Discovering YOU Magazine October 2018 Issue | Page 16

HEALTH MATTERS

National Medicare Education Week: Get Ready for Medicare Annual Enrollment with these

Online Resources

Article by BPT

(BPT) - Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period is almost here - the time (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7) when people can make changes to their Medicare coverage for the year ahead. Thankfully, there are tools and resources to help you navigate the process and select a plan to meet your needs. National Medicare Education Week begins Sept. 15 with one goal: to help empower people to make informed choices about their Medicare coverage. Local education events are planned across the country and online to help you prepare for the fall Annual Enrollment Period. You can check out a list of events in your area at www.nmew.com. Here's a roundup of frequently asked questions

about Medicare you might expect to hear at a National Medicare Education Week event and online resources that can help you get started in your own decision-making process.

1. How do I know which Medicare coverage is right for me?

Each person needs to make coverage decisions based on his or her health care needs and budget. To do that, you need to understand your options. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is provided by the federal government and includes hospital and medical coverage. But it doesn't cover everything. You may have out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Coinsurance for most Part B services, for example, is 20 percent of the cost. In addition, Original Medicare does not cover prescription drugs. If you want additional coverage, there are two ways to get it.

* Add Medicare supplement insurance and/or a standalone Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) to Original Medicare.