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

November 4, 2009 by · 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.

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

South Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans: Still Some Good Options

October 15, 2009 by · 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: , ,

2010 South Carolina Medicare Advantage Plans

October 12, 2009 by · 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: ,

South Carolina Medicare Resources

August 24, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

For South Carolina Medicare enrollees, there are many resources through which you can get answers to your questions, obtain information about your benefits, and evaluate your current coverage. We’ve compiled a few of those resources below with links to the corresponding web sites:

  1. South Carolina Medicare Insurance – Medicare in SC – This is the home page for Secure Medicare Solutions, which is a leading, independent resource for Medicare and Medicare insurance information in South Carolina. At the site, you can research information about your South Carolina Medicare Supplements coverage or South Carolina Medicare Part D information.
  2. South Carolina Medicare Minutes – South Carolina Medicare Minutes is an independent blog and reference for all things related to South Carolina Medicare and Medicare insurance. The blog has frequent updates about things of interest to those who have Medicare in the Palmetto state.
  3. Medicare.gov – The Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare – Medicare.gov is the official government Medicare site. This site give you information about how the various parts of Medicare work overall, how they work with one another, as well as information about how to sign up for the various parts of Medicare.
  4. Center for Medicare Advocacy – This is an independent site with unbiased information about Medicare and how it works. You can get the answers to a lot of frequently asked questions on this site.
  5. Garrett Ball – EzineArticles.com Expert Author – This is the main site for EzineArticles.com, which is a leading, human-reviewed article site, which compiles qualified articles from expert authors from around the world. Garrett Ball, who has been given the designation of expert author, writes articles particularly about South Carolina Medicare Insurance, which can be found on his author home page.
Filed Under: General, Medicare insurance news, Medicare News, South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: , , , ,

South Carolina Medicare Plans

July 8, 2009 by · Leave a Comment

South Carolina Medicare Plans fall into two categories. The first category is South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans; the second is South Carolina Medicare Supplements.

South Carolina Medicare Advantage plans are a privatized version of the government’s original Medicare. With these plans, the insured has coverage provided exclusively by a private company. You still pay your premium (Medicare Part B) to Medicare; however, the private companies provides your insurance. These plans have typically been more popular in urban areas, where there are more doctors that accept the plans. With these plans, the insured has a system of cost-sharing (co-pays and deductibles) in exchange for a lower monthly premium and, sometimes, networks that the insured must stay within for full coverage.

South Carolina Medicare Supplements are plans that are designed to fill in the “gaps” in Medicare. These plans are standardized by the federal government (since 1992) and must follow the Medicare Supplements chart. Plans are accepted anywhere that takes original Medicare, and generally speaking, South Carolina Medicare Supplements pay the Medicare deductibles and the 20% at the doctor and hospital not covered by Medicare. There are some plans that do not cover the Medicare Part B deductible ($135/year in 2009); however, all of the plans, A-J, except one (Plan A), cover the larger Part A deductible ($1,068/year in 2009).

Questions about what the plans do and do not cover can be answered at: South Carolina Medicare Supplements or at Contact Secure Medicare Solutions.

Filed Under: South Carolina Medicare Supplements · Tagged: , ,