Is your Medicare Advantage plan ending next year?
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plan → end → ?
Here's what to know
A slew of Medicare Advantage plans are disappearing for next year, leaving seniors in many areas with fewer options.
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slew → know → options
In 193 counties across the country, no plans are offered at all.
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plans → offer → country
Medicare's annual open enrollment period kicked off October 15 and runs until December 7, and seniors enrolled in those privatized Medicare plans that are closing in certain markets should carefully review their options.
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that → kick → options
Medicare Advantage means private insurers run Medicare for older Americans who choose it over traditional Medicare, where the federal government itself administers the program.
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government → mean → program
More than half of the 70 million Americans in Medicare choose Medicare Advantage.
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half → choose → Advantage
It's popular because it covers services like vision and dental, often with lower premiums than traditional Medicare.
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it → cover → Medicare
It also often folds in the "Part D" drug benefit, simplifying that decision.
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It → fold → decision
But a downside of Medicare Advantage is that companies can pick and choose where they offer plans.
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they → pick → plans
If a certain community is not profitable, a company can leave that market.
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company → leave → market
And that has been happening on an increasingly large scale the last three years, according to research published in JAMA.
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that → happen → JAMA
Who is affected
Big swaths of rural America are losing Medicare Advantage choices and so are some major metro areas.
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areas → affect → choices
Last year, 2.9 million seniors were in Medicare Advantage plans that closed up shop, according to JAMA.
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that → close → JAMA
This year, an analysis of insurance company announcements by An Arm and A Leg podcast, shows at least 2 million people will be affected.
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people → show → podcast
Other preliminary estimates range from 3.2 million to 5 million seniors.
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estimates → range → seniors
About 35 million people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage.
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people → enrol → Advantage
According to an analysis of federal data by the health policy research organization KFF, the 193 counties that will have zero Medicare Advantage plans are mostly rural.
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that → accord → plans
Last year that number was about 120 counties without a plan offered.
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number → offer → plan
KFF's numbers also show that there will be far fewer plans offered in some metro areas.
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numbers → show → areas
Dallas, Minneapolis, Seattle, Houston and Portland all have between a quarter and a third fewer Medicare Advantage plans for seniors.
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Dallas → have → seniors
What happens next
If your plan is ending, and you don't choose another, the insurance company will assign you to another Medicare Advantage plan or the government will enroll you in traditional Medicare — but without a supplemental or drug plan.
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government → happen → plan
If you want to switch from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare and your plan is ending, you can enroll in a Medicare supplemental plan — also known as Medigap — without the same restrictions that you would normally have.
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you → want → that
If you have a pre-existing condition that has prevented you from enrolling in Medigap before, that could be good news.
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that → have → Medigap
Another wrinkle this year is that insurance companies can cap enrollments on some of the Medicare Advantage plans that they do offer.
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they → cap → that
Which means: If you wait to sign up, a plan you want might already be full.
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you → mean → ?
The companies are supposed to enroll people on a first-come, first-serve basis — and not cherry-pick customers based on health conditions, age, or demographics.
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companies → suppose → conditions
Another reason not to delay is that with so many people on the hunt for new plans, it may take longer than usual to get help.
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it → delay → help
- Find out if your plan is still offered:
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plan → find → ?
Medicare Advantage plans that are closing should have sent letters the first week in October.
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that → close → October
You can also log in to your account on Medicare.gov to check your plan's status for next year.
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You → log → year
The name's not easy to remember or particularly descriptive, but it's free, mandated by the federal government, and the staff and volunteers are required to give you unbiased information on all available options.
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staff → remember → options
Your county may have a specific number that you can find on your state's SHIP website.
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you → have → website
- Look for local Medicare counseling services: Friends, family, leaders at your place of worship, and the constituent services of your local elected officials may have the scoop on where you can get one-on-one help.
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you → look → help
The nonprofit Medicare Rights Center also has a national helpline, and a well-organized library of online guides.
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Center → have → guides
- Brokers can be helpful, but be savvy: You want a broker who's going to talk with you about all your options — including switching to traditional Medicare and a supplemental plan.
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who → want → Medicare
Ask if they sell plans from all available insurance carriers.
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they → ask → carriers
And ask if they answer questions about your plan year-round, because insurance never stops being confusing.
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insurance → ask → plan
- Double check what you see on Medicare.gov: Medicare's Plan Finder allows you to search plans online.
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you → check → plans
But lists of doctors and drugs that are covered can sometimes be wrong.
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that → cover → doctors
- Don't share your personal information with services you find online: Be careful where you share your personal information like your phone number.
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you → share → number
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
