BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP OCTOBER 6 - OCTOBER 12, 2017 23
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Medicare Advantage: Twenty years,
20 million people and four factors
In 1997, the federal government
created the Medicare + Choice
program -- later renamed Medicare
Advantage -- to enhance consumer
choice and more efficiently
deliver Medicare benefits to older
Americans.
You may have heard of Medicare
Advantage, but maybe you don't
know exactly what it is, what it offers
and how it can help you.
Today, Medicare Advantage serves
almost 20 million people - a nearly
50 percent increase from even five
years ago, according to the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Here are four important factors
in why people choose Medicare
Advantage:
1. Simplicity and convenience.
Medicare Advantage plans
combine all your Medicare coverage,
including Original Medicare
(Parts A and B), and often
prescription drug coverage, into
one plan so you only have one card
to carry.
2. Predictable costs. Managing your
health care costs can be especially
important if you are living on a fixed
budget. Many Medicare Advantage
plans offer additional benefits for a
$0 premium beyond the premium
for Original Medicare and have set
limits on what you have to pay out of
pocket.
Brian Thompson, CEO of United-
Healthcare Medicare & Retirement,
explains, "Original Medicare generally
covers about 80 percent of a
person's costs for doctor visits and
other outpatient care, leaving the
individual responsible for the rest,
with no limit to what that cost may
be. Medicare Advantage, on the
other hand, offers peace of mind
and helps you plan your health care
expenses by capping how much you
may have to pay out of your own
pocket in a given year."
3. Care Coordination. Boston Consulting
Group (BCG) analyzed three
million Medicare claims and found
that Medicare Advantage members
have shorter hospital stays and
fewer readmissions within 30 days
of leaving. Medicare Advantage
plan members are also more likely
to receive preventive care to keep
chronic illnesses in check, according
to researchers.
A possible explanation for the
favorable outcomes is care coordination.
Thompson says, "The health
care system is complex. With Medicare
Advantage plans, doctors work
as a comprehensive team, led by a primary
care doctor, and together with
the health plan, they help members
receive the care they need. This can
create more convenience and value
for the member and ultimately lead
to better health."
4. Choice. Thompson also points
out that "every day more than 10,000
baby boomers turn 65, and they expect
to have choices." Medicare Advantage
plans come in a wide variety
of options, so people can choose one
that meets their unique health and
budget needs.
Many offer programs to support
people with diabetes and other
chronic conditions, and most offer
additional benefits not covered
by Original Medicare. Perks may
include prescription drug, dental,
vision and hearing coverage, home
visits, 24/7 access to health care
professionals and gym memberships.
If you want to learn more about
Medicare and options available
to you, visit MedicareMadeClear.
com. You can also learn more about
Medicare Advantage at UHCMedicarePlans.
com. (BPT)
MEDICARE AND
MEDICAID EDITION