Medicare Advantage plan grace period now open
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People who are having problems with their Medicare Advantage plans can still switch plans, thanks to a three-month grace period that runs from January through March. However, many Medicare Advantage plans have pulled out of rural areas like Humboldt and Fresno/Madera.
That leaves communities with only one plan, often with too few providers, so patients may end up driving an hour or more for care. Bonnie Burns, a policy specialist with California Health Advocates, said people should call their no-cost county Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program, known as HICAP.
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"If you made a choice for Medicare Advantage during the open enrollment, and you have problems with those choices," said Burns, "then you go to HICAP and they will help you figure out what your options are."
People who go to insurance brokers for advice should know that brokers have an incentive to promote Medicare Advantage plans that pay a commission. Since not all plans pay a commission, brokers may not tell people about all their options, whereas free HICAP sessions will lay out all plans available.
People can find a list of HICAP offices on the Health Advocates website or call HICAP at 800-434-0222.
If people wish to return to original Medicare, they may consider a Medigap program that pays for out-of-pocket costs. However In California, companies do not have to guarantee access to Medigap plans to people whose doctors dropped out of their Medicare Advantage network.
Burns said bills to fix that failed in the state legislature each of the past two sessions in the face of opposition from the insurance industry.
"They fund a lot of political campaigns," said Burns. "They're a very powerful industry in this state. And if they don't like something and they come out against it, then it likely won't pass."
Californians do have a guaranteed right to a Medigap plan if a Medicare Advantage or retiree plan closes, if the person moves out of the Medicare Advantage service area, or if they lose their Medi-Cal coverage.
