Letter to the Editor: Medicare Advantage

Anyone with a Medicare Advantage Plan (MA) is allowed to change their MA plan to another MA plan every Oct. 15 through Dec. 7 and again January to March, no matter the reason or health condition; An MA plan is managed care. The companies manage your care to manage their costs. Yes, they have been around for years but are currently being allowed (by Medicare) to further limit how and when beneficiaries get care. They make the decisions not you and your provider.

Lastly, a salesperson’s job is to sell. Don’t use a salesperson for any Medicare ‘shopping’ before working with an objective, unbiased, trained, certified (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) SHIP counselor to explain and help you make choices.

Every state must provide free, certified Medicare assistance for all things Medicare.

Kathy Maio
SHIP volunteer counselor
Milford