Medicare provides health insurance to Americans 65 and older as well as certain younger individuals receiving social security disability. It is important to understand all of the benefits to which you are entitled so that you can maximize your savings. You will find comprehensive information about all of your benefits at the Official U.S. Government Suite for Medicare.
Getting Medicare is a simple step-by-step process. First, you need to complete the Initial Enrollment Questionnaire. You will receive this in your regular mail approximately three months before your coverage is set to start. Questions may regard other forms of health insurance you possess.
You have various options for filling out your questionnaire. You can submit it at MyMedicare.gov, complete and return the paper form that was mailed to you or call a Coordination of Benefits contractor at 1-800-999-1118. If you want to give certain loved ones the right to contact Medicare on your behalf, then you need to fill out an Authorization form online, download it from the Medicare website or call 1-800-MEDICARE.
The next step is to make yourself a “Welcome to Medicare” Preventative Visit. You can make a doctor’s visit that is 100 percent covered by Medicare in your first year in the program. Discuss preventative health strategies that can help you stay fit.
An excellent resource is MyMedicare.gov. Available all the time, it allows you to fill out forms, track claims, order Medicare cards, view the status of your part B deductible, see information about eligibility, look up information about your plan and more.
Within the first seven months that you join Medicare, you can sign up for a Part D drug plan. This can provide you a great amount of savings on your prescription medications. In addition to the initial seven months, you can also make changes between October 17 and December 7.
Now you are ready to start utilizing your benefits. Medicare covers a great deal of preventative and treatment medical services. To find out exactly what is covered you should download “Your Medical Benefits.” It specifically lays out all of the services that are covered and what your portion of the payment will be.
You will need to pay a annual deductible before most Part B services kick in. Also, doctors may choose to charge you more if they do not accept the “assignment” by Medicare. This is an agreed upon amount that the health care provider will accept from Medicare and not charge you more. They may charge up to 15 percent more.
Generally most doctors and service providers will accept your responsible payment and file the claim to Medicare themselves. In the rare case that you need to file it, you have a year to do so and can find the instructions on the Medicare website.
When getting Medicare benefits, it is important to carefully screen the coverage for different conditions. This may vary per area and can change over time. With good knowledge you will be able to maximize your benefits.