms don’t even happen in your chest, and it’s not always easy to tell what’s going on. That’s especially true if you are 60 or older, are overweight, or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

• Sleep Apnea - When your snoring is broken up by pauses in your breathing, your brain may not be getting enough oxygen. It will send signals to your blood vessels and heart to work harder to keep blood flow going. This raises your risk for high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, strokes, and heart failure. Fortunately, sleep apnea is treatable.

• Yellow/Orange Bumpy Rash - Extremely high triglyceride levels can make your skin break out around the knuckles of your fingers and toes and on your bottom. A lot of these fats in your blood may play a role in hardening your arteries, and high numbers are often r

When you’re first starting Medicare, this is called your Initial Enrollment Period, or IEP. You have 3 months before, the month of and 3 months after your 65th birthday to shop for you Part D drug plan. Anytime after that is called the Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP. This time frame allows you to shop your Part D drug plan once every year. The dates for this period start on October 15th and end on December 7th.

If you are losing retirement/group insurance or you have moved out of the service area of your plan, this is called a Special Election Period, or SEP. Once you find out you are losing your coverage, you have 60 days before the last day of your coverage and 63 days after you lose your coverage to enroll in a Part D drug plan.

Because type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health complications, it's important to be aware of any diabetes warning signs and get tested for diabetes if you have any of these symptoms. Treating diabetes early can help prevent serious complications.

Sometimes type 2 diabetes can develop without any warnings signs. In fact, about a third of all people who have type 2 diabetes don't know they have it. That's why it's important to talk to your doctor about your risk for diabetes and determine if you should be tested.

Common warnings signs of diabetes include:

• Increased thirst

• Increased hunger (especially after eating)

• Dry mouth

• Frequent urination or urine infections

• Unexplained weight loss (even though you are eating and feel hungry)

• Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)

• Blurred vision

• Headaches

Having joint replacement surgery is a big deal and can get very pricey. You want to make sure that you have the best and most comprehensive insurance coverage when having such a surgery. If you were to have a knee replacement surgery, with the Plan G, the only out-of-pocket cost would be your annual deductible of $183.00 or the remaining balance if you had already paid some of the deductible. If you had already met your annual deductible then you wouldn’t have to pay anything for the surgery or the physical therapy/rehabilitation that comes after.

Medicare Supplement Plans do not cover prescription medications, when you choose a Supplement Plan you will also choose a stand-alone Medicare Part D Plan.

There are typically over 30 different Medicare Part D Plans, the benefit of choosing a stand-alone Part D Plan is that you will get to choose the Part D Plan that covers your medications for the lowest cost.

In contrast, if you choose a Medicare Advantage Plan, you will have to accept whichever drug plan is part of that Advantage Plan. Often times this results in high drug costs to people that choose a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Medicare Supplements all use stand-alone drug plans, or your Medicare Part D. Every Medicare drug plan is different based on the medications you're taking at that time, therefore there is no way to list an exact cost for these plans. Each Medicare drug plan has its own list of covered drugs (called a formulary). Many Medicare drug plans place drugs into different "tiers" on their formularies.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers the services that may affect people who have diabetes. Part B also covers some preventive services for people who are at risk for diabetes. Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) also covers diabetes supplies used for injecting or inhaling insulin. You must have Part B to get services and supplies covered under Part B. You must be enrolled in a Medicare drug plan to get supplies covered under Part D.

Some of the diabetes services covered:

Diabetes screenings

Medicare pays for diabetes screening tests if you’re at risk for diabetes. These tests are used to detect diabetes early. You may be at risk for diabetes if you have:

• High blood pressure

• Dyslipidemia (history of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels)

• Obesity (with certain conditions)

• Impaired glucose (blood sugar) tolerance

• High fasting glucose (blood sugar)

Medicare may pay for up to 2 diabetes screening tests in a 12-month period. After the initial

A "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit

You can get this visit only within the first 12 months you have Part B. This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health and education and counseling about preventive services, including these:

• Certain screenings, shots, and referrals for other care, if needed

• Height, weight, and blood pressure measurements

• A calculation of your body mass index

• A simple vision test

• A review of your potential risk for depression and your level of safety

• An offer to talk with you about creating advance directives.

• A written plan letting you know which screenings, shots, and other preventive services you need.

This visit is covered one time. You don’t need to have this visit to be covered for yearly "Wellness" visits.

Yearly "Wellness" visits

If you've had Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get this visit to develop or update a personalized prevention help plan. This plan is designed to help prevent

The Medicare Supplement Plan G covers all of your Medicare Part A hospital deductible and services not once, but every time you are hospitalized. Medicare pays 80 percent and the Medicare Supplement Plan G pays the remaining 20 percent so you pay nothing.

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers hospital services, including semi-private rooms, meals, general nursing, drugs as part of your inpatient treatment, and other hospital services and supplies. This includes the care you get in these facilities:

• Acute care hospitals

• Critical access hospitals

• Inpatient rehabilitation facilities

• Long-term care hospitals

Your cost with Original Medicare

• $1,340 deductible for each benefit period.

• Days 1–60: $0 coinsurance for each benefit period.

• Days 61–90: $335 coinsurance per day of each benefit period.

• Days 91 and beyond: $670 coinsurance per each "lifetime reserve day" after day 90 for each benefit period (up to 60 days over your lifetime).

• Beyond lifetime reserve days

Medicare is mailing new Medicare cards starting in April 2018. Here are ten things you need to know about your new Medicare card.

1. Mailing takes time: Your card may arrive at a different time than your friend’s or neighbor’s.

2. Destroy your old Medicare card: Once you get your new Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new card right away.

3. Guard your card: Only give your new Medicare Number to doctors, pharmacists, other health care providers, your insurers, or people you trust to work with Medicare on your behalf.

4. Your Medicare Number is unique: Your card has a new number instead of your Social Security Number. This new number is unique to you.

5. Your new card is paper: Paper cards are easier for many providers to use and copy, and they save taxpayers a lot of money. Plus, you can print your own replacement card if you need one!

6. Keep your new card with you: Carry your new card and show it to your health care providers when you need care.