Medicare Members Are Being Urged to Review Their Plans

If you're enrolled in Medicare Part-D or Medicare Advantage, don't assume the plan you currently have will stay the same in 2015. Debra Kaplan Lewis of United Healthcare in Toms River says the Affordable Care Act caused many changes to Medicare, some good, some not so good.

Among the good changes, Medicare offers several preventative care programs like free annual physical exams and many different kinds of health screenings, she explained. Many Medicare plans also offer programs that help members to stay healthy, like gym memberships and the like.

The problem comes in with changes to Medicare funding, according to Kaplan Lewis. She said it's affected the Medicare Advantage program the most. As a result, she urges Medicare members to review the annual Notice of Coverage that was sent to them in the mail at the beginning of the month.

"One of the most important calls to action for your listeners is to pay careful attention to the materials that they're receiving in the mail."

Kaplan Lewis said you're going to want to check if their were changes to the cost of a particular medication that you need, if there were changes to benefits and networks and co-pays. You're also going to want to check if certain programs that are important to you are still included in your plans.

The Medicare open enrollment period continues to December 7th. United Healthcare offers help reviewing your plans along with the Ocean County Office of Senior Services. They can be reached through their web site at uhcmedicareplans.com, 1-800-UHC-6509 or visit their kiosk at the Ocean County Mall.