With the many changes coming along with the Medicare advantage plans for 2020, there will be an impact on current and future Medicare beneficiaries. You need to be informed with these changes and below is a review of the changes.
Starting next year, first-dollar coverage plans will no longer available to the Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. For those who are not familiar with the first dollar coverage plans, they are medical supplement plans that leave one with 0 out of the pocket costs. Plan C, Plan F and high deductible plan F are considered first-dollar coverage plans.
The main reason why the Medicare advantage plans for 2020 will be free of the plan C, plan F and high deductible plan F is because some members of the Congress believes that the many Medicare beneficiaries are over- using the services by the healthcare. This will mean that the beneficiaries will have to meet part A and Part B and they believe that it will prevent the beneficiaries from always going to the healthcare facilities with the smallest sickness.
But of course people are different and have different opinions, the critics feel that the discontinuation of the first dollar plan will keep the beneficiaries from getting the care they need. What is your thoughts on that? I feel both might be right I mean if a person does not see a doctor he or she might end up more serious conditions, right? But I still feel the congressmen may have a point too. Anyway, it is not like my opinion will make any changes so let us dive to how it will affect the beneficiaries.
To start with, you will not be affected if you are already 65 or you will be turning 65 before January 1st 2020, good for you because you can continue enrolling on your first dollar plans even after 2020. But for the guys turning 65 after 2020, it means you are not eligible for Medicare yet and those who are not eligible for Medicare cannot enroll for fist dollar coverage after it has been discontinued in 2020.
If you are currently enrolled on the first dollar plan you will not need to make any changes unless you want to compare the benefits or the rates in order to see the best plan for you. And if you have not enrolled for Medicare Part B for your own reasons and you are eligible for Medicare currently, you can still enroll for the first dollar coverage plan to help you out supplement your Medicare benefits.
The fate of those eligible for Medicare after 2020
As we have seen, as long as you are eligible for Medicare before January first 2020, you can be sure of enrolling for the first dollar coverage. But what about those who will be eligible as from next year? You don’t have to panic if that’s you because there still some alternatives that will ensure you don’t spend much. The main difference is that this plans are plan B deductible plans and you will be required to pay some dollars which is 185 dollars as of this year.
The alternative for the first dollar coverage plans