By LOIS KINDLE
This is the time of year when seniors everywhere are making decisions that will affect their healthcare for all of 2018.
From now through Dec. 7, whether you’re signing up for regular Medicare or you’re already covered by it, you can obtain or change a Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage plan and Part D drug plan. It’s vitally important to know what kind of coverage best fits your financial situation and health needs and, for most people, navigating the maze of options is daunting without assistance.
“Every year, there’s the potential for Medicare to make changes, and (if it does) we want people to know what they are and how they are affected,” said Marcie Maisonet, a licensed insurance agent and Medicare specialist who partners with Payant Insurance Solutions.
The company is hosting a series of free informational seminars to ensure you know the difference between purchasing a supplement, which covers all or most of the 20 percent of medical expenses Medicare doesn’t and Medicare C, a no- or low-cost advantage plan with co-pays, deductibles and coverage limitations. The seminars will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2; Friday, Nov. 10; Monday, Nov. 20; and Tuesday, Nov. 28 at the Payant Financial Plaza, 1653 Sun City Center Plaza in SCC. Refreshments will be served, and all area seniors are welcome.
Payant Financial Solutions will also offer free consultations and assistance to folks signing up for either kind of coverage and a Medicare D prescription plan or wanting a different option this year. Even if you’ve been to one of Payant’s past Medicare seminars, it’s recommended you come and learn about any changes, so you can make a change to suit your current situation, Maisonet said.
Trying to wade through the plethora of options is daunting, so Payant Insurance Solution’s experts can guide you through them. They’ll let you know what plans are available, the coverage each provides, the cost involved and what’s best for you, given your needs.
“There are two paths you can take,” said licensed agent Tom Payant, Payant Financial Solutions co-owner. “You have regular Medicare A and B, and you buy a supplement to cover the 20 percent-gaps Medicare doesn’t [pay] and a separate prescription plan (Medicare D).
“The alternative,” he continued, “is you sign up for Part C, a Medicare Advantage plan, where you opt for an insurance company to provide your benefits as the primary provider.”
Payant speaks from experience.
“When I first turned 65, I decided to get Part C, not really understanding what it was,” he said. “I learned by doing that I was subject to all the limitations the insurance company sets (the choice of doctor, hospital, need for referrals and so on).”
Payant met Maisonet the following year and switched to Medicare F, one of 11 government-approved supplement options Medicare offers.
“The ‘F’ stands for fabulous,” he said of the plan. “I can go to any doctor (without a referral) anywhere.”
Now he said he has peace of mind, and he wants others to know about it and the other Medicare supplement options.
“I’ve had widows tell me if their husbands had the option to go to a different doctor or hospital while they were alive, they would still be here today,” Payant said.
“Being on regular Medicare with a supplement is the best health coverage you can have.”