medicare And The New Health Law Brochure In The Mail

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is sending out a new mailing called Medicare and the New Health Law - What it Means to You.

There are about 45 million Americans enrolled in Medicare, says Alan Weinstock, an insurance broker at MedicareSupplementPlans And many of them need help understanding the latest changes to the Medicare program. That is the purpose of this brochure. It outlines the key points to the new Affordable Care Act that was put into law on March 23.

Highlights of the Top Changes that Affect Medicare Beneficiaries

Probably the biggest change that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act brings to seniors is the closing of the now famous donut hole.

The way the Medicare system currently works is that seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D have a $310 deductible and a 25% coinsurance for prescription drugs until their total prescription medication bill reaches $2,830. At that point, they must pay the full cost of their prescription medications until their total out-of-pocket spending reaches the catastrophic threshold of $6,440 (for 2010). This gap between the two amounts is known as the donut hole.

The Affordable Care Act will effectively close that donut hole by providing Medicare beneficiaries whose prescription drug expenses fall within the doughnut hole with a 50% discount on drugs. This is expected to gradually increase to a 75% discount in 2020, virtually eliminating the coverage gap.

Another change, starting in January 2011, is free preventative services and free annual check-ups. Providing better access to preventive measures means better individual health for beneficiaries, says Alan. Some of the free preventative screenings that will be available are for bone density, cholesterol, prostate cancer, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer.
Further changes to Medicare would eliminate overpayments in Medicare Advantage Plans to create new incentives for coordinated, quality care across the healthcare spectrum. What this means is that beginning in 2014 at least 85% of every dollar Medicare Advantage Plans receive is spent on health care, rather than administrative costs and insurance company profits.
And if youve been worried that you will have to change doctors, dont be. Patients can still make all their own decisions and keep their own doctors.

Medicare Resources for Seniors who Still Have Questions

If you still have questions after youve read the new Medicare and the New Health Law - What it Means to You, you have options. You may want to reach out to service organizations for assistance. There are counselors who are available through your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
For California seniors they can be found through the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), a volunteer program that provides free, unbiased Medicare counseling and information.

And for Medicare beneficiaries who are considering Medigap insurance to help supplement their Medicare coverage, speaking to a reliable insurance broker like the brokers at MedicareSupplementPlans can be very helpful.