Covering the Bases: Don't put off buying Medigap | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

I'm a fairly healthy individual and I don't anticipate using my health plan any more than I do right now. Why should I spend the extra money for supplemental insurance I might not need for a long time?

It's important for you to understand your rights in buying a Medigap plan.

Your open enrollment period will last six months and begins on the first day of the month in which you are at least age 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B.

During this period, a Medigap insurance company can't use medical underwriting, which means you are eligible to buy any policy sold. If you wait until after your open enrollment period, there is no guarantee that an insurance company will sell you a Medigap policy.

It's best to buy your Medigap policy while you still have no pre-existing conditions, instead of gambling that your current health status will always remain as it is.

You can wait until the last month of your open enrollment period to make your coverage effective, which will save you some premium costs, but it's not worth the risk to wait longer than that.

You also need to look at Medicare Part D plans to cover your anticipated or unanticipated prescription drug needs.

The Senior Health Insurance Program can help you research these plans to find one that best suits your needs.

If you are not taking any prescription drugs at this time, you can opt for the plan with the lowest premium costs for this year. Then if your needs change, you can change to another plan during the coordinated election period, which runs from Nov. 15 to Dec. 31 of each year.

There are also Medicare Advantage Plans available to you, which may be an option you want to consider. Contact SHIP for a list of those plans, and then study the coverage to see which one best meets your current needs.

You have a chance to change from a Medicare Advantage Plan to original Medicare each year. Medicare Advantage Plans are private plans that provide coverage similar to original Medicare and a Medigap Plan, but they work differently and you need to look into the coverage carefully to see if it fits your situation.

It is important that my mother have a private nurse to stay with her while she is recovering from surgery in the hospital.

However, my doctor's office says that Medicare won't pay for this service. She just won't be able to manage without the extra help, but I don't think we should have to pay for it ourselves.

Medicare won't pay for the services of a nurse hired to care for your mother in addition to the services provided by the staff at the hospital, so this will be a private pay situation for her.

Coverage for your mother's hospital stay will be limited to the time that she needs acute care, and some of her recovery may take place in a rehabilitation facility where skilled services can be offered.

The hospital social workers will keep you informed as to when she can anticipate discharge from the hospital, and whether or not she will need some additional care in a rehabilitation facility.

Susan Knight is a senior health insurance consultant. If you have questions about the information in this column, contact the county's Senior Health Insurance Program at the Department of Aging and Disabilities at 410-222-4464 or ship_program@aacounty.org.