Medicare Open Enrollment Brings New Options
November 16 2010
The Medicare enrollment period opened yesterday, and because of the Affordable Care Act, seniors can expect to reap a wealth of new benefits.
The Affordable Care Act makes preventive care a priority, adds a free annual wellness checkup, fills in the "donut hole" coverage gap, and generally makes senior care a priority with an expansion of new benefits and protections.
White House Assistant to the President for Special Projects Stephanie Cutter talked about the new provisions in a blog post yesterday:
"Under the Affordable Care Act, beginning next year, seniors will be able to receive preventive services like mammograms and colonoscopies for free. The prescription drug coverage gap known as the donut hole will decrease until it is eliminated in 2020. This year, eligible seniors who hit the donut hole received a $250 rebate check. Thus far, over 1.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received checks. Next year, they will receive a 50 percent discount on the brand name prescription drugs they purchase when they hit the donut hole. And all seniors will benefit from the provisions of the law that extend the life of the Medicare Trust Fund for an additional 12 years."
The best news for seniors enrolled in Medicare may be that these benefits will come with no extra cost increases. The Denver Post elaborated further:
Seniors have not seen dramatic benefit reductions or cost increases that reform opponents warned about, said A.W. Schnellbacher, on the executive council of AARP Colorado. (Many seniors are in traditional Medicare; others are in privately run plans called Medicare Advantage.)
"The average premium increase is negative 1 percent, and benefits are virtually unchanged," said Jon Blum, director of the Center for Medicare. Washington officials on the Medicare conference call with reporters did not offer estimates of the new benefits' total cost to taxpayers.
Medicare Part B premiums, for doctor visits and other non-hospital costs, will stay the same for most beneficiaries in 2011, at $96.40 or $110.50 a month. Those making more than $85,000 a year may see a 4.4 percent increase.
For more information on Medicare and how to enroll, visit Medicare.gov.
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"Under new plans, no child under age 19 will be denied coverage for a pre-existing conditions, period. Adults who have been without insurance for six months and who have been unable to obtain insurance because of a pre-existing condition, can apply for coverage under the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)."
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Insurers can no longer cut someone after the fact.
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New screening procedures are now in place for health care providers to eliminate fraud and waste in the health care system.
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Medicare Part D enrollees who hit the Medicare prescription drug benefit gap in 2010 will automatically receive a $250 rebate check.
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Effective immediately, qualified small employers get tax credits of up to 35% of premiums for offering coverage.
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