Medicare open enrollment period ending?

[agate]

Has anyone besides me noticed a barrage of e-mails and snail-mail communications from assorted organizations telling me to choose a different Medicare plan in this open enrollment period. Since I currently have no big problems with my current plan, I ignore the messages but was wondering if others get them as well.

Why such a strenuous campaign to persuade people to switch plans? I get robocalls about them too. One person actually talked me into agreeing to an appointment but she never showed up for the appointment.

[Virginia]

I have read a lot about the Medicare Advantage plans. They are the ones calling you. I have read a couple of times that they make big bucks signing people up for plans. Both times I read it the articles stated that many of the people didn't even know what kind of insurance they have after signing up through some of them. They think they still have original Medicare and sometimes if they want to switch back they can't because of a pre existing condition. Both articles were cautioning people to be aware of what they were doing.

[Howie]

I'll be glad when it does end. Maybe it will end the number of junk calls I get. I had to finally turn my phone ringer off. It still lights up when it's "ringing" and I see who it is. I only talk to my brother or sister. Sam and I live a quiet life.

[agate]

Not sure it's the actual Medicare Advantage plan that is doing the calls and the mailings. It seems to be several different companies who want to administer whatever Medicare plan you choose. I have a Medicare Advantage plan currently and have been hearing bad things about how limited the care is that you can get through it but somehow or other I was talked into it a few years ago.

Anyway, it's administered by some insurance company--mine is United Health Care. But I'm getting leaflets and calls and e-mail from an organization called Care Oregon as well as Humana and others. Each one of these companies seems to be very very eager to be the one administering my Medicare.

A lot of e-mail comes from a place called HealthCare.gov, which looks like an "official" Medicare address because of the ..gov but when I looked at the small print at the bottom of one of their messages, it's from the "Health Insurance Marketplace." That may or may not be something authorized by Medicare. I have my doubts.

Howie, I think that the "open enrollment period" just ended (December 7?) but some extensions must have been granted because I'm still getting frantic e-mails from these places.

And Howie, if someone from BrainTalk were to call you, I'd like to think you'd answer the phone....

[Howie]

United Healthcare is who I switched to not long ago. It had some benefits I don't have with Humanna.. It starts the 1st of January. I hope I understand what I THINK I understood.

[Virginia]

Agate and Howie, they are all Advantage Plans that are calling you. They are the same as the commercials you see on TV with the celebrities and this is not the same as Medicare. Original Medicare will never call you. These people do not represent original Medicare. I would be very wary of changing my insurance, because if one of your providers happens to not be in your network they cannot see you. In both your cases I think you also have Medicaid as your supplement, so it might be alright. From what I am reading many people who have original Medicare are being switched and when they go to a provider and find out they try to switch back but can't because most elderly people have a preexisting condition. For people who do not have Medicaid and get changed over to one of these plans it can be bad and many people are doing it. The insurance companies are getting rich off of these plans. I just read that it was GWBush's attempt to privatize Medicare.

[agate]

I'm sure you're right, Virginia--and they certainly are being very aggressive in their eagerness to sign people up.

Medicare Advantage plans are under quite a cloud lately. I found this:

Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register...

[Virginia]

Good article, but doesn't hit on how people with original Medicare are often losing their long time providers by getting into these plans. This bothers me, in addition to the money that the government is being ripped off. I suspect this is one reason Medicare is running out of funds, which should concern us all.

[agate]

I've heard that Medicare isn't running out of funds but of course it is if the powers-that-be decide to do something else with the money that is set aside for it, and they can do that, of course.

[Virginia]

It is being said that some in the incoming administration want to cut SS and Medicare in order to save money. The Doctors pay from Medicare is due to be cut the 1st of the year. They are trying to stop it. I hope it is possible. This is one time I agree with the Doctors. If you look at the copy of what the Doctors are being authorized to be paid they should not be cut. Also an article I read in Medpage Today states that Physical Therapist are due to be cut. They are instrumental in helping people who have strokes, knee surgery and things like that.

[JamieMartin]

I'm getting the same messages - it can be overwhelming! It seems like everyone's trying to get you to switch plans, but I bet it's hard to know what's the Only registered and activated users can see links., Click Here To Register.... I usually just do a bit of research online and see what would work best for me. I hear ya on the robocalls too. It's so annoying, right? It's like, ugh, how do they even get our numbers? I think the appointment thing is a little sketchy - that doesn't sound right at all. Have you reported it anywhere? The bottom line, you should do what's best for you and your needs. Don't get pressured into switching if you don't feel like you need to.

[agate]

Welcome, JamieMartin!

About the appointment, I didn't report the no-show except that the woman who didn't show up contacted me months later and I recognized her name. I'm not sure she even remembered having contacted me before because when I told her I didn't want an appointment this time because nobody ever showed up last time, she faded out of the picture.