Medicare turns 60: 5 tips to make the most of your plan
By Whitney Stidom, vice president of Medicare enablement, eHealth
Medicare turns 60 years old on July 30. That’s the date in 1965 that legislation establishing Medicare was signed into law, creating a health insurance program that today serves nearly 70 million Americans enrolled in Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans.
Given Medicare’s 60th birthday, now is an ideal time for beneficiaries to review their plan and take advantage of what it offers, especially for the nearly 36 million people with Medicare Advantage. While you count on your Medicare plan to pay for hospital and medical care, Medicare Advantage plans may provide additional benefits and resources to help you get or stay healthy.
If you or a loved one are enrolled in Medicare, here are five ways to make the most of your plan:
Make preventive care a priority. Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans cover many important preventive care tests and resources, including breast and prostate cancer screenings, certain vaccines, tobacco use cessation counseling and glaucoma tests. Start by connecting with a primary care physician, as research shows access to this type of care supports improved health outcomes and the earlier detection of disease.
Take advantage of dental, vision and hearing coverage. While traditional Medicare does not include routine coverage for dental, vision and hearing care, many Medicare Advantage plans do. That’s important because healthy teeth, eyes and ears all contribute to your overall well-being. For instance, routine dental exams can help prevent or treat gum disease, which is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, dementia and certain types of cancer.
Use your over-the-counter (OTC) benefit. Another way to support your health is to spend your OTC benefit, which is a set amount of money available each quarter, month or year to use on eligible products. Not all Medicare Advantage plans come with an OTC benefit, but some that do provide a pre-loaded spending card or an account credit to reimburse you for eligible purchases, such as for pain relievers, cold medications, first aid supplies, vitamins or dental care products. Look for an online list of approved items that you can purchase with your allowance (typically between $400 and $800 per year depending on the plan), and order these items via the internet, over the phone, or sometimes for pick up at participating retail locations, depending on what your plan permits.
Catch a ride to your doctor’s office. For about 1 in 5 adults aged 65 and older who are no longer driving, getting to the doctor’s office may be a challenge to accessing medical care. Fortunately, some Medicare Advantage plans offer medical transportation benefits, which will provide a certain number of round-trip rides during the year. Some plans may require advance notice (typically 48 hours to 72 hours in advance) and require the use of a specific transportation company.
Consider other types of coverage. While you generally can’t change your Medicare Advantage plan at this point of the year, there are additional types of insurance you can still add. For people in original Medicare, consider adding an individual dental or vision plan to help cover the cost of preventive exams and treatments, if needed. To help offset out-of-pocket care expenses, such as a deductible or coinsurance, opt for a hospital indemnity plan, which pays a set amount of money to use however you want after a qualified event.
Call the number on your insurance card to see what resources may be available to you, and many Medicare Advantage plans make this type of information available online or via a mobile app.