Question: I have been hearing so much about insurance changes and Health Care Reform going away. How is my insurance changing? Who do I believe?!?

Answer: This is such a confusing time of year! There is so much insurance information flying around, it is hard to know what to pay attention to. Add to that confusion the recent election and all that rhetoric, promises and proclamations, it hard to know what to do.

Here is what I know. Every product changes in some way each year, whether it is in the premium you pay each month for the insurance, the amount you pay at providers or the co-pays you pay at the pharmacy for your medications.

You also change each year, in the medications you take, the doctors you see, and how often you see them, etc. These may all change year to year.

So each year it is reasonable to review your insurance and see if it still works for you. That time of year for everyone with Medicare is now, Annual Open Enrollment (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7). So review your insurance and make sure it is still an appropriate coverage for you.

Each year before this enrollment period comes around there are all kinds of ‘people in the know’ who predict what is going to happen before it is formally announced. I will use the Medicare Part B premiums as an example. Earlier this year I heard the Medicare Part B premium would increase to almost $180 per month. The Medicare Part B deductible was predicted to go to $204 per year. So let’s look at what actually happened. As you may remember last week’s article was exactly that, the new rates announced by Medicare for 2017. The Medicare Part B premium is $134 and the Part B deductible is $183. Both of those figures are significantly below what was predicted by the media earlier in the year.

Remember that much of what we HEAR on the news and READ in the paper is about ‘predicted changes’ or ‘promised reforms’ or ‘Bills introduced in Congress.’ All of those are ideas, options or things that may happen. I usually reassure my clients and people I talk to that until I see it in writing on the www.medicare.gov website, or the Medicare & You handbook, I don’t believe it.

That doesn’t necessarily mean we should ignore everything we see or read or hear about. But we also need to learn to filter out what is yet to be fact and what is media hype created just to distract us from what is important.

Health Care changes every year. Sometimes for the better, sometimes it’s not as good. Watch for information from YOUR company, with YOUR name on it. That is more likely to be accurate. Also remember that if you don’t like what they are offering for the new year, you can change it.

Look at the material that your insurance company sends to you. Review what it says with someone who can help you. Know that the insurance products available in 2017 are already set in stone. There may be changes to Health Care Reform (and potentially Medicare), but they will probably happen in 2018 or later. Also most of those rules associated with that law do not impact those with Medicare. You have Medicare, which in my opinion is the best we have to offer when thinking about insurance!

As I look to 2017, I look for positive changes and outcomes. But I try to do that every year. I do have a tendency to run around occasionally with ‘The Sky is Falling!!!’ attitude. Those that work with me wait until I voice my concerns, then they smile and pat me on the back. My panics usually don’t last long. I then take a deep breath and greet the new day with a new attitude and a goal to help others whenever possible.

To contact Janell Sluga, GCMC with questions or concerns, please call 720-9797 or e-mail her at janells@lutheran-jamestown.org.