RENO - The Annual Election Period for Medicare beneficiaries is taking place now through Dec. 7. Following the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that spurred confusion and questions about healthcare, Senior Care Plus continues to offer free informational meetings at its Carson City and Reno locations to help northern Nevada seniors navigate their Medicare benefits and other options for additional coverage.
"The healthcare system can be a confusing and overwhelming experience for seniors, especially with the changes that have occurred in the past few years with ACA implementation," said Matthew Ladich, director of government programs for Hometown Health and Senior Care Plus. "We are here to assist seniors in our community by helping them understand the recent changes to healthcare and what healthcare option is best for them. The informational meetings are designed for seniors who have questions about Medicare, enrollment options and what types of healthcare plans are available. It is important that Medicare eligible beneficiaries utilize the Annual Election Period to ensure adequate access to healthcare services at an affordable cost for the upcoming year. "
The informational meetings offered by Senior Care Plus cover frequently asked questions and common misconceptions regarding the ACA and Medicare including changes to coverage, premiums, government agencies, benefits and more. Plus, for seniors looking to control out-of-pocket spending, information on Medicare Advantage Plans, such as Senior Care Plus, is available, describing benefits offered that go beyond original Medicare.
Senior Care Plus benefits are open to Medicare eligible seniors in Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe Counties. Low cost plans offer a variety of benefits including, worldwide emergency care, low prescription drug costs - Medicare Part D - coverage, fitness club memberships, hearing aid coverage and more.
For additional information on Senior Care Plus benefits or Medicare open enrollment, visit SeniorCarePlus.com or call (888) 775-7003. For informational meetings in Carson City, call (775) 982-2914 or for Reno, call (775) 982-3191.
[[In-content Ad]]Five common misconceptions seniors have about Medicare and the ACA
1. Seniors over 76 years of age will be denied cancer care.
• Neither the Affordable Care Act (ACA) nor original Medicare limit seniors' coverage based on age or pre-existing conditions.
2. Medical devices including eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and wheel chairs will be taxed under the new medical device tax.
• According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the medical device tax is a tax only on the sale from the manufacturer or importer of the device such as mobile X-ray systems, non-absorbable silk sutures and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. Devices that can be purchased by the general public including eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and wheelchairs fall within a retail exemption, not taxing the consumer.
3. The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) consists of 15 unelected persons intended to make decisions for seniors' care and Medicare benefits.
• The IPAB is an expert body of 15 presidentially-nominated and senate-confirmed healthcare professionals including physicians, experts in finance, health services researchers and representatives of consumers and the elderly charged with developing and submitting proposals to slow the growth of Medicare and private healthcare spending while improving quality of care. The IPAB is intended to make broad policy decisions, not recommendations for individual care and coverage of benefits.
4. The IPAB decides whether or not to cover treatments recommended to a patient by a doctor.
• The IPAB is forbidden from submitting any proposal or recommendation to ration healthcare, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums, increase Medicare beneficiary cost-sharing or otherwise restrict or modify benefits or eligibility criteria for individual seniors.
5. The ACA was passed largely at the expense of senior citizens by cutting more than $500 billion from Medicare to pay for healthcare.
• The majority of cuts to Medicare come from reductions in how much Medicare reimburses hospitals and private health insurance companies, but do not touch Medicare benefits or benefits available to seniors. The $500 billion in Medicare savings is a forecast of reduced growth in Medicare spending because of the ACA.
