Medicare Open Enrollment 2024
Resources
- Social Security – Visit the Social Security Administration’s website to enroll in “my Social Security” to manage your benefits, get answers to your questions with their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) web page, and more. Manage benefits at SSA.gov.
- Free Medicare Consulting – Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) is a free program offering Kansans an opportunity to talk with trained community volunteers and get answers to questions about Medicare and other insurance issues. SHICK provides many resources to help you with your questions about Medicare. Call SHICK at 800-860-5260.
- Medicare Plan Finder: Medicare.gov/plan-compare
- Medicare Savings Program: https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/help/medicare-savings-programs
- Extra help with Medicare Drug Plan costs:https://www.medicare.gov/drug-coverage-part-d/costs-for-medicare-drug-coverage/costs-in-the-coverage-gap/5-ways-to-get-help-with-prescription-costs
- Medicare & You Handbook: Medicare.gov/publications/10050-Medicare-and-You.PDF
Doc’s Tips
- Go to your local community pharmacist to ask if they know the plan you are considering. Will they cover your medication?
- Call your doctor and local hospital, and ask if they participate and if they have had good experiences with this plan.
- Ask the plan how they handle prior authorization and step therapy.
- If you are already on a Medicare Advantage plan and like it, I would encourage you not to change it.
- Be skeptical of out of state plans you have never heard of. They may not include many local doctors and hospitals you like.
- Ask the plan how they handle an emergency when you are out of state.
- Be skeptical of changing your plan.
- Be skeptical of ‘special awards if you join.’
Need additional help?
Call 1-800-MEDICARE for personalized counseling from experts available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also speak with experts at the Senior Health Insurance Counselors for Kansas at 1-800-860-5260. Both are free and offer unbiased one-on-one counseling.
