Health Insurance Important Enrollment Timelines!

By Ulla-Undine Merritt (Dee) National Producer Number (NPN) 8853366

*Medicare 2023 Annual Enrollment Period – October 15-Dec 7, 2022, effective January 1st, 2023
*Individual/Family – Affordable Care Act – Marketplace- November 1 – December 15th, 2022, for January 1st, 2023

There is a proposal in to all an extension to the Individual/Family enrollment for December 15th to January 15th for February 1st, 2023, effective, we are still awaiting further guidance.

The above dates are the timelines that you can make changes for the following year. All Medicare enrollees should check their plans each year. Part D formularies, tiers, and prices all change, so it is important to make sure you are in the correct plan and going to that companies preferred pharmacy for your best savings. Medicare Advantage Plans Part C, (you use 1 card the same one for doctor, hospital and rx) you need to check if your doctors will be in the plan for 2023 and check to see if the plan you are on is the best for your medications and again going to the preferred pharmacy that works best with your plan. Medicare Supplements DO NOT have an annual enrollment period, once you apply and continue to pay your premium your plan continues year over year. Medicare Supplements – after your 1st 6-month of triggering Medicare Part B you need to medically qualify. So, during Annual Enrollment Period you can always go back to Original Medicare, but you may NOT qualify for a Medicare Supplement so be careful if you drop your supplement, as you may not be able to get it back. Even if you qualify you will be older, and the same plan will probably cost you more.

In September the insurance company you are with will send you a notification of change packet, it will list only the changes. Even if they look slight you should really shop your plan to see if it is still the best for you. There is no charge to you to work with an insurance broker that sells all the companies, you want an agent that does them all or at least most of the carriers in your area. October 1st agents and individuals will have access to see all the 2023 plan, we can not do applications until October 15th. If you do an application on 10/15 or 12/7, the effective date will be 1/1/2023.

Great news for Diabetic’s this year as most of the carriers have lowered the Tier of the insulin and some even have it in their Tier 1 or 2 which may have a $0 copay. The competition is heating up and we think there will be a lot of positive changes for 2023.

Medicare things to know…
CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
CMS regulates marketing and plan presentations, including when companies are allowed to market, and how they market. Unsolicited direct contact that was not requested or initiated by the consumer is prohibited. This includes in-person (e.g., door-to-door marketing), telephonic (e.g., outbound telemarketing), electronic (e.g., email, voicemail messages, text messages) solicitation. DO NOT give anyone that contacts you without your permission your personal information.

There are companies that are using unethical marketing practices; do not let yourself be taken advantage of. Medicare and Social Security will never call you unless you reached out to them for a return call. There are companies calling individuals pretending to be Medicare, claiming to be there to help. Again, Medicare will not call you to enroll you in a plan! Some companies that may have your prescription Part D drug plan have been calling customers saying they are entitled to some free benefits. They try to switch you to an Advantage Plan Part C because they are more profitable. If that occurs you will not have Original Medicare anymore and, since it is illegal to have an Advantage Plan and a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) at the same time, you will lose your Medicare Supplement plan. You might never be able to get a supplement plan again. You must medically qualify for a supplement plan; if when you re-apply you are older and have developed illnesses that come with age, you could be ineligible.

Florida is an entry age state for Medicare Supplements; this means that all premium increases will be based off the age you were when you joined the plan. There are lower cost Medicare Supplements that work well if you are healthy and do not need a lot of care. The price of the lower cost supplement plan plus the out-of-pocket maximum you could pay if you got really sick is still less than the out-of-pocket maximum cost of most Advantage Plans. Insurance agents and insurance companies like to sell Advantage Plans because they make more money. I’m not saying they are bad, but you need to understand the true differences and what could happen in the future.

Individual/Family Medical Insurance – There are other options available if you do not have pre-existing conditions. These plans can be a lot less expensive especially if you do not qualify for government subsidy. There are national carriers that offer particularly good plans with comprehensive coverage. You can buy them any time during the year. Do not go without coverage!

Pet Insurance – Our fur babies need insurance coverage too. The younger you start the less it costs as vet bills escalate. Most of us would do anything for our 4-legged loved ones. Why not cover them as well. There are a wide range of deductibles and copays. In most cases coverage starts for less than $1.00 a day. Pre-existing medical conditions in most cases are NOT covered, so the earlier the better.

You should really work with a local broker to explore all your options. Don’t invite strangers into your house or give them your personal information over the phone. With social media, Facebook, WebEx solicitation if you do not know them, please be careful. There are so many scams out there. Go or call a local agent, build a relationship and if in the future you have a question you can back and see them.

Also remember when moving you may have a special enrollment period to apply or change your health insurance coverage. Also check your wills, trusts, and make sure they follow Florida’s laws and guidelines. Establish yourself with a local Insurance Broker, Attorney and CPA. Ask a professional; most of the time your first consultation is at no charge.

To learn more about your options call to schedule an appointment contact:
Logical Insurance Solutions for all your insurance needs, we are licensed in 29 states.

To learn more about your options, call to schedule an appointment: 

Logical Insurance Solutions for all your
insurance needs – Dee Merritt
info@logicalinsurance.com
www.Logicalinsurance.com 239-362-0855

*We also do a complimentary homeowners review