Gwen
A word about switching your Medicare Supplement/Medicare Advantage Plan,
USE CAUTION.
A nice person gives you a call on the phone and tells you they can save you some money by switching you to new Medicare Advantage plan. Sounds good right? But buyer beware! Though the plan they offer might be a plan that is approved by Medicare it might end up costing you in the end. Often there are costs they don’t tell you about in your meeting with the salesperson, like higher nursing home co-pays, or large co-pays when you visit a specialist, or a doctor who is not your primary physician. These plans can also have restrictions about what Dr’s you can see, as some of them are HMO’s. Though sometimes a Medicare Advantage plan is the right choice for certain individuals, if you are happy with the plan you have and were not seeking out a change until the salesperson contacted you on the phone there may not be a need for you to change. You could end up in a plan that is not right for you!!
Keep these things in mind:
1. the person calling you is a sales person and does get paid to sell you new insurance, while the plan may be legitimate they are motivated to get you to switch.
2. do your research BEFORE signing ANYTHING. Get the name of the plan and the name of the person. If it sounds good call either a case manager at NESCO (243-5252) OR a Benefit Specialist from CWAG (224-0606) tell them what you have been offered and let them help you research the plan further before you invite the sales person into your home or consider making a switch.
3. If you do switch and are unhappy you MAY be stuck with the plan for at least a year, or until there is an open enrollment period so you can switch. That’s why it is important to be sure that the plan you are switching to is what you really want.
When in doubt just call a case manager and we will assist you!
