We thought it would benefit our readers if we shared a list of questions you can use to objectively assess what parts of your current plans are working well and if there are other plans that better meet your health care needs.
What to Consider During Medicare Open Enrollment
This list of questions can help you evaluate how effective your current coverage is and what areas might not be providing you with the care and service you need:
- In reviewing your out-of-pocket expenditures for last year, are there any services you routinely will need next year that weren’t covered this year?
- Will you be relocating or will any of your current providers be relocating? Will other convenient options be available to accommodate these changes?
- Are there any medications your physician ordered in the past year that your prescription coverage wouldn’t allow? Are there other options available that would cover them?
- If you live with a chronic illness, does your physician anticipate making any changes to your treatment next year? Will those changes be covered by your current plan?
- Are you comfortable with your current co-pays and co-insurance amounts?
- Do your current providers require unusually large amounts of billing paperwork, or do they seem to make frequent mistakes in determining your co-pays and co-insurance amounts?
- How happy are you with the customer service delivered by your current providers? Can you easily access a live person to help when you have questions or concerns?
- Are you confident with the quality of care you receive from your plan’s network of providers?
You can download a copy of the Yearly Medicare Plan Review brochure to help make the review process go a little more smoothly this year.
Medicare Open Enrollment Questions
If you need personal assistance to help walk you through this process, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a hearing impairment, you can use TTY 1-877-486-2048 for help.