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Medicare sign at Walmart. | Photo by Mike Mozart CC BY 2.0
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By Suzanne Potter, Producer
Nearly 6.5 million Californians on Medicare can change their plan during the open enrollment period, which just got underway and runs through Dec. 7.
People can go to Medicare.gov or call 1-800-Medicare.
Stephanie Fajuri, program director at the Center for Health Care Rights in Los Angeles County, said the number one thing she recommends before making a change is to confirm which plans your doctor will accept next year.
“Every year we see people make a change, only to find out in January that their doctor is no longer in network,” Fajuri observed. “We like to help people avoid that.”
Experts said it is important to compare the plans’ copays and deductibles, not just the monthly premiums. People should also ask about mental health benefits, as many plans now offer zero copays for telehealth visits with a counselor.
Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer and executive vice president of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual, said websites like JustPlainClear.com explain the jargon and lay out the differences between Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
“Original Medicare isn’t going to cover a lot of things related to dental and vision and hearing,” Randall pointed out. “It’s very much limited to more serious medical conditions, whereas many Medicare Advantage plans are going to offer more comprehensive specialty benefits for dental, vision and hearing.”
Some good news: Starting in January, the Biden administration’s new $2,000 out-of-pocket maximum goes into effect, which means everyone using the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit will have their costs capped at $2,000 per year.
Meanwhile, open enrollment dates vary for other types of health plans. People with employer-sponsored coverage typically select a plan during a two-to-three week period between September and December. And open enrollment for plans on Covered California runs from November first to January 31st. More information is available at www.UHCOpenEnrollment.com.
Disclosure: UnitedHealthcare contributes to Public News Service’s fund for reporting on Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, visit https://www.publicnewsservice.org/dn1.php.
