Information for Medicare Beneficiaries

This week, open enrollment began for Medicare and runs through December 7, 2012. It is important for current Medicare beneficiaries to review their plans on an annual basis to ensure satisfaction with their current coverage. Some of the optional changes to your coverage you may wish to make during this period, which would take effect in 2013, are:

• Change from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan 
• Change from Medicare Advantage Plan back to Original Medicare 
• Switch from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another Medicare Advantage Plan 
• Switch from a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn’t offer drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage plan that offers drug coverage 
• Switch from a Medicare Advantage Pan that offers drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage Plan that doesn’t offer drug coverage 
• Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
• Switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
• Drop your Medicare Prescription drug coverage completely. Remember if you are not covered by a prescription drug plan that is as good as the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan you will have a premium penalty of 1% per month for each month you are not covered.

Additionally, this week the Social Security Administration announced that anyone who receives Social Security benefits will see a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase of 1.7 percent beginning in 2013. As you may know, the Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated.

You can always contact my Dallas District Office at 972.392.0505 should you have any questions regarding Social Security and Medicare. Additionally, for questions about Medicare you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit www.medicare.gov, and for questions about Social Security call 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.