- Learn how to cover medical needs by Medicare part C
Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part C is another insurance choice for people with Original Medicare. This part of Medicare covers Part A and B with supplementary services like dental care, vision care, prescription drugs, hearing aids, and more. Medicare Part C is the best option if you cannot just rely on hospital and medical insurance. This additional coverage is offered by private insurance companies. Medicare Part C has
- Coverage for vision services
- Coverage for dental services
- Wellness coverage
- Coverage for hearing services
- Prescription drug coverage
People suffering from ESRD are now eligible for a wider range of Medicare Plan C in 2021. This wider coverage is possible due to laws passed by congress. Most plans had limit people with ESRD to Special Needs Plan (SNP) before this law. You can enroll in this plan three months before you turn 65 years old. Do not panic if you missed the chance of initial enrollment, open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7 every year. You can sign up and compare Medicare Part C from Social Security Administration website and Medicare’s plan finder tool, respectively. Some major insurance companies are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, HealthPartners, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthcare. The plan you choose will determine the cost of Medicare Part C. Your financial status and lifestyle will also affect the cost of the plan. You have to pay a monthly premium for Medicare Part C but some are free means they have zero-premium. Plan C may have plan deductible and drug deductible but many have no deductibles. You have to pay for every visit to the doctor or prescription drug refill, this payment is called a copayment. Coinsurance is the decided percentage amount that has to pay after meeting the deductible’s cost.
Health Maintenance Organization plans are the common option for Medicare Part C. You can receive medical services from in-network doctors or get a referral for a specialist according to your choice. Additional services are also provided by a popular healthcare plan called Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs). PPO offers you more freedom because you can select your preferred doctors, specialists, and healthcare facilities. This type of plan is convenient but expensive. You can also choose from Private Fee-for-Services (PFFS), Special Needs Plans (SNPs), and Medicare Savings Accounts (MSAs) according to your medical needs. Different benefits are offered by these plans; you can choose the best fit for your needs.
- Take benefit of extra coverage with Medicare part D
Medicare’s prescription drug coverage or Medicare Part D covers the medication cost that is not covered by Medicare Part A and B. Federal government pays 3/4th of medication cost for Medicare Part D, but you still have to pay monthly premiums, copays, and deductibles. Cost and coverage may vary according to your plan choice. Check all options before choosing a plan to select the best for you. You become eligible for plan D if you have already enrolled in Part A or Part B. This type of coverage is optional. You cannot get enrolled automatically in Medicare Part D. Late enrollment penalties may apply so, you must enroll from October 15 to December 7 every year. Coverage of the plan depends upon the list of medications. Most of the plans cover the cost of major vaccines without any copay. Always make sure that your desired medications are covered by the plan before selecting them especially if you take any costly brand-name medications. Two to many medications are included in the plan from most prescribed categories of medications. The doctor must explain why the prescription is needed if he prescribes a medication that is not present in the list. Each case for the exception is decided individually.