DETROIT – This Wednesday, Dec. 7, is the deadline for individuals 65 or older to enroll in, upgrade or simply renew their current Medicare plan. Seniors have just a few days left to look for health plans to fit their personal needs and ensure they are not over- or under-insured.
As a result of the merger between Health Alliance Plan (HAP) and HealthPlus this year, HealthPlus Medicare customers will be automatically enrolled into a comparable HAP plan. Former HealthPlus members do not need to do anything to confirm enrollment. As a HAP member, they will have access to the same doctors and to an expanded network of providers that includes some of the finest facilities in Michigan.
"Medicare Open Enrollment is the right time to take a close look at your plan to see if you have too much or too little coverage," said Mike Jakubic, director of Medicare sales and operations, HAP. "Think of the days between now and the deadline as the time for a Medicare 'check-up,' examining what your needs are versus what you are paying out of pocket. The true cost of health care is more than just the premium you pay each month. It's the premium plus any copays, deductibles or coinsurance."
Consider the following questions to help choose the best Medicare plan for you:
- If you already have coverage, how do the benefits and monthly premiums of the 2017 plans compare to your current plan?
- Has your current Medicare plan provided the value, care and customer service you expected?
- Have your medical needs changed?
- Are you expecting to need different care or services next year?
- Do you need a dental plan?
- Are you planning to travel more next year?
- How much can you afford to pay out of pocket, including copays and costs for prescription medicine?
For those who are satisfied with their 2017 Medicare plan updates, the plan will renew automatically. For those who are enrolling for the first time, however, or who are changing to another Medicare plan, the enrollment deadline is Dec. 7.
Individuals who have received notice that their current Medicare plan will terminate on Dec. 31 this year will have until Dec. 31 to choose a new plan. HAP Medicare representatives are available at (800) 868-3153 (TTY: 711) Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to help consumers find the best plan for their own particular needs.
About Health Alliance Plan
Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to more than 675,000 members and companies of all sizes. For more than 50 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives we touch. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid, Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, and personalized customer service. For more information, visit hap.org.
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Contacts:
Ebony Dooley
Health Alliance Plan
(248) 443-7847
edooley@hap.org
Rich Donley
MCCI on behalf of HAP
(248) 417-8498
rdonley@mccicorp.com
Categories: HAP plans, Open enrollment