What’s the best way to make sure that the Medicare plan you select will meet your needs? The simple answer to the question is to make a list that includes some or all of the following considerations you need to keep in mind as you pick a plan:
- Any of your current medical conditions or concerns that will require monitoring and care in the future.
- Any care providers you will need to help you care for those conditions, including categories of healthcare providers like cardiologists, oncologists, rheumatologists, diabetes specialists, special hospitals, nutritionists, etc.
- Any specific medications and drugs that you need to have covered.
- Extras that you are willing to pay more to have included in your coverage, like dental coverage, vision care, and mobility devices.
Now, What Do You Do with That List to Make Sure They’re Covered on Medicare?
You store it in your computer and try to use it as a checklist of “must-haves” that you use to select a Medicare plan. Why do we say, “try to use it?” instead of simply “use it”? It’s because every item on it is a moving target, not a static one. So you need to revisit it and reconsider it both before you select a plan and also after you have, for a lot of reasons like these:
- A predictable cycle of changes can occur as you address your ongoing conditions. If you have certain forms of rheumatoid arthritis, for example, that could be a condition that could require new and more advanced forms of therapy as you age. Try to anticipate them.
- The medications you take could become more or less costly if generic alternatives become available.
- Your physicians and other care providers could retire. Or you could decide to change providers for other reasons.
- You could move to a different state or part of the country where plans could cover fewer of the kinds of care you will require in the future – or more.
- You could encounter health problems that are in your family’s medical history. Granted, they are not sure to afflict you. But if your parents or other relatives experienced certain health problems that are likely to be passed down through the family, you might want to think proactively about how to be sure they will be covered.
So, how are you going to assess and anticipate your needs, when so many of those factors are changing?
One way is to revisit your list of considerations every six months or so. Another is to discuss your list with a physician you trust before you decide on a plan. Still another way is to use the CoverRight and have an in-depth conversation with a licensed Medicare advisor earlier rather than later to make sure everything you need is covered on Medicare.
You need expert help from people whose goal is to help you assess the “bigger picture” issues that we mention in this article, as well as those that are changing. The goal? Select a plan that not only covers what you need today but in the months and years ahead.
CoverRight is on a mission to make the Medicare plan selection process easy to understand and help you find the best Medicare plans suited to your specific situation.
Recent Posts
Critical Things to Do Before and After Turning 65
Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement. . . Which Is Better?
Critical Considerations Many Seniors Miss When Signing Up for Medicare
When Does Your Medicare Coverage Become Effective?
Smart Steps to Prepare for Medicare Before You Turn 65
