Medicare Changes in 2012

2012 Medicare Changes The details of the Medicare program can be intimidating at time, especially when you need to keep up with what’s changing. Here, our guide to what you can expect in the 2012 version.

The enrollment period is changing right now Open enrollment for 2012 begins earlier than in other years. This year, it is between Oct. 15, 2011 and until Dec. 7, 2011. However, the new dates mean that beneficiaries will have to make their coverage decisions by Dec. 7, not the previous date of Dec. 31, to ensure continuous coverage.

There Are New Rule For Drug Plans You can change , switch or drop your prescription drug plan during the new enrollment period of Oct. 15 – Dec 7. As long as Medicare is notified of your decision by Dec. 7, the change will be effective Jan. 1. However, if you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan that covers prescription drugs, and you decide to enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan, you’ll be automatically dropped from your Advantage Plan and returned to Original Medicare (Parts A and B.)

Sponsor Companies Will Have to Prove Cost-Consciousness Private insurance companies sponsor plans for Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) and the Prescription Drug Plan (Part D). Now, the federal government can reject bids from those companies for government contracts if the companies propose significant cost increases or benefit reductions.

Agents and Brokers Who Sell Plans and Policies Will Have New Training Because Parts C and D are run by private companies, the government is now requiring that all brokers and agents selling such plans go through a federally approved training program.

Some Costs Will Become Equal Between Medicare Part A and Medicare Part C Under a new rule, patients in the Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) will pay what patients in Original Medicare (Part A) pay in three areas: chemotherapy, kidney dialysis services and skilled-nursing care. That’s good news for enrollees in Part C, since Part A participants don’t have to pay for a covered skilled-nursing facility for the first 20 days.

New Prescription Drug Rules For Long-Term Care Facilities To avoid prescription-drug waste, long-term care facilities can now prescribe drugs in supplies of only 14 days.

Higher-Income Patients Who Don’t Pay Required Additional Costs Can Be Dropped In both Part B and Part D, people with a high income ($85,000 for an individual and $170,00 for a couple) are subject to an additional monthly payment that ranges from $12 to $69. If they do not pay the additional money will be dropped after a three-month grace period.

The Reimbursement Amount For Emergency Medical Care Will Change The government isn’t limiting the reimbursement amount to $50, but will annually determine the maximum reimbursable cost.

There Will Be More Interpretive and Assistive Services These include: Putting interpreters into customer call centers in order to better assist non-native English speaking callers, using “common language” in the marketing materials of companies that sponsor Part D plans, and to periodically mail enrollees an explanation of their benefits as well as any types of changes as well.

More Information For more information, visit www.medicare.gov. Click here http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf for a downloadable pamphlet that gives a good overview. You can also visit the Center For Medicare Advocacy at www.medicareadvocacy.org.