What Should You Discuss with Your Medicare Agent Before Choosing Medicare Plans?

What Should You Discuss with Your Medicare Agent Before Choosing Medicare Plans?

You have a lot of choices to make when the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) rolls around – and it’s vital that you, along with your Medicare agent, make the best choices to protect your health in the year to come.

Many people simply pick the same enrollments year after year, but that is not necessarily the best approach.  After all, as you change with age, your health needs will change as well.  The plan which was perfect for you two years ago might be wrong for you today.  How do you know?  Well, the best way is having a discussion with your Medicare agent, so that they can ensure you’re always on the best plan, year after year.

These are the most important things to talk about when you meet them.

Three Important Things to Discuss When Calling Your Medicare Agent

1. Has your health changed in the last year?

This is the big question, and it will have a lot of impact on which Medicare plan is best for you.  Has your health changed significantly?  In particular, is there anything new which you’ve been discussing with your doctor?

Also, remember that change can go in either direction.  Perhaps you had a medical problem go away in the last year.  That’s just as important to discuss and might even prevent you from over-paying for Medicare services you don’t need.

2. Did you change any doctors or other healthcare providers?

Along with your health itself, there are also bureaucratic matters to consider.  Are you still using all the same healthcare providers as last year, or have changes been made?  

It’s a good idea to go into your meeting with your Medicare agent with all the details of your current doctors and providers on-hand.  Likewise, if you already know you will be seeing a new doctor in the year – such as a new specialist – try to have that information lined up as well.  You want the agent to have a full picture of your provider situation.

3. How has your prescription situation changed?

Even if you haven’t had any major changes to your overall health outlook, chances are there have been changes to your prescriptions.  This, of course, can have a huge impact on which Part D plan you choose.  It’s an excellent idea to bring a full list of your current prescriptions with you when meeting your Medicare agent.

Don’t forget to note any changes in dosage.  Also, if possible, try to know whether there are generic alternatives for any particular medication.

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