It’s that time of year when you need to consider what’s best for you or a loved one when it comes to their health care coverage. The annual enrollment period for Medicare is happening right now for those who qualify.
Morgan Buchko, the vice president of community partnerships for CCA Health Michigan, appeared on “Live In The D” to share four things to know during open enrollment period.
First, Buchko started with the basics. She explained that Medicare is a federal health care insurance program for people 65 and older, or for people under 65 if they have certain qualifying health conditions or disabilities.
Next, Buchko explained why you should think about your ABCD’s, and it’s not the alphabet we were taught as children.
Instead, she explained that this refers to the different parts of Medicare. Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, and home care. Part B covers doctor’s visits and medical supplies. When you combine parts A and B together, you get original Medicare, she said. Buchko explained that Part C is a special kind of Medicare program called Medicare Advantage. Part D covers prescription drugs and some vaccinations.
Third, Buchko talked about the dates for the open enrollment period, which are October 15 to Dec. 7.
Finally, she talked about the extra benefits of Medicare Advantage plans. According to Buchko, every Medicare Advantage plan will cover the same core benefits, but there will be different extra benefits depending on the plan.
CCA Health Michigan is offering two different Medicare Advantage plans this year, which are the CCA Medicare Excel plan and the CCA Medicare Maximum plan. CCA Health Michigan plans have a contract with Medicare and with Michigan’s Medicaid. Enrollment into these plans requires renewal of these contracts.
Watch the video above for more information.