Medicare users offered advice on plan options

The Medicare Advantage open enrollment period is Thursday to March 31.

STAFF REPORT

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Insurance, through its Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, is helping Ohio Medicare Advantage beneficiaries understand their plan options, providing enrollment assistance and explaining how to avoid predatory sales practices.

People on Medicare can make a single plan election into or out of a Medicare Advantage plan, sometimes referred to as Part C. This type of Medicare health coverage is comprehensive and can include prescription drug coverage.

“Beneficiaries are advised to carefully evaluate their plan options with the help of a family member or trusted adviser, not be pressured into making a quick decision and be aware of misleading sales pitches and promises that seem too good to be true,” said Mary Jo Hudson, director, Ohio Department of Insurance.

The Medicare Advantage open-enrollment period begins Thursday and continues through March 31.

People with Medicare can contact OSHIIP at (800) 686-1578 with their questions; for help determining a plan most suitable for their budget and health care needs; and to report any concerns regarding inappropriate or predatory sales practices by insurance agents and companies, Hudson said.

Here are the different coverage scenarios permitted during Medicare Advantage open enrollment, according to the Ohio Department of Insurance:

UIf a person on Medicare currently has a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage, he or she can use open enrollment to select a different Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage; can use original Medicare and a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan; or can use a private-fee-for-service plan and a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

UIf a person on Medicare has a Medicare Advantage plan with no Part D prescription drug coverage, he or she can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage plan or Original Medicare without prescription drug coverage.

UIf a person on Medicare currently has original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, he or she can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage or a private-fee-for-service plan with the same stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan.

UIf a person on Medicare has Original Medicare without a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, he or she can use open enrollment to select a Medicare Advantage plan without prescription drug coverage.