I seem to learn something new everyday about Medicare, Medicaid, and laws that apply to seniors. Two weeks ago, I read an article from the Medicare Rights Center. A bit of information I failed to realize before: If you drop your Medigap to join a Medicare Advantage plan (AKA: Medicare Private Health Insurance Plan) and then you later want to drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Traditional Medicare with a Medigap plan, you have a guaranteed-issue period of 63 days from the time your Medicare Advantage Plan ends to get a Medigap plan. So, you can switch from a Part C back to Part A and B with a Medigap, and you have 63 days to do it so that you won’t be denied coverage for existing conditions.
Medicare Private Health Insurance Plans are designed to replace Traditional Medicare Parts A and B. So, folks using Medicare Advantage Plans are working with a private health insurance company (i.e., Aetna, Humana, WellCare, etc.) and not the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It is illegal to sell a Medigap plan to someone that has a Medicare Advantage Plan; thus, most folks who have a Medicare Advantage Plan do not have a Medigap plan. Medigap plans are essential for Traditional Medicare Parts A and B, and if you switch back to Traditional Medicare from a Medicare Advantage Plan, I am relieved to know that you can still get a Medigap plan. The window of opportunity is short (63 days), but it's there.
To read more, please see the article I read:
http://www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor&page=script&slide_id=1655&utm_source=dm-national&utm_medium=e-mail&utm_campaign=DM+National+9.26.2011#top
Also, Medicare's Open Enrollment started. It ends on December 7, 2011. For more information, visit:
www.medicare.gov
www.mygeorgiacares.org
www.transitionsrbg.com
www.allsup.com
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