“The ANOCs are in the mail.” Each year, by September 30, individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan receive by mail a document called Annual Notice of Change (ANOC.) The ANOC document spells out upcoming changes to the plan you are currently enrolled in and compares those […]
With the “Dog Days of Summer” behind us, our team of licensed agents is preparing for the 2024 Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. How so? Each of us is required to successfully complete the Medicare training course with America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). Following that, each agent is required to successfully complete product knowledge, code of […]
If you are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and have limited income you may be able to get assistance with your health care costs through a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) If eligible, you will receive help paying the Medicare Part B premium, (currently $164.90) and automatically get Extra Help, the federal program that […]
Recently I’ve been hearing conflicting stories on whether COVID-19 over-the-counter test kits are covered by Medicare and, if so, what card should members present for billing. (Previously, we could order kits free of charge through the federal government but that has ended.) And so I went in to my local CVS (my drug plan’s preferred […]
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, from October 15th through December 7th, is when Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in or change their Medicare Advantage (Part C) or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan to take effect January 1. Some Important Tips to Consider if you are now enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (Part C) Plan: Yes, […]
Well, just as we are finishing up the annual federal and carrier Medicare Advantage and Part D certifications for 2023, the US House and Senate passed a bill (H.R. 5376 titled Inflation Reduction Act of 2022) which includes some important changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Some of these changes take effect […]
One in every three Medicare beneficiaries has diabetes, and over 3.3 million Medicare beneficiaries use one or more of the common forms of insulin. On January 26, Benita Lee from GoodRx Health published a detailed analysis comparing the costs of 28 brand and generic insulins. GoodRx research shows shows that the average retail price for […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took action this week that should make it easier to get a lower cost near-copy of a brand-name insulin, Lantus, at the pharmacy. Semglee has been approved as both biosimilar to, and interchangeable as a substitute for Lantus, a widely used long-acting insulin. Biosimilar drugs are not […]
During the first quarter of the new year I often receive this question: “Dan, I went to refill my prescription and was quoted almost double what I paid in December.” Here’s why. Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans reset each year on January 1 and benefit levels start again at the first of four phases. […]
I have received several inquiries these past few days as New York State followed the updated CDC guidelines and announced that anyone over the age of 65 is now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. (This was one day after announcing that those over 75 were eligible, and that the 65-74 age group was probably […]