If you have Medicare, you do not need to buy additional coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace that will start in 2014. The marketplace isn’t for people who have Medicare, so do not drop your Medicare coverage. The health care law protects your basic Medicare benefits. In fact, Medicare covers more than it did before.
You May Have Better Access to Primary Care:
> Primary care doctors and nurses who treat people with Medicare will get bonus payments for providing quality care.
> Medicare will give bonus payments to doctors and nurses who provide primary care in areas with doctor shortages.
You Get More Preventive Care for Less:
Medicare now covers more preventive health screenings and tests. Preventive care is important to catch health problems sooner and treat them more quickly. The following tests are now covered:
- A yearly wellness visit to update your personalized prevention plan;
- Bone mass measurements (to see if you are at risk for broken bones);
- Colon cancer screenings (to check for early signs of cancer of the colon);
- Diabetes and heart disease screenings;
- Flu shots, pneumonia shots and the hepatitis B shot;
- Glaucoma tests (to check for eye disease);
- Pap smear and pelvic exams (to check for early sings of cervical cancer); and
- Mammograms (to check for early sings of breast cancer).
You May Save Money on Prescriptions:
If you fall into the doughnut hole, the health care law helps reduce the cost of your prescription drugs.
> If you have Medicare Part D, the doughnut hole is shrinking. In 2013, for prescriptions filled in the doughnut hole, you get a 52.5 percent discount on brand name drugs, and a 21 percent discount on generic drugs. Even better, these discounts will gradually increase until the doughnut hole disappears in 2020.
> If you spend more than $4,750 on prescription drugs this year, you automatically get a “catastrophic coverage” in 2013. That means you will generally pay no more than 5 percent for each of your prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
Crack Downs on Waste and Fraud:
Medicare is working to cut down on fraud to protect your benefits and to make sure Medicare spends more wisely.
For more information about the health care law and your coverage, visit www.Medicare.gov or call (800) 633-4227.
Source: AARP
