South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans Archives

Medicare Advantage 2010: Annual Enrollment Period Less than Two Weeks Away

November 4, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

Although it may make things more difficult for those who are on Medicare Advantage plans and those who work with them, the annual 45-day enrollment period is what we have to work with. And, this year’s AEP is nearly here.

The 2009 period (for the 2010 plans) is expected to be especially interesting, as there are at least 4 major Medicare Advantage companies pulling out of the Medicare Advantage marketplace completely. This represents hundreds of thousands of customers nationwide that have to find a new company/plan. These individuals also have a special right to purchase a Medigap plan, if they so choose, which they would otherwise have to qualfiy for medically by answering medical questions. However, due to the involuntary loss of their current Medicare Advantage plan, these individuals can choose either a Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan of their choice, with no pre-existing condition exclusions or ability to be turned down.

There are some very good Medicare Advantage plans still in South Carolina for 2010, despite many changes overall to the plans, which has led the aforementioned plans to drop out completely and other plans to raise premiums and/or reduce benefits.

To get information about the 2010 South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans or get quotes, visit South Carolina Medicare Quotes.

South Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans: Still Some Good Options

October 15, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans for 2010 are beginning to be released. Despite much concern among seniors that there will not be any more good choices for the privatized version of Medicare, there appears to still be some South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans that will be advantageous to South Carolina seniors.

As always, Medicare Advantage plans may be a good option for you if you cannot afford a Medicare Supplement, qualify medically for a Medicare Supplement, or if you are in very good health with few medical expenses.

The 2010 South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans feature plans with premiums starting at $0. Many of these plans include prescription drug coverage, dental insurance and vision/hearing insurance also.

If you have had Medicare Advantage in the past, or have it now, this is the perfect time to compare your options. As you have probably seen (or will see soon), a good number of the plans are either leaving the Medicare Advantage program altogether or greatly increasing premiums. What was a good option for 2009 may not be a good option for the upcoming year.

To compare options and get information on the plans that are available in your specific county, visit South Carolina Medicare Insurance Quotes. For faster service by email, please enter “MA” and your county of residence in the “Comments” box. We will get back in touch with the relevant information about the plans in your area within 24 hours (usually within one hour!).

Filed Under: 2010 plans, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans · Tagged: SC Medicare Advantage, South Carolina Medicare Advantage, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans

2010 South Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans

October 12, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

The 2010 South Carolina Medicare Advantage Annual Coordinated Election Period (AEP) is near. It begins November 15 and lasts through December 31.

Because of the significant changes that have been made to the Medicare Advantage program for 2010, it is more important than ever to do a full comparison of your options in order to make an informed decision on which plan would be best for you in 2010.

If your current plan is changing, either premiums or benefits, as most are, the probability is high that you will be able to find another plan that better meets your specific health and benefit needs.

As you may already know, Medicare Advantage plans are a privatized version of the government’s Medicare program that covers some things not typically covered under traditional Medicare. The benefits (and premiums) on these plans range greatly from company to company and from county to county.

To access Secure Medicare Solutions Medicare Advantage information / quotes system, and get the customized information sent to you, visit South Carolina Medicare Advantage.

Filed Under: 2010 plans, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans · Tagged: 2010 Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Advantage

South Carolina Medicare Supplement Plans Brace for Influx of Medicare Advantage Customers

September 28, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

With the already-set and anticipated changes to the Medicare Part C Medicare Advantage program for 2010, Medicare Supplement plans in South Carolina and nationwide are bracing themselves for what they expect to be an “onslaught” of new customers to the Medicare + Medicare Supplement marketplace.

South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans are expected to see increases in premium of $40-70, on average, for 2010, as well as reducing some of the benefits that they have provided in the past. In addition, the days of the $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans are, most likely, gone (or almost gone). Medicare Supplement companies are expecting, and rightfully so, that many of these people will find themselves searching for Medicare Supplement plan options to replace their Medicare Advantage plans.

With Medicare Advantage plans increasing in premium to levels of some of the lower tier supplement plans, plus having more cost-sharing (i.e. co-pays and deductibles), most companies and those in the industry project that the supplement plans will be a more viable option for this Medicare enrollees in 2010.

Coupled with the sharp increase in the last two years of companies dropping retiree insurance, the last two months of this year are projected to be the busiest ever for Medicare Supplement enrollments.

With this information in mind, if you plan to disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan this enrollment season (or, even if you are changing to a new plan), it is advisable to get an early start on doing so. Companies, agents and Medicare itself are expected to be very busy this enrollment season. Below are a couple of resources if this situation applies to you:

Here is a reference article about some of the projected South Carolina Medicare Advantage changes.
Also, here is some information about leaving a South Carolina Medicare Advantage plan (if this situation applies to you).

Filed Under: Health care reform, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: Health care reform, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplement, South Carolina Medicare Supplements

Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment

August 28, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

South Carolina Medicare Supplement policyholders often ask me about the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment period, thinking that it takes place at the end of the year (November-December). However, Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment is not a once-a-year occurrence. It occurs only when someone is turning 65 or first signing up for Medicare Part B – NOT each year on an annual basis.

In other words, you can change or add a Medicare Supplement plan at any time during the year, not just during a once-a-year period. Many people do elect to evaluate their options once a year at the end of the year; however, this is not the only time that you can do it. In fact, you are likely to get more attention from the company or broker you are dealing with if you evaluate/change plans in the middle of the year.

Many people get confused about this, in part, because South Carolina Medicare Part D does have a once-a-year Annual Election Period (AEP), and it is November 15-December 31 each year. Also, the Medicare Advantage plans, the privatized version of Medicare, do also have enrollment/disenrollment restrictions, which include a certain times of the year for you to enroll or disenroll from those plans.

Maybe the best time of all to review your South Carolina Medicare Supplements coverage is whenever your rates change. Since coverage is Federally-standardized, there is never any reason to pay more than the bottom-line price for your supplement insurance.

Filed Under: Medicare insurance news, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: Annual Election Period, Open Enrollment, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements

Health Care Reform – How Will It Affect Medicare?

July 22, 2009 by Garrett Ball · 1 Comment

Even if you wanted to, you cannot escape the talk of health care reform these days. It is everywhere in printed, online and television media. As a leading, independent resource for Medicare and Medicare insurance news, Secure Medicare Solutions has closely examined both sides of how the proposed bill will affect those on Medicare. Our goal is to give you an unbiased look at how some of the proposed changes will affect you and your Medicare and/or Medicare insurance.

Proposed Reform: Better Pricing for Part D Drugs
How it Affects You: This is a proposed change to assist in regulating the pharmaceutical industry and controlling drug prices. Medicare Part D aims to do this by negotiating better overall prices for Part D drugs, which should, over time, reduce the Part D premiums and co-pays that Medicare-eligible individuals have to pay. Some headway has been made on this already, with the pharmaceutical industry agreeing to a 50% cut for those that reach the dreaded “donut hole” (details for this are still pending).

Proposed Reform: Reduce Medicare Payments to Private Insurers (Medicare Advantage)
How it Affects You: If you have been paying much attention to the health care debate, you have heard the Medicare Advantage program mentioned numerous times. The projected change is to base the payments to these private insurers on an average of the plans’ bids, rather than the system now which is a standardized government-set amount. For those on Medicare Advantage, this reduced funding will, most likely, lead to an increase in premium and/or reduced benefits. For everyone on Medicare, it should lead to the ability to reduce the Medicare Part B premium.

Proposed Reform: Link Payments to Hospitals to Hospital Performance
How it Affects You: The idea to link hospital payments for Medicare patients to hospital performance has been around for a while, and it is a major part of the proposed health care reform. It’s intention is to increase overall hospital efficiency and give hospitals an economic incentive to “do right” by the patient. Some feel that this will lead to greater efficiency at hospitals, while others believe it will lead to greater dishonesty and fraud within the system. If it is a part of any legislation that is passed, we’ll find out for sure!

Proposed Reform: Standardization of Payments to Skilled Nursing Facilities/Long-term Care Facilities
How it Affects You: This provision of proposed legislation is intended to cut waste in the current Medicare system by measuring actual costs to come up with a more uniform system for reimbursing these facilities through Medicare. It remains to be seen if this will affect the quality of care received if in one of these facilities; however, the overall goal is to reduce waste in this part of the system and reduce the cost of Medicare to all Medicare-eligible individuals.

Proposed Reform: Reduce/Regulate Fraud, Waste and Abuse in the Medicare System
How it Affects You: This is the proposed reform that most everyone can agree upon. There have been many ideas tossed around as to how to do this. One of the primary ways that this is projected to be accomplished is higher scrutiny of health care providers and hospitals. Additional pre-payment reviews will be implemented, particularly on doctors/hospitals that order a significant amount of high-risk or high-cost procedures. Over time, this is intended to reduce the cost of Medicare (Part B premium, etc) to the individual.

Regardless of which side of the debate you come down on, it is obviously important to keep an eye on how it will all play out and how it will affect you. At Secure Medicare Solutions, we will do our part to keep you updated on any changes. You can always get updated information and follow along with us at Secure Medicare Solutions: An informative Medicare Insurance and Medicare Supplement Blog.

Filed Under: Medicare insurance news, Medicare News, Part D, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: Health care reform, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Medicare Supplements

South Carolina Medicare Supplements — When is Open Enrollment?

July 21, 2009 by Garrett Ball · Leave a Comment

I get asked this question all the time: “I have a Medicare Supplement. When does that open enrollment period start again?” When you have employer-sponsored insurance, as many people do during their working lives, you get accustomed to having a certain period of the year in which you can make changes. Plus, you are inundated with the Medicare Advantage and Part D (prescription drug) advertising, phone calls and mailings trumpeting the onset of the annual open enrollment period.

Overlooked in all of this is the fact that, for South Carolina Medicare Supplement plans, there is no certain open enrollment period. You can change Medicare supplement plans at any time, as long as you can qualify medically.

However, Medicare Advantage plans and Part D prescription drug coverage plans, do have an annual enrollment period, which runs from Nov 15-Dec. 31 of each calendar year. Then, Medicare Advantage plans have an additional enrollment period (with some stipulations) from Jan. 1-Mar. 31.

If you have a Medicare Supplement, though, don’t be confused. The best time to re-evaluate your coverage and save money is during the middle of the year when no one else is doing it!

Filed Under: Part D, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: Open Enrollment period, South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans, South Carolina Medicare Supplements