Are the Medicare TV ads true?
by Sandra Teel
Medicare insurance agent
Everyone has seen the ads with a well-known athlete or celebrity endorsing a Medicare insurance company that claims to be able to deliver all kinds of free benefits. Viewers just have to call this 800 number, and they’ll be set up. Among the things these commercials claim people can get are in-homeaides,dentalcoverage,eye glasses,prescriptiondrugcoverage, unlimited transportation, homedelivered meals, Part B givebacks to Social Security . . . The list goes onandon.Theseadsmakeitsound likepeoplearen’tgettingeverything they’re entitled to. But is it true? The answer is both yes and no.
Yes, many of these “extra things” are covered by several different Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplemental plans. However, there’s a catch: These “extras” are not covered by Original Medicare, so each Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Supplemental plan can offer what theywant asan“extra,” which often depends on where a person lives. When someone calls the 800 number advertised on the TV screen, the representative is most likely not located in that person’s area and therefore is unfamiliar with the local hospitals, pharmacies, doctors,etc.Inordertoqualify for some of these “extras,” people might have to give up their trusted doctor or their preferred hospital. Not all Medicare Advantage plans contract with all local hospitals and doctors. And what about prescription drug costs? Will a person have to give up the least expensive drug coverage to receive the extra benefit?
Each state and county in that state has different plans with different “extras,” so it’s best to call a trusted Medicare insurance agent who knows what’s available in the area and will take the time to look up people’s preferred doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc. so they can keep them.
It can be easy for people to be fooled into calling someone who knowsnothingaboutthemortheir area, so be smart and contact a local, trusted Medicare insurance agent instead.
Sandra Teel is a licensed independent broker who can be contacted by calling (657) 204-4224 or by emailing steelmedagent@gmail.com.
