‘Your best bet’ is to stick with traditional Medicare

Medicare Open Enrollment season runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. There is an aggressive advertising campaign by Medicare Advantage plans urging seniors to change their coverage. They want you to give up your traditional Medicare (also called Original Medicare) and purchase their plans instead.

Medicare Advantage plans are a private insurance alternative to traditional Medicare A and B. These plans promise you additional coverage for dental, hearing and vision, and indeed, the upfront costs for premiums are quite attractive. However, if you get sick, an insurance company executive will be making your treatment decisions. You can be locked into narrow networks without adequate providers for your care. If you go outside their network, you may have limited or no coverage.

You will have high copays and deductibles. And you may have to fight for care that would be automatically approved under traditional Medicare.

In Humboldt County, people who need rehabilitation cannot seem to get it. The insurance company doesn’t have a contract with facilities or they refuse to pay for the care.

Your best bet for comprehensive medical care is to stick with traditional Medicare, along with a prescription drug plan and a Medicare Supplement plan, also called Medigap. With traditional Medicare and a Medigap plan, you can go to any hospital or doctor who accepts Medicare and you will have minimal out-of-pocket costs.

For the best advice, contact the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy office (HICAP) at the Area 1 Agency on Aging at 707-4443000.