Eliminating Medicare Enrollment Anxiety
by Stephen Niven

Okay I feel pretty proud of myself. With a certain amount of due diligence I’ve managed to navigate my way through all the decisions and options staring me in the face and I’m ready to be a happy Medicare benefit recipient!

Starting next January the first wave of baby boomers (my segment of that massive population bulge) will be turning 65. Because of my advance preparation, (see “due diligence” above) I know that I can go online at www.medicare.gov and enroll once I’ve reached 64 and 8 months even though I’m already covered under my employer’s health care plan and do not intend to retire anytime soon. At this point I will simply be applying for Part A (Hospitalization). Part B (Medical Services) will not be necessary as I will qualify for the Special Enrollment Period and can pick it up later when I lose employer provided coverage. There’s no sense paying the $110.50 per month (higher for higher income folks) if I don’t need the coverage and can get it later with no penalty.

The decision on whether to go with Original Medicare or a private Medicare Advantage Plan has certainly given me pause. I kind of like the idea of the Advantage Plan because it eliminates the need for a Medigap (supplemental plan) and if it offers a prescription benefit then I will not have to apply for Part D, Prescription Drug Coverage. On the other hand Advantage Plans generally require that you stay within provider networks and will often charge a premium in addition to the Part B premium. So anyway the “jury is out” on this one. More research on Advantage Plans offered in my geographical area will be necessary. In that regard the Medicare web site is most helpful. Just go to the Medicare Basics tab, click on Part C, scroll down the page to “Compare Medicare Heath Plans in Your Area” and follow the prompts. You’ll get good information on premiums, deductibles, and even a government rating for many of the Plans. While you’re checking this out you might look at the Prescription Plans offered with Original Medicare, Part D.There were 33 choices listed for my zip code containing similar information and ratings as shown for the Advantage Plans.

So now I’m feeling well informed on the decisions I will need to make and where to get additional information should the need arise, but one area of concern remains…medical identity theft and Medicare fraud. Now like most folks I pride myself on not being careless with important documents like Social Security Cards, check books and credit cards, and besides I’m not easily fooled by your average con artist. But….an ounce of prevention in this case means learning about what to look out for. Loss of my Medicare account number can mean someone submitting fake billings, obtaining medical care or buying drugs which may result in a damaged credit rating or erroneous information showing up on my medicalrecords.

Some common fraud schemes listed on the Medicare website include:

Other ways to check for fraud include checking to see if you’ve been billed twice for the same service, seeing dates and services that look unfamiliar or collection notices for services or equipment you didn’t receive.

The proverbial bottom line in all of this is doing as much research as possible from creditable sources prior to enrollment in the Medicare benefit. A knowledgeable enrollee will ultimately make choices that are cost effective and in their best interests in terms of provider quality, and overall healthcare needs.