{"id":3896,"date":"2021-09-29T19:15:12","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T23:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yourcarerep.com\/YCR-BU\/?p=3896"},"modified":"2021-10-28T15:04:52","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T19:04:52","slug":"get-the-most-from-your-medicare-advantage-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yourcarerep.com\/YCR-BU\/get-the-most-from-your-medicare-advantage-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Get the Most from Your Medicare Advantage Plan: 2 Documents You Must Read"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Get the Most from Your Medicare Advantage Plan: 2 Documents You Must Read<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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As my mom\u2019s caregiver for the last three years of her life, I remember when I first enrolled her into a Medicare Advantage plan in St. Petersburg, FL. Having just moved her from Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, I was going to make sure she was taken care of correctly. When I received her card and plan documents, the card went into her wallet and the documents went into the filing cabinet. I never read them.<\/p>\n

Fast forward a year and mom was being released from the hospital and I had NO CLUE what her benefits were: meals on wheels, rehab, home healthcare, inpatient hospital copay, etc.). Why? I didn\u2019t take the time to read the Summary of Benefits<\/strong> nor the Evidence of Coverage<\/strong>. My laziness left money on the table in benefits she never used and caught me by surprise when copays and coinsurance bills arrived. Now, mind you, this was before I became an agent.<\/p>\n

Well, since becoming an agent, I learned I was in good company, as the majority of people ignore them as well. Here\u2019s the question: How many benefits are being ignored and lost, because we don\u2019t know what\u2019s in our plan?<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s take a quick look at what they are and how to use them.<\/p>\n

The Summary of Benefits: Your Plan in a Nutshell<\/h2>\n

As the name implies the SOB (not to be confused with another acronym, but I digress) is a summary of the plan benefits. It does not provide all the minutia (little details). It\u2019s made for quick answers in a small booklet, usually about 12 to 16 pages long.<\/p>\n

Some Summaries are more detailed, and some are simpler. For example, below are two snippets from two different Summary of Benefits. You will notice one gives little information and the other a more detailed breakdown.<\/p>\n

In the first example below, you see a breakdown of how the copays would apply based on where one went for the service. You understand your options.<\/p>\n

\"Summary<\/p>\n

In the second example below, it provides you a range, but it does not give you the breakdown of how that range is applied. While you know you will have to pay at most $25, it doesn\u2019t explain how it could cost you $0.<\/p>\n

\"Summary-of-Benefits\"<\/p>\n

This is where the Evidence of Coverage comes in. When you need to know the details of the benefits, you will find it in the EOC.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Subscribe to our newsletter and get the FREE<\/strong> <\/span>Medical Information document for streamlined emergencies or hospitalization. A MUST HAVE FOR CARETAKERS!\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Don’t let changes take you by surprise! Stay in the know.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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