Few things are more important than having the right insurance coverage. About ten years ago, I was involved in a near-fatal crash where I experienced traumatic physical and emotional injuries. It was really challenging for me to endure the hospital stay and subsequent physical rehabilitation, but with the help of my medical team and my insurance company, I was able to overcome the challenge and completely recover. This blog is all about the importance of choosing the right insurance plan so that you can get on with your life and enjoy those precious years with your family and your friends.
Due to increases in providers offering Medicare insurance, narrowing down your choices can be challenging. Each provider offers different pricing, benefits, and partnerships with various pharmacies and medical care providers. Here are some tips you can use to narrow down your choices and select the plan that is right for you.
Find Out What Is New
Changes are routinely made to Medicare insurance. Those changes can have an impact on which providers offer the coverage you need. Before sorting through the benefits from each provider, start by finding out what changes were made to Medicare.
While reviewing the changes listed in the Medicare coverage booklet provided by the federal government, write down which changes are important to you. The changes could potentially lower your costs and give you more access to coverage that could improve your overall quality of life.
Talk to Your Doctor
As changes are made to the coverage offered through Medicare insurance, some medical care providers will start or stop accepting insurance from certain providers. If you have a medical care provider that you want to continue receiving services from, find out which plans he or she is willing to accept. You can use this information to narrow your choices.
If your provider is no longer accepting the coverage, check the insurance providers you are considering to determine if you can be reimbursed for some or all of the payments made to an out-of-network medical care provider. Whether or not providers do can factor into your decision.
Check Your Medications
The prescription drugs that insurance providers are willing to cover can change from year to year. If your prescription drugs are not covered, you could be faced with paying the full price for your medications.
Before choosing a provider, check with the ones you are considering to determine if your medications are being covered. If they are covered, you also need to determine the co-payments and deductibles you will have to pay to get your medications.
It is important to note that some insurance providers have a preferred pharmacy within their networks. The preferred pharmacy offers discounted prescription drugs that can save you significantly on your out-of-pocket expenses. Take the time to find out if the provider you are considering has a preferred pharmacy and the discount amount for your medications.
Consult with a Medicare insurance agent or specialist to find other ways you can narrow down your choices when selecting a plan.
Share6 July 2016
