How To Help Your Loved Ones with Medicare.

Helping to manage the process is easier with a little preparation ahead of time.  Do your homework if you’re not familiar with Medicare or the Open Enrollment rules. The "Medicare & You" handbookfrom the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a good place to start.

Learn about the most common mistakes people make so you can avoid errors that may affect your loved one’s coverage and access to care.

Additionally, use their Medicare card to log into their Medicare.gov account. From there, you can learn about their current coverage, identify their eligibility for additional programs and compare their plan options, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans. If your loved one hasn’t set up an account yet, help them do so. 

If they’ve misplaced their card, contact 1-800-MEDICARE for a replacement.

If Medicare's annual Open Enrollment Period has your loved one feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, it’s important to be patient with them. Be understanding of their feelings. Listen and validate their feelings. It’s crucial to understand their perspective and acknowledge their concerns. Maintaining a respectful approach shows that you care about their well-being and autonomy. 

Choosing the right Medicare coverage starts with understanding your loved one’s health conditions and care requirements. To help narrow down the options and identify the best plan, start by asking your friend or relative a few important questions, such as:

• Do they want to keep their current health care provider?
• Is that provider in their preferred plan’s network?
• Do they need any specialty care?
• What prescriptions do they take?
• What’s their preferred pharmacy?

This information is needed to effectively compare plans and ensure that all providers, medications, and pharmacies are covered by prospective plans.

Scammers are always eyeing opportunities to take advantage of vulnerable populations, and they often ramp up their activities during the open enrollment period. You can guard yourself and your loved one from bad actors by keeping an eye out for common Medicare scams.

For instance, Medicare never asks for a Social Security number, bank account information or a Medicare card number over the phone or email. In fact, Medicare doesn’t call you unless you request a call back. “If someone calls and says they’re from Medicare, hang up!

As for mail, only pay attention to letters from the beneficiary’s existing plan, from the Medicare office and—if they receive public assistance to pay for their plan and medications—from the federal or state government.  

Sometimes helpers need help, too. If family caregivers are feeling overwhelmed, there are plenty of resources available to help them and their loved ones navigate the process.  You can always contact Medicare.gov, 1-800- MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) for help with plan choices. 

At the Medicare Help Center, we offer services from a team of Volunteer, Certified Medicare Advisors.  These Volunteers to the Medicare Help Center are rigorously vetted to authenticate they are Licensed by the State and CMS-Compliant Certified. In addition, these Volunteers are Independent Advisors registered wIth the National Association of Insurance Commissions (NAIC).  

Our mission is to provide resources for education on the Medicare process, assistance with Medicare enrollment, and guidance on Medicare plan selection.  Guidance for plan selection is based on the Doctors, the Prescriptions, and the individual needs of each Medicare Beneficiary. There are no obligation appointments available, and there is never a fee to Beneficiaries. Our service is 100% free!