PMC offers Medicare Open Enrollment Education
Medicare open enrollment period has once again arrived. Parmer Medical Center and the Friona Rural Health Clinic want you to know that the hospital and clinic providers have not contracted with any Medicare Advantage Plans. We encourage you to carefully evaluate any Medicare Advantage Plan before you decide to give up traditional Medicare, and to check with the business office at 806-250-2754 to see how the plan will cover you at your local hospital and providers.
Medicare Advantage Plans are not traditional Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans are insurance plans operated by private companies.
Medicare Advantage Plans are not Supplemental Plans. The name Medicare Advantage is confusing to individuals because they often assume it is a Medicare supplemental or secondary plan. Also known as Medigap Plans, supplemental insurance plans are designed to work with traditional Medicare to cover the cost of deductibles and co-payments not paid by Medicare. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you cannot be sold a supplemental plan so you must pay 100 percent of any deductibles and co-payments associated with the Medicare Advantage Plan.
If you later drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and return to original Medicare, there is no guarantee that you will not pay a higher premium for a supplemental plan based upon your current health status and pre-existing conditions.
You can purchase a Medicare Drug Plan without enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Some individuals who sign up for drug benefits may unintentionally sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan. Be sure to read your plan benefits carefully to know exactly what program you are selecting.
Individuals with Medicare Advantage Plans may have to pay more to use many providers and hospitals, including Parmer Medical Center and the Friona Rural Health Clinic. Individuals with traditional Medicare have the choice of seeing ANY provider that accepts Medicare, including Parmer Medical Center and the providers at the Friona Rural Health Clinic. The hospital and clinic, however, may not be in-network providers for many Medicare Advantage Plans. As a result, individuals may not be able to use our services without paying more out-of-pocket than presented by the Medicare Advantage Plan.
Parmer Medical Center will be featuring several more educational articles during open enrollment. Additionally, PMC will be offering a free community education event focusing on Medicare Plan “D” on October 30th at 1:30 p.m. in the conference room at PMC. The educational program is being presented by Amarillo Area on Aging of the Panhandle. This agency does not sell anything. They are the government agency that acts as a liaison between Medicare and the individual recipients of Medicare. They will have benefits counselors present to assist you in determining which Plan “D” works best for your prescription needs. If you have any questions, please call Rhonda Wilkins, Director of Senior Services at Parmer Medical Center, 806-250-2754.
