Changes affect local Medicare entitlements

As senior citizens in Mountain Home continue to register during Medicare's annual enrollment season, Idaho Department of Insurance officials highlighted changes affecting benefits in the coming year.

The annual enrollment started Monday and continues through Dec. 31.

"The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has provided some significant changes to Medicare that seniors should be aware of," said Bill Deal, department director with the state insurance department. "Among those changes are a number of free preventive services and yearly wellness exams."

Under these changes, Medicare enrollees can switch to the Original Medicare program from Jan. 1 to Feb. 14, 2011, with the option of enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries whose Medicare prescription drug plan has a gap in coverage -- often known as the "doughnut hole" -- may get a 50 percent discount on Medicare-covered brand name drugs. In addition, they can receive a 7 percent discount on Medicare-covered generic prescriptions while they're in the "doughnut hole."

Also set to begin next year, Medicare Advantage plans cannot charge more than traditional Medicare for chemotherapy, dialysis, skilled nursing care and other services. However, officials urged seniors to review their plans to see if preventive and wellness improvements to Original Medicare will apply to them.

Other changes coming this year involve agents who sell Medicare plans. According to state officials, these people must be licensed by the Department of Insurance, may not make unsolicited contacts, must arrange in advance the type of products that will be discussed during pre-arranged sales appointments and may not discuss or try to sell any other types of products during the sales call.

A consumer alert with more information about this year's Medicare changes are available online at www.doi.idaho.gov.

In addition, Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors representatives are also available to answer questions seniors may have about their options. For details, call toll free at 800-247-4422.