Medigap Quotes are readily available from many sources, especially this time of year (during the annual enrollment period for the other types of plans – Part D and Advantage plans). It is highly advisable to get quotes for Medigap coverage (also called Medicare Supplements) on an annual basis, if you are already on Medicare. This way, you can confirm that you have the best “deal” available, and if you do not, make a change to save money.

There are three primary reasons why you should obtain Medigap quotes:

1. First of all, and quite simply, the plans are Federally-standardized. If you are on Medicare and have a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan currently, you have one of the standardized plans, which are named after letters. For example, a Plan F is the plan that fills in all the gaps in Medicare Parts A & B so that you don’t have any out of pocket costs at the doctor or hospital. If you have a Plan F with one company, it is very easy to compare other Plan F’s with other companies to confirm that your plan is the most competitively priced.

2. Secondly, you should obtain Medigap quotes because it is extremely easy to do and does not cost you anything. In fact, in 90% of cases, you can save money on your Medigap insurance for equal coverage. Because of the above point, that Medigap plans are standardized, you can often save money. Insurance, particularly Medicare insurance, is an extremely fast-moving and changing thing. A plan that is good today may not be competitively priced tomorrow. Because of this, it is important to stay “on top of” your coverage and compare quotes on an annual basis. You can do so online. The rates themselves aren’t published online (this is not allowed by most companies); however, if you find the right independent brokerage, you can get a rate quote comparison sent to you by email. Full disclosure: we do this and would be happy to send it to you if you want to request Medigap quotes.

3. Last of all, you should get Medigap quotes to save money. Since the plans are standardized and the quotes are easy to obtain, you can usually save money. Everyone likes a little extra money in their pocket and this is one of the easiest ways to get it. Keep the same coverage and save money – it’s a no brainer.

If you would like more information or to obtain Medigap quotes by email, please request information on our website or give us a call. While many people do this this time of year, during the annual enrollment period for the Part D plans, you can actually change Medicare Supplements at any time, and should consider doing so whenever your rates change, which is typically on your policy anniversary date.

Medicare dodged the bullet in the recent battle over deficit reduction, but the next fight will soon begin. The agreement that was reached to raise the debt limit and avoid default by the U.S. government requires leaders of both parties to appoint 12 members to a “Super Committee” that must come up with at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. The Committee must finish its work by November 23, 2011, and Congress must vote to approve or reject their proposals by December 23rd.

According to the Center for Medicare Advocacy, there have been many proposals for cutting Medicare, in addition to the Ryan plan for privatizing Medicare and turning it into a voucher program. Ideas that have received a better reception and might be part of the Super Committee’s final proposal include the following possible changes to Medicare:

• Raising the Age of Eligibility From 65 to 67
• Combining Part A and B Deductibles Into a Single Annual Deductible – Different proposals sought to create a deductible between $550 and $560, impose 20% cost-sharing on all Medicare services (including Part A services that currently require either no cost-sharing, or a set co-pay), coupled with a total annual out-of-pocket cap of between $5,250 and $7,500;
• Additional Means Testing of Medicare – Currently, higher income beneficiaries pay a larger share of their Part B and Part D premiums; one proposal sought to increase Part B premiums from 25% to 35% of program costs for those not already paying income-related premiums;
• Eliminating First-Dollar Medigap Coverage – This proposal prohibits Medigap plans covering the first $500 of cost-sharing and limits coverage to 50% of the next $5,000 (might include policies already held by individuals)
• Shifting Coverage of Persons Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid (Dual eligibles) to Medicaid – This proposal gives Medicaid full responsibility for providing health coverage for persons dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, and requires Medicaid plans to place dual eligibles in Medicaid managed care plans.

Medicare and Social Security are exempt from large cuts.

If the Super Committee fails to agree on spending cuts to a long list of government programs, or Congress votes against the final proposal by the Super Committee, that will trigger automatic spending reductions across the board, with Department of Defense taking the biggest hit. But Social Security and Medicare would be exempt from large cuts, and any cuts that are made would be directed at providers rather than patients. Of course, if doctors take the hit, they can decide to stop seeing Medicare patients.

o the struggle continues and it will take place behind closed doors until November, when the public will find out who gets hurt the most from the large cuts that will be made in government spending.

Nurse and busy mom-on-the-go Georgette Oosting, 31, doesn’t get sick often, but when she does, you won’t find her in the doctor’s office. Instead, the Angie’s List member of Midland Park, N.J., goes to MinuteClinic in CVS/pharmacy — one of about 450 MinuteClinics and 1,200 total retail clinics in more than 30 states nationwide that treat minor illnesses and injuries.

She’s gone there for everything from strep throat to a urinary tract infection. “It’s fast, easy and they’re open the weird hours we can go,” says Oosting, whose husband Rudi recently got a flu shot at the clinic. The couple’s $30 copay is the same whether they visit a clinic, urgent care center or family doctor’s office.

As the health care market broadens, people seeking medical treatment are increasingly more likely to have these three options, and the ER, close at hand. While 87 percent of respondents to an online Angie’s List poll say they go to the doctor’s office most often when health issues arise — “to ensure I get top-notch care,” says member Teri Pote of Alexandria, Va. — 28 percent, including Pote, say they’ve visited a retail clinic.

Growth in the retail clinic sector has slowed in recent years, with some clinics shuttered. But the industry that took root in 2000 looks poised for another wave of expansion that could redefine its role in primary care.

Apart from convenience, many consumers choose retail clinics, primarily operated by CVS/pharmacy and Walgreens, because of cost. According to a 2009 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and led by Dr. Ateev Mehrotra, a researcher with RAND Corp., retail clinics treated three common conditions — sore throat, earache and urinary tract infection — for substantially lower average costs than urgent care centers, primary care providers or emergency rooms.

The costs reflect differences in plan reimbursement levels, which account for everything from doctors’ salaries compared with nurse practitioners and physician assistants who generally staff retail clinics, to expensive diagnostic equipment. “Our main goal in the ER is to rule out life-threatening emergencies,” says Dr. Anthony Cardillo, an emergency physician at highly rated Glendale Adventist Medical Center in Glendale, Calif. “That can lead to exhaustive work-ups.”

Besides a lower sticker price upfront, which is attractive to those without insurance and millions more with high deductible plans, retail clinics are increasingly covered by insurers. Copays vary but are often comparable to other primary care settings, typically $10 to $30; a copay for the emergency department can range from $50 to $200 — an attempt to dissuade people from going to the ER for non-emergency problems, says Dr. Bruce Hochstadt of New York-based human resources and benefits consulting firm Mercer.

There are other reasons retail clinics are forecasting increased traffic. Because of an insurance mandate in the new health care law, about 32 million more people are expected to get health insurance by 2014. “There’s going to be more demand [and at least initially] the same number of docs,” Mehrotra says. That’s expected to push people to alternative care settings.

Mehrotra’s research also shows that retail clinics are comparable to urgent care centers and physicians’ offices on measures of quality and fare better than emergency departments. His team reached these conclusions after examining 14 quality indicators, such as what kind of tests were ordered and what drugs were prescribed. They determined that one in five visits to a doctor and one in 10 to an ER could be handled by a retail clinic.

Still, some patients are already treating the clinics as an adjunct medical home in place of the family doctor. About 40 percent of those who visit retail clinics don’t have a primary care doctor, according to Tine Hansen-Turton, executive director of the Convenient Care Association, a trade organization.

http://magazine.angieslist.com/urgent-care/articles/quick-low-cost-care-attracts-to-retail-clinics.aspx