I’d like to address a hot topic that came out from the matter that Scripps Health (Coastal and Clinic) will no longer be accepting Medicare Advantage plans in 2024.
To keep your Scripps doctors and hospital, the recommended way is to have Original Medicare and Medicare Supplement (Medigap), plus a Part D plan. However, when you have had a Medicare Advantage plan for many years, it’s harder to enroll in a Medicare Supplement due to its medical underwriting.
One way to bypass the underwriting is to qualify for a guaranteed issue situation. There are some situations but one that may be applicable during Annual Open Enrollment is explained below.
If your Medicare Advantage plan reduces benefits, increases premiums, or raises copayments for physicians or hospital services or drugs for next year, you may apply for a Medicare Supplement plan with guaranteed acceptance.
How do you know if there are any changes in your Medicare Advantage plan? Just look at the ANOC (Annual Notice of Change) the insurance company usually sends you in September. Once you see there’s any increase or decrease in premium, copays, or benefits, there’s a possibility to apply for a Medigap plan without underwriting.
My advice is to start with the insurance company that offers your Medicare Advantage plan first and see if they also offer Medicare Supplement because it’s usually easier to apply with the same company as the requirement is as simple as explained above.
But if your current insurance company doesn’t offer Medigap plans, another choice is to find those who have special programs that welcome new members in their Medigap plans without underwriting. At the time of writing this post, there’s one company that is offering such a program.
There are also other tips and tricks to make the enrollment go smoothly such as what the premium is, when to submit the application, how to apply, what documentation is needed, and finally, find a good part D plan that covers your medications. If it sounds overwhelming to you, I can certainly help! I invite you to schedule your personal appointment with me online. I can meet in person or via Zoom. So, let me do the hard work.
Photo by RDNE Stock project
