Monday, August 21, 2006

Seniors’ confusion can be costly—even deadly

I’ve recently become an independent insurance agent (health and life, CA lic# 0E80378), specializing in the senior market. What I’ve discovered is that a lack of understanding of the system can easily overwhelm and even endanger some seniors.

Education is the key. If a senior is mentally capable of learning, they need to make use of several reliable sources of information about their options when it comes to Medicare coverage and supplemental plans. If not, their executors must take on this task.

A good starting point is the US Government’s Medicare website. Read (or better yet download, print and read) the current version of the “Medicare & You” guide. Also read (or download) the documents that describe Medicare Advantage Plans (which manage your care), Medigap policies (private insurance that supplements standard medicare), and Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs).

Without a good foundation of knowledge, seniors can end up paying too much for their health care, and can even be denied care in some extreme situations if the plans they’ve chosen don’t fit them properly.

Knowledge is power. Take action today to protect yourself (or your loved ones) when it comes to senior health care.

No comments: