With the Annual Enrollment Period in full swing, advertisements, misinformation and incomplete information will continue.
You may notice advertisements which urge Medicare viewers to call an 800 number to learn about the latest and greatest Medicare Advantage plans. Many of the advertisements might even include a celebrity talking about the plans. Retired football star Joe Namath claims, “you may be entitled to new benefits”, including a bunch of extras like transportation, dental, vision, and hearing – all at no extra charge. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan through OHB you are already getting most if not all of these “extra’s”.
Another commercial tells viewers they may qualify to “get up to $144 added back to your Social Security Check”. While it is true that in a small handful of counties in the US there are Medicare Advantage plans that will give you back your Part B premium, 95%+ of the counties in the US this is simply not true. This “$144 added back to your Social Security check” promise is highly effective in getting people to call the 1-800 number where there are agents standing by. The agent’s goal is to get you to switch to a different plan and earn a commission. I can say with 100% confidence they will not have a plan for you that covers your medications, allows you to see the doctors you want to see, and gives you $144 back each month. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
If you are intrigued by something you see in an advertisement, your OHB team is here to help! Our OHB Team works with the majority of Medicare Advantage companies, so call us before making a call to an 800 number. We are here to help sort all of this out for you! Call us toll free at (866) 235-8378 or click here to email us your name and phone number for us to call you.
Ohio Health Benefits also offers Medicare & Muffins, a free educational seminar to help you understand how Medicare works. These seminars are free and open to the public every Wednesday at 9 am and Thursday at 3pm. For details and registration link click here.
