Free resources can help with Medicare decisions

Dear Savvy Senior: I’m considering making changes in my Medicare coverage during the open-enrollment period. Can you recommend any free resources that can help with my choices? — Swapping Senior

Dear Swapping: There are several good resources to help you choose Medicare coverage that better suits your needs, and they are free to use.

As you may know, each year during Medicare’s open enrollment — Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 — all Medicare beneficiaries can change their coverage without penalty. Doing so, given that insurers are constantly tweaking their plans and offerings, could help lower your premiums or give you access to better care. Any changes you make to your coverage will take effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Important tools

To get help with your Medicare decisions, a good starting point is brushing up on the primary parts: traditional Medicare, Medicare Advantage, supplemental (Medigap) policies and prescriptiondrug coverage. Medicare publishes an excellent guide called “Medicare & You,” which you can access at medicare.gov/medicareand-you.

If you are already enrolled in Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Part D prescription-drug plan, it’s important that you read and understand your “Annual Notice of Changes” and “Evidence of Coverage,” which should have arrived in the mail this month. These documents explain how your existing coverage will change in 2019 and how much you’ll pay.

Your next step is to go Medicare’s online Plan Finder tool at medicare. gov/find-a-plan. Here you can enter some basic information — your Medicare number and prescription drugs (name and dosage) — and it will produce a list of possible health-care plans in your area, the costs involved, drug coverage and customer-satisfaction ratings. Or, if you don’t have internet access, or don’t feel confident working through the information on your own, you can call Medicare at 800-633-4227 and a customer service representative will help you.

Free advice

If you want personalized help with a Medicare specialist, contact the Medicare Rights Center or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.

The Medicare Rights Center is a nonprofit group (medicareinteractive. org) that offers a national helpline (800-333-4114) where staff members answer questions about Medicare and can help you choose coverage at no charge.

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, which may go by a different name in your state, provides free one-on-one counseling in person or over the phone to beneficiaries, as well as family members and/or caregivers. SHIPs are federally funded programs that are not connected to any insurance company or health plan. To find a SHIP counselor in your area, see shiptacenter.org or call the Eldercare Locator at 800677-1116.

Another good resource, if you’re interested in choosing a new Medicare Advantage plan, is the HealthMetrix Research Cost Share Report at medicarenewswatch.com. This free website lists the best Advantage plans by area based on your health status.

Agent assistance

Another way to get free assistance with your Medicare Advantage, prescription drug or Medigap plans is to use an agent or broker who specializes in Medicarerelated insurance in your state. These people get paid a commission to sell you a policy from the insurance providers they represent.

There are federal rules and state laws governing agents or brokers who sell Medicare plans. For example, they cannot show up uninvited at your house to pitch a plan or try to lure you with a cash offer. They also cannot legally charge you a fee to process your enrollment.

It’s also important to understand that commission-based agents and brokers will present only the Medicare plans they represent, rather than all the plans in your market. So you may miss out on some plans that could benefit you.