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What To Do When Medicare Isn’t Needed Anymore

Question: I have a Medicare Advantage plan with Part D. My spouse got a new job and it will provide us both with health insurance. Can I drop my Medicare Advantage Plan and my Medicare Parts A & B? Answer: I have come across this scenario a couple of times recently. Your decision to enroll into a Medicare Advantage Plan was an appropriate decision to make, but now things have changed with your newly available employer coverage. The answer to your question could be yes or no, depending on a few different variables. Each part of Medicare has a slightly different answer as well, so I ...

Explaining The Process If No Changes Are Made In Open Enrollment

Question: I changed my plan during the Annual Open Enrollment Period and I still haven’t heard from my new plan, what do I do? Answer; This year I feel like everyone changed their coverage. But I realize that some of you do not. For those that didn’t change your coverage, you are all set. You don’t have to do anything but celebrate the holidays and enjoy winter in WNY. For those of you that did change your coverage for 2025 you are now waiting for your new plan information. The first item that will arrive will be a confirmation letter of your enrollment. This confirmation has ...

What To Do With Medicare Prescription Payment Plan Forms

Question: I got a Medicare Prescription Payment Plan form from my insurance company, am I supposed to signing up for this? Answer: The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan is a brand new option for those with Medicare Part D coverage. We call this option the M3P, so you may see it referred to as that. The M3P option allows you to spread out the high cost of your medications across the entire year of 2025. If you complete this form and mail it back to your Insurance Company, when you go to the pharmacy you will not have to pay for your medication and will instead receive a monthly bill ...

How To Handle Insurance If You’re Satisfied

Question: I looked at my insurance for 2025, it looks good and I don’t want to change my plan. Now what do I do? Answer: I spend a lot of time talking about changing your insurance coverage. But there are many individuals with Medicare who are looking at their coverage for 2025 and are finding it to still be a good and a useful product to them. The Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period is well underway and we are hearing this from some individuals. The 2025 year has been a big year of change and there are many insurance plans that will not be available in the new year (at least 12 ...

Sorting Through The Deluge Of Insurance Mail

Question: I have been getting so much mail about insurance coverage and different plans. What is happening? Answer: There is so much insurance information flying around, it is hard to know what to pay attention to. What information is accurate and complete, and what is information just sent to you, so that you call and ask questions, so they can convince you to change your coverage? This question is similar to one I answered a couple weeks back, but a slightly different take on the issue. Each year between October 1 and December 7th everyone with Medicare gets slammed with mail from ...

Time Is Coming To Learn What Medication Will Cost Next Year

Question: I know what my medications cost me this year, but how will I know how much it will be next year? Answer: Each year we have insurance, the cost structures change. It doesn’t matter if we have employee health insurance, retiree coverage, Medicare coverage or a Marketplace plan. Insurance almost always changes year to year. As we approach the last quarter of 2024, we all begin looking to 2025 with anticipation. I want to focus on Medicare, since that is my specialty. In 2025 there are some major changes to Medicare Part D Standard Coverage. These changes have been widely ...