Diabetes can be a very debilitating and deadly disease, especially when you do not get the treatment and supplies you need. Fortunately, Medicare is able to offer some help in this area.

What Do They Cover?

Medicare will cover a range of different items when it comes to diabetes. Those who have Original Medicare and Part B coverage will find that it can cover a range of different types of supplies, including testing strips for blood sugar, monitors, insulin, lancets, and therapeutic shoes and shoe inserts. In addition, Part B can even cover a number of services associate with the disease. It offers coverage for a yearly eye exam, a foot exam, glaucoma tests, self-management training, and even nutritional therapy services.

The above are services and supplies covered in Original Medicare. Those who may have a Medicare Advantage plan instead will want to check with their particular provider about what types of service and supplies they will cover. When choosing a plan, compare the costs as well as what types of services they will actually offer. In the end, you may find it is better to go with an Advantage plan, but this is not always the case.

What Will You Owe?

The amount of money that you will owe for the supplies or services vary based on a number of factors, such as whether you have supplemental insurance or not. Additionally, it depends on how much the doctor or the supplier charges, as well as just what you need to have. Those who have an Advantage plan may find that the coverage will take care of all, or most of the cost of the supplies and services.

Do You Need More Services?

In some cases, you may find that you actually need more in the way of service or supplies than your coverage allows. It is important to listen to the doctor and to have the healthcare that you actually need to remain as healthy as possible. However, this could mean that you need to pay for these other services out of pocket. Whenever a doctor recommends a service, it is important to speak with him or her about whether it really is necessary and to learn whether it is something Medicare will be able to pay for or not.

Always make sure you know exactly what types of services you qualify for and how much you will have to pay for your care so you are never without.

Understanding Medicare can be quite complicated. There are so many plans and options from which to choose, it can be a frustrating mess to make sense of it all. With all of the different Medicare Parts and options, and the concept of open enrollment, it does not get any easier. Instead of trying to take all of it in at once, it makes more sense to break it down and learn about the different options one at a time. First, take some time to learn about open enrollment.

Each year, those who want to enroll in Medicare, or who want to change their coverage, will have the ability to do so during the enrollment period. The open enrollment period ends on December 7. It is important to note that the dates for open enrollment changed from what they were in the past. Currently the open enrollment period is from October 15 to December 7.

During open enrollment, you will be able to change your Medicare Advantage Part C plan or your Part D plan. If they haven’t been a part of one of these programs before, they can enroll.

One of the things that people who are in open enrollment need to do is to take the time to look at the options and features that Part C and Part D offer. These plans have additional services and options available. For example, with the original Medicare programs, it was not possible to get hearing aids and certain other types of care such as dental and vision. By adding Part C in open enrollment, it’s then possible to receive these other features.

Do You Like the Plan?

In some cases, people will sign up for a plan during open enrollment and then find that they really do not like it. They would rather go back to original Medicare. Fortunately, it’s possible. You can return to your original plan between January and February after enrolling.

What Do You Need?

Instead of waiting until the last minute to determine whether you will be taking part in the open enrollment period and changing your plan by adding Part C and/or Part D, you should continue your research. Consider what you need from a quality healthcare plan and make sure that you are choosing the ones that are right for you. For example, if you have a number of prescriptions, then adding Part D could really help to defray those costs.

When it comes to Medicare coverage and options, it becomes rather confusing quite quickly. To get a better idea of the different types of options you have available, and the benefits that each can offer, we’ll compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplemental and Original Medicare. This should help to give you at least a basic understanding of the differences of each, and it should provide some guidance as you continue your research to choosing the right plan for your health needs. Each of these types of programs is very different and has a different design scheme.

Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage makes use of private insurance companies as a means to provide care and coverage. Since they use private insurance, it allows the user to have far more options when it comes to the type of care he or she receives. Because they have different types of plans though, it becomes highly important to make sure that the plan you choose actually covers what you need. Some will cover things such as hearing, dental, and vision, which Original Medicare will not cover. The plans will often include Part D as well, which will offer prescription drug coverage, meaning you will not need to have an additional policy specifically for Part D.

Original Medicare

Original Medicare coverage comes straight from Medicare and it will include Part A and Part B. Part A covers hospital insurance, and Part B is for medical insurance. Those who are a part of this plan will still be able to choose their doctors, hospitals and providers as long as they accept Medicare. The buyers will usually pay a monthly premium for Part B. When you have the Original Medicare, it is possible to add additional coverage, such as Part D. You could do this during the annual open enrollment.

Medicare Supplemental

Medicare Supplemental insurance, sometimes called Medigap, is insurance from private companies that will help to pay the cost of certain health care needs that the Original Medicare plan will not cover, such as deductibles. They can also offer services that the other plan does not have the ability to offer. This is different from Medicare Advantage since you need to have Medicare Part A and Part B in order to use supplemental policies.

Each of the options is quite different, and it is important to know what each is able to offer and how you can best use them to get all of the healthcare you actually need.

One of the questions that so many people who are applying for Original Medicare want to know is whether the coverage will include dental care. The truth of the matter is that regular Medicare will not cover the normal dental care you need for the health of your teeth and mouth. They do not cover the normal things that most people consider when it comes to the dentist. For example, you will not have Medicare coverage for regular checkups and cleanings. They will not pay for fillings or for dentures either.

However, they may cover some dental services in certain instances. For example, if the dental service is necessary as a means to protect your general health, then it could cover the costs. For example, those who need to have an oral exam when they are in the hospital and about to go through a procedure such as a kidney transplant, will have this covered through Medicare. Surgery to treat jaw or face fractures, and dental splints because of jaw surgery would be covered under this as well.

If you need to have your teeth extracted for a medical procedure, then Medicare could pay for that. They will not pay for the dentures you will likely need after the procedure though. Medicare could pay for some hospitalizations related to dental issues. Infections after a tooth extraction, for example, would receive coverage.

As you can see, it can be quite frustrating to try to determine just what they will and will not cover. Whenever you are in doubt about the ability of the service to cover your dental needs, get in touch with them.

What About an Advantage Plan?

Medicare Part C, an Advantage Plan, is different from Original Medicare. It is possible to find a number of plans that can offer plenty of coverage for services such as hearing, vision, and even dental. Those who need dental care may want to consider an Advantage plan. They could also look into getting supplemental insurance instead, as this might be a better option if they are happy with their Original Medicare offerings except for the lack of dental.

Dental coverage is important at any age. You should always consider buying dental service just so you can be sure you are in perfect dental health and that you have the help you need, and know what it will cost, for everything from cleanings to dentures.

Are you looking into Medicare? It might not be quite as easy to choose what you need as you first think. Today, there are so many different options and types of plan, it is important to make sure you know exactly what it is you are getting. The best way to do that is simply to compare the different Medicare plans available and then make a decision. Keep in mind that if you choose a program and plan and find that it’s not right for you, it’s not set in stone. You can always change what you have and use during the open enrollment period each year.

Different Types of Plans

Let’s look at the two basic types of Medicare plans. First, you have Original Medicare, which includes Part A and Part B, as well as the possibility of adding Part D to the mix. Part A covers hospitalization, and Part B covers medical treatments and visits. Part D is a plan for prescription medications, and it might be something that you want to add to your Original Medicare plan.

Though it is able to offer some great low cost benefits, Original Medicare does not provide coverage for everything. In many cases, patients are looking at using Part C, or Advantage Plans. This allows them to choose a third party private insurance company that offers the exact type of plan they need. This costs more, naturally, but it also happens to offer more. For example, many of the Advantage plans will include Part D so you will not need to buy supplemental coverage for the prescription meds. Additionally they will often include things such as coverage for dental care, hearing, and vision, which Original Medicare will not cover.

These are the basic options available when choosing Medicare plans. However, it is important to make sure that you are actually looking deeper into what those plans offer before you choose one.

Why Is It Important to Compare Plans?

You have unique medical needs, and you have to be sure the plan you choose will actually be able to help cover the costs of your specific needs. For some, Original Medicare may be all they need. Others might need to have additional service and the Advantage plan might be the best option. Go over the various options and choose the service and plan that will give you the right coverage for the money.