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Medicare 101: Understand your options during annual enrollment period

Charlotte Sun - 10/8/2017

Medicare was born in controversy.

In 1964, then future president George H.W. Bush called it “socialized medicine.” The American Medical Association called it “the beginning of socialized medicine” in a 1966 national ad campaign as Medicare’s rollout neared. The New York Times questioned whether the nation’s health care system could cope with the influx of new patients.

Today, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders hails Medicare’s success. “People enrolled in the system give it high marks. More importantly, it has succeeded in providing near-universal coverage to Americans over age 65.”

“Medicare 101” is a seminar designed to help beneficiaries choose the best mix of Medicare options for their specific circumstances facilitated by veteran life and health insurance agent Ralph Temple. Participants may register for sessions from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Oct. 17, 19 or 25 at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Renaissance Academy, 117 Herald Court, Suite 211, in Punta Gorda.

In the seminar, Temple explains the four criteria he believes beneficiaries should consider when choosing a plan: Their health, their finances, their tolerance for networks and whether they change their residence seasonally.

“I like to get people to attend an educational Medicare seminar about three to six months before they turn 65 and become eligible. The ideal time to attend is before or early in the Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 annual enrollment period,” Temple said. “Because companies can and do change their rates and/or their plan benefits annually, it is also a good idea for beneficiaries to review their plans every two or three years.”

Temple will explain how to use some of the readily available Internet self-help tools in the decision-making process. In addition, he will compare the advantages and disadvantages of traditional Medicare Parts A and B with a supplement versus Medicare Advantage Plans. He also explains the circumstances making a package advantageous to beneficiaries.

“I’ll also explain the scheduled Jan. 1, 2020, elimination of Plan F,” Temple said. “Plan F is a government-regulated supplement that pays Medicare’s deductibles and copays.”

Unlike the marketing of specific Medicare plans on television, online or in newspapers, Temple’s seminar is purely educational. By law he cannot use enrollment materials or specific product descriptions or solicit customers, and the class registration list must be kept confidential.

Meanwhile, Medicare’s success prompted Sanders and seven co-sponsors to introduce a Medicare for All bill in the U.S. Senate, while Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., and 117 cosponsors have introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House, hoping to answer the nation’s ongoing healthcare concerns during the current 115th U.S. Congress.

For more information about “Medicare 101” or to register, call 941-505-0130.

Rick Ramos is a program coordinator at FGCU’s downtown Punta Gorda Herald Court Centre Renaissance Academy. He can be reached at rramos@fgcu.edu.

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