subject: What To Know About Medicare Advantage Health Program [print this page] What To Know About Medicare Advantage Health Program
Millions of US citizens must choose the best way to maximize their Medicare benefits!
In some ways, today's Medicare enrollees are very blessed. these people have more choices than ever before. However, frequently when you have many of options it can make the judgment very complicated and time consuming. We hope to present oneoption in a simple manner so you can decide if will provide you with a good way to make the most of your medical benefits.
Ma (medicare advantage) health program are fairly new. However, they are getting more and more popular. In 2009, about twenty-two percent of qualified people had chosen to enroll. That percent is almost two times what it was in 2003. It is probably growing because MA program allow members to increase their medical coverage while paying very reasonable, or no, additional premiums for the coverage.
The programs should provide benefits that are as good as, or better than, the traditional plan. This is regulated by the government. Some plans also provide additional benefits that are very useful. Some of these include transportation, health club memberships, and discounts on medical related products and services. The point of these benefits is to make an attractive and affordable product that will benefit senior citizens.
Enrollees must already belong to Part An and Part B of the orignial plan in order to qualify. There is a premium for this that is deducted from most of the beneficiary's social security check. They may still have to pay this. With some plans, this payment could be lower. Otherwise, some plans have an additional premium, but some do not. In any case, the monthly payments are kept as low as possible to attract members.
These programs are unlike Medicare Supplements. It is critical to understand the differences. With those, the members still belong to the original plan, but decide to buy an extra private health insurance plan to cover some of the gaps. They use their supplement and the traditional plan together to get the most coverage.
With MA plans, the members will use their private insurance card, and not their original card when they need medical services. These people will get their benefits from their new privatage plans. These plans are regulated by the federal government. In addition, members may always choose to leave the new plan and return to the original plan.
Understand that there is not just one kind of Advantage plan . Some are HMO or PPO plans, while others do not have a pre-defined network that members must use.
Advantage plans can provide affordable medical benefits for many seniors. However, these people are not thebest choice for everybody. Many seniors prefer to use the traditional plan or a medi-gap plan. It is important to understand and compare your alternatives before you decide. An Internet quote comparison or a good agent can help you figure out which one will be a better choice for you.
