Want the Best San Diego Medicare Advantage Plan?
Kind of a silly question, right? Nobody wants the worst plan! The thing is, what the Best plan for you will most likely be different than your neighbor and maybe even your spouse! We see it all the time that folks will go to a seminar hosted by an insurance carrier, they talk about how great their plan is and low and behold, your Specialist isn’t in the network or your prescriptions are overpriced!
Don’t fall victim to this! In working with San Diego Medicare Broker, we can go over all the plans available to you and look at the details. Doctors, Specialists, Medications, Co-pays, Deductibles, the “extras” and much more to find the Best San Diego Medicare Advantage Plan for you!! All at no cost or fee!
What exactly is a Medicare Advantage Plan anyway?
With a Medicare Advantage Plan whether it is a HMO or PPO you receive your Medicare coverage through a private insurance company. The company offers the same basic benefits of Original Medicare, fills in some of the gaps in coverage and some offer extra benefits like Vision, Hearing and Dental coverage.
In looking at this option for your Medicare coverage there are some things to be aware of. First off, especially if the plan is an HMO, you need to make sure that any medical professionals or facilities that you want to use are in Network, that’s very important! Even if a Medicare Advantage PPO is what you decide upon, the Network is still important as co-pays and other out of pocket costs are usually more when using an out of Network provider.
This is where we come in. We can help find the Best San Diego Medicare Advantage plan that “checks all the boxes”, at no cost or fees to you. Fill out the Contact form to start your Medicare journey!
HMO or PPO Medicare Advantage, what is better for me?
Medicare Advantage Plans come in 2 styles here in San Diego. You have HMO and PPO. Most people will have had some interaction with one or sometimes both styles of insurance in their life.
Simply put with an HMO you MUST stay in Network and with a PPO you CAN go outside of Network. In San Diego, we are lucky that the HMO options all are what are called “zero dollar premium” plans. That just means that you do not have to pay any extra premium for these plans. Insurance companies don’t like them to be called Free! With an HMO and PPO Medicare Advantage Plan, you will have co-pays and other costs. Each plan has a “maximum out of pocket” which is the cap on what you would spend in a calendar year regardless of what services you need. You can read more details about HMO style plans on the Medicare.gov site HERE.
PPO Plans DO have an extra premium and there are a few different options for that style of Medicare Advantage Plan in San Diego. With a PPO, you can go outside of the network but generally, you will pay a higher co-pay.
So, what is best for you? That depends on what you find important, your budget and your health history. We can help guide you and assist in finding the Best Medicare Advantage Plan in San Diego for you, whether it’s a PPO or HMO. You can call or fill out the Contact form and we’ll be happy to get you started in the right direction!
If I don't like my Medicare Advantage Plan, can I change it?
Yes, you can is the short answer.
You have the opportunity twice every year during Medicare Annual Election Period (AEP) and during Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP). These are two different enrollment periods that have specific rules as to what you can and cannot do. Let’s break them down:
Annual Election Period (AEP) –
You can –
- You can switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another
- You can switch from a Medicare Supplement plan to a Medicare Advantage Plan
- You can switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare
- You can sign up for a Medicare Part D Plan
- You can switch your Medicare Part D Plan
- You can apply for a Medicare Supplement Plan
- Runs from October 15 through December 7th every year
- All changes take effect the 1st of the following year
Open Enrollment Period (OEP) –
You can –
- You can switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another
- You can switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare
- You can sign up for a Medicare Part D Plan
- Runs from January 1–March 31
YOU CANNOT –
- Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.
- Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan if you’re in Original Medicare.
- Switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another if you’re in Original Medicare.
