Medicare’s annual enrollment period began on October 15 this year and will run through
December 7. This means that senior citizens have a little over a week left to finalize their
insurance coverage plans for 2024. It’s not often an easy decision to make however.
Medicare is a federal health insurance coverage option for Americans age 65 and older. It is
handled by the United States Social Security Administration and covers most of the costs for
approved health care services and supplies after the deductible is met. Original Medicare
includes a Part A and a Part B while Medicare Advantage bundles Part A, Part B, and then adds
in Part D. Advantage may also offer extra benefits.

According to medicare.gov:
– Original Medicare includes Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance)
After meeting your deductible, “you pay your share of costs for services and supplies as
you get them. There’s no limit on what you’ll pay out-of-pocket in a year unless you
have other coverage…. Services covered by Medicare must be medically necessary. 
Medicare also covers many preventive services, like shots and screenings. If you go to a
doctor or other health care provider that accepts the Medicare-approved amount, your
share of costs may be less. If you get a service that Medicare doesn’t cover, you pay the
full cost.”

– Medicare Advantage “bundles your Part A, Part B, and usually Part D coverage into one
plan. Plans may offer some extra benefits that Original Medicare doesn’t cover — like
vision, hearing, and dental services. You join a plan offered by Medicare-approved
private companies that follow rules set by Medicare. Each plan can have different rules
for how you get services, like needing referrals to see a specialist. Costs for monthly
premiums and services you get vary depending on which plan you join.

Plans must cover all emergency and urgent care, and almost all medically necessary
services Original Medicare covers. Some plans tailor their benefit packages to offer
additional benefits to treat specific conditions.”

Angela Olson, an independent Medicare agent, explained the stress that seniors are under this
time of year when enrollment choices are being made. She stated that seniors “get a lot of
people calling, commercials, mailers—a lot of people soliciting them, compliantly (and) non-
compliantly, for further information, to try and get them to switch plans.”

But not all plans are equal and sometimes knowing which plan is best is difficult to calculate.
This is true for seniors as well as their loved ones. Plus, not all solicitors have seniors’ best
interests at heart. Many are just in it for the money. Worse, some calls are outright scams.

The Department of Health and Human Services can sometimes be of assistance to seniors
working on their Medicare enrollment, but unfortunately, they are also often used as a front to
steal personal information from seniors.

They reminded citizens that “often, the caller impersonates an employee of the Utah
Department of Health and Human Services. The caller then tries to collect personal information
from individuals, such as Social Security number, Medicare number, age and full name. They
may try to sell products or services. DHHS employees will never call to promote services or
products for sale.”

This is why having help or someone knowledgeable on the subject can be incredibly useful for
seniors and their loved ones. There are many independent Medicare agents who can assist
seniors at this time of the year. Some nonprofit organizations as well, like Suzy’s Senior
Companionship Services, can help senior citizens navigate Medicare challenges with a
caregiver’s help.

Call Suzy at 801-540-2077 or visit usa.gov/medicare for more information on how to make this
year’s Medicare enrollment period go as smoothly as possible.