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Wednesday, November 4, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Walking through the Medicare maze
By Sue Stafford
Correspondent
It9s that time of year again.
Medicare Open Enrollment
is October 15 3 December 7.
Those who are turning 65, or
have previously enrolled in
Medicare programs, will find
their mail boxes and email
boxes crammed with offers
for Medicare Advantage
plans, supplemental or
Medigap plans, and Part D
plans.
What does it all mean?
If you are new to the world
of Medicare, it can look
like a confusing, challeng-
ing morass into which you9d
rather not step. But take heart.
There9s lots of good help out
there, mostly free of charge,
to help you find the most
appropriate and affordable
plans for you, either initially
or when reviewing your plans
to discover what is changing
(and changes there are, almost
annually).
Linda Alldredge of
Country Financial in Sisters
offers a free service to those
needing assistance making
heads or tails of their choices.
<They9re going to be over-
whelmed with paperwork and
won9t be able to make sense
of it all,= she said.
For those who have
already run the gauntlet in
previous years and are sat-
isfied with their choices,
They’re going to be
overwhelmed with
paperwork and
won’t be able to
make sense of it all.
— Linda Alldredge
Alldredge offered, <At the
end of the day, if they are sat-
isfied with what they chose,
they don9t have to do any-
thing, and their coverage will
continue uninterrupted.=
However, because com-
ponents of plans or health
conditions change, it9s a good
idea to review your coverage
and make sure it still fits your
health needs. Alldredge likes
to help first-timers, so they
get it right from the start.
<Spend time to get it right.
That saves a lot of headaches
on down the road,= she said.
Let9s take a look at all the
options from which to choose.
Medicare Part A: While
you are earning a paycheck,
your Medicare payroll tax
goes toward Part A, so once
on Medicare there is no pre-
mium for Part A (unless you
didn9t pay the payroll tax,
then you have a premium).
Part A covers an inpatient stay
in a hospital, nursing facility,
and hospice care. If you are
unable to get to a facility, in-
home care will be paid for.
Medicare Part B: Services
covered include outpatient
and physician services, labs,
and wellness services. It is the
most-used part of Medicare.
You have to pay a premium
and can have it automatically
deducted from your Social
Security check. Part B is
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important to have unless you
are still covered by employer-
paid insurance. The premium
depends on adjusted gross
income. To find the current
amount for Part B go online
to Medicare.gov.
Original Medicare (Parts A
and B) by itself does not limit
(put a cap on) your finan-
cial exposure. Large medical
costs could create financial
hardship.
Part C (Medical Advantage
plans HMO, PPO): This is
not enhanced Medicare, even
though it is often referred to
as that. It replaces Original
Medicare and is offered by
private insurance companies.
You pay a monthly premium,
although some company9s
offer zero monthly premi-
ums. The plan may or may
not offer additional coverage
for vision, dental, transporta-
tion, and other incidentals.
Your financial exposure is
capped. Costs and all features
can change every year. Some
See MEDICARE on page 15
The Saddlebags
will miss you,
Pat Stephenson!
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