A recently retired teacher was about to turn 65, and she had done her research into Medicare insurance that would be available to her as a retired public employee as well as to the publicly available options. She had decided she wanted to enroll in Medicare supplement (Medigap) insurance to cover what Medicare doesn’t.
She made an appointment with a Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) counselor to find out what it would cost her.
The SHIBA counselor found the lowest monthly premium ($121.42) for Medigap Plan G, the strongest Medigap policy available to new enrollees. The woman said she had hoped she could spend less. Returning to the website, the SHIBA counselor obtained monthly premiums for Plan N policies, which would cost her $96.63 a month.
She liked that, especially because Plan N benefits vary relatively little from those of Plan G – Plan N’s added costs are $20 for a doctor visit and $50 for an emergency room visit. The downside of starting out with Plan N is that in the future she would be prevented from enrolling in Plan G or any other Medigap policy type.
As the conversation ended, the woman mentioned in passing that she and her older sister were talking about living together. The counselor told her that if they did so, and if both were enrolled in the same Medigap policy, they would also qualify for a modest household discount on their monthly insurance premiums.
If you would like to make an appointment with a SHIBA counselor, or to ask a question to be answered here, please see the end of this column.
I’ve heard that people can save on drugs by using a Canadian or Mexican mail-order pharmacy. How does one do that?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises against using foreign pharmacies for safety reasons, so we’ll honor that here. However, asking Google your question will net a great deal of information about this option.
That said, here’s an option that is somewhat new: U.S. mail-order discount pharmacies. The May 2022 issue of Consumer Reports magazine devotes eight pages to online discount pharmacies in a feature called “Save Big on Rx Drugs!” The article delivers details about eight online pharmacies including whether they have a membership fee, the selection of drugs they offer, whether the company ships to all 50 states, and sample prices for five prescription drugs.
The magazine’s issue should be available at either of Salem’s public libraries.
My Medicare started June 1, and I enrolled in Medicare Advantage insurance that started on the same day. However, now I see another Medicare Advantage plan I would prefer. Since I’m still in my seven-month Medicare enrollment window, can I change insurance plans?
The short answer is no. However, as with so many Medicare subjects, your question merits a more detailed response. You could have changed plans prior to the insurance plan’s June 1 start date but, after that, you cannot.
From your question, we can infer that your desire to change plans is based not on dislike for the plan you originally chose, but instead because you found a plan you liked more. Even though you cannot enroll in your preferred plan now, you may enroll at any time in five-star Medicare Advantage insurance. Medicare rates both Kaiser Permanente and Providence as five-star plans and, between them, the two companies offer seven Medicare Advantage plans to Marion and Polk county residents.
And, of course, you may change plans during annual open enrollment, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. If you change plans then your new insurance would begin Jan. 1.
Jim Sellers of Salem is a certified Medicare counselor with the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program. To ask a question to be answered in this column, e-mail [email protected]. To schedule a free SHIBA phone appointment with a volunteer Medicare counselor, call 800-722-4134.
STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].
JUST THE FACTS, FOR SALEM – We report on your community with care and depth, fairness and accuracy. Get local news that matters to you. Subscribe to Salem Reporter starting at $5 a month. Click I want to subscribe!
