California Medicare Options - California Medicare Open
Enrollment GuideUpdated Medicare Open Enrollment Guide and Strategy
It's always looming right before the holidays... Open Enrollment for Advantage plans and Part D!
Let's walk through the key tips to find the best value among all the hype and also look at new options to keep an eye out for.
First, our credentials:
This is what we'll cover:
- Medicare Open Enrollment Basics
- How to compare the Advantage plans
- How to compare Part D plans
- Giveback Plans and SNP options
- How to quote and enroll
Let's get started!
Medicare Open Enrollment Basics
This is the when, why's, and how's of Open Enrollment.
It occurs each year from Oct 15th - Dec 7th. The effective date will be Jan 1st unless we qualify for some other special enrollment trigger (see when I change Medicare plans).
This is the time to enroll, change, or disenroll from Advantage plans or Part D plans regardless of health.
There's always a crunch of activity so start the process as soon as you can!
People with Medi-Cal (so-called Medi Medi) may be able to change and enroll monthly going forward so reach out to us.
So why not just auto-renew?
- Rates can change
- Benefits can change
- Networks (doctors and hospitals you can see) definitely change!
- Carriers offer new plans and remove other ones
The network changes have really become a big deal. You can't assume that your doctors will continue to work with your current plan or carrier.
We need to re-check the market. Medications allowed by each plan can also change for Advantage plans or Part D.
On top of that, there may be new options that are better for your situation.
For example, the Giveback plans have grown from under 2% to almost 20% in a few years!
We have big reviews on how to compare Giveback plans or Giveback plans explained but this can mean up to almost $2000 in real savings (Part B) per year depending on the plan and how much you pay.
More on that below but the point is this... don't just auto-renew. If anything, let us run the numbers for you and see what's available based on your meds and doctors.
There's no cost for our assistance:
Call 800-320-6269
Email:
help@calhealth.net
Pick a
time to talk here
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Okay... so let's hit the bullet points for comparing all the different options out there.
How to compare the Advantage plans
We have a whole guide on how to compare Advantage plans but let's boil it down.
When you run your quote here, make sure to enter your doctors, hospitals, medications/dosages, and preferred pharmacy.
Sort by "total estimated cost".
This takes into account your out-of-pocket expenses as well as the premium. The quote will also show which plans work with your doctor and medications!
The "MAPD" is for Medicare Advantage + Part D plans.
Okay... so hopefully, that narrows the field a bit!
Then, there's the Triple Threat strategy.
The Star Rating tells us how existing/recent members felt about this plan.
Aim for 4 stars or higher. 3 Stars is pretty... mehhh.
Next, focus on the Out-of-Pocket Max. This explains your exposure in case of bad bills in a calendar year.
Finally, monthly premium and deductible.
To re-cap, it's usually the following:
- Doctors
- Medications
- Star Rating
- Deductible/Premium
- Bells and Whistles
That last piece is tricky. Most of the Advantage plans offer different add-ons from vision/dental to cash cards that you can use for over the counter or even utilities!
Don't fall for this flash if the other components above don't look right first.
Happy to run through these plans or you can run your quote here:
or contact here:
Call 800-320-6269
Email:
help@calhealth.net
Pick a
time to talk here
Chat
online here
There's no cost for our assistance.
How to compare Part D plans
In the same quote tool, this is the "PDP" tab up top.
The process is similar:
- Enter your medication, dosages, and preferred pharmacy
- Sort by "Total Estimated Cost"
Then focus on the Star Rating for the plans that rank towards the top for your medications!
This rules out a big selection of the plans available in a given area.
You'll see how each plan treats your medications... for example, "covers 4 out of 5 of your medications".
You can click on that to see what medications are not covered and if there are alternatives that can help you save.
Make sure you enter your meds exactly as they are on the bottle since there can be many versions of a given drug (generic, brand, tablet, delayed reaction, etc).
We have a guide on Top Tips to save on Part D but this covers the bulk of it.
You can quote the Part D plans here during Open Enrollment:
Giveback Plans and SNP options
There are two subsets of Advantage plans that deserve more detail:
The Part B Giveback plans will pay part of your Part B premium, which can mean real savings to you.
Make sure to check your doctors within these plans AND compare the out-of-pocket max against the other Advantage plans.
There's always a trade-off for the extra money you'll save on Part B. We're happy to compare these plans with you.
Call 800-320-6269
Email:
help@calhealth.net
Pick a
time to talk here
Chat
online here
Then there are the SNP plans, which generally have two flavors:
- C-SNPs - plans designed to coordinate care for people with Chronic illnesses
- D-SNPs - plans designed for people who get Extra Help from Medi-Cal including full Dual (Medi Medi)
If you meet the qualifications, especially with Medi-Cal, these plans can really be a good fit.
You can click on "Show Special Need Plans" towards the top to see these and even filter the ones you want (C-SNP versus D-SNP).
The Star Rating still applies, but the out-of-pocket max is a bit misleading as it will be very high for D-SNPs.
That's because Medi-Cal will help with your out-of-pocket expenses!
Happy to help you compare these as well when you run your quote.
Speaking of which...
How to quote and enroll
You can quote both Advantage and Part D plans here:
As we mentioned above, make sure to add:
- Doctors and hospitals you want access to
- Medications/dosages
- Sort by "total estimated cost"
- Select "Show Special Need Plans" for the D-SNP (Medi Medi) or Chronic illness plans
Then focus on Star Rating, out-of-pocket max, and premium.
During Open Enrollment, you can Add to Cart and apply right through the system and there's zero cost for this option!
We make it fast, free, and transparent for you to run your own quotes knowing that you can always reach out to us with questions at no cost to you!