As we age, the insurance coverage that we need also changes. Seniors in Asheville, Fletcher, Hendersonville, Hickory, Morganton and the surrounding areas have a great option when it comes to choosing a Medicare Advantage plan that best suits them. Blue Cross Blue Shield features their Medicare supplement plan, which they call Blue Medicare. But if you aren’t familiar with what this policy is and how it is different from regular Medicare, we can help bring some clarity for you.
Medicare Part A and B
Medicare, as it was originally conceived, had two parts to it, commonly referred to as Parts A and B. Medicare Part A was the portion that dealt with inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice care, as well as limited home health services. Medicare Part B was the portion that dealt with outpatient services which include doctor office visits, flu shots, some preventative services, physical therapy, chemotherapy, and several other aspects. While most people don’t have to pay for Part A in terms of a monthly premium, Part B does require a monthly premium.
Medicare Advantage Plans
This is where things get interesting. With Medicare as originally conceived, Parts A and B did cover a lot of ground in terms of what was medically covered. However, there were other areas that were not covered, and beginning in the 1970s there were attempts to rectify this. Only when it got into the early 2000s, however, did we see what we have today in Medicare Advantage plans. These new plans not only featured Parts A and B like what everyone was used to but now featured Part C and Part D.
Medicare Part C in effect picked up the slack that was left by Parts A and B. For example, while you could have doctor’s visits, these were all subject to required payments beyond the monthly premiums for Part B. Part C offered the ability to do an annual doctor’s visit that was preventative, similar to a dental visit and cleaning. Medicare Part C also featured vision coverage, and sometimes dental coverage as well. Transport to medical-service appointments, coverage of over-the-counter drugs, and adult day care are also features that are part of Medicare Part C.
What makes things interesting is that you need to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, like Blue Medicare, in order to have access to Medicare Part C. Fortunately, when you pick Blue Medicare, you will have access to all parts of the Medicare coverages in Asheville, Fletcher, Hendersonville, Hickory, Morganton, and the surrounding areas, making things easy when it comes to insurance options for seniors. Talk with the team at Direct Marketing Associates, Inc. for more details and to enroll in Blue Medicare.
