Dallas County Living Well Magazine Winter 2014 | Page 37

MEDICARE CHANGES FOR 2015
By Tucker Thompson

B

ecause of the impact that
some of these changes can
have on both your healthcare and checkbook, thorough
reviews are recommended! Highlights are mentioned below with
special emphasis on checklists to
help you better understand your
choices.
While most Medicare recipients
still won’t pay any “monthly premiums” for Part A in 2015, patient
responsibilities per benefit period
will include a $1260 “deductible”
for hospital stays from 1-60 days,
and a $152 “coinsurance” after 20
days for skilled nursing facility stays.
Part B “monthly premiums” will be
$104.90 again this year, with final
figures income based. Additional
patient costs include a $147 annual deductible and 20% of your
Medicare approved bill, the same
as last year.
To help offset costs, Medicare supplements or Part C [including Advantage Plans, HMOs, PPOs, PFFS]
offer additional coverage seniors
can buy. While some plans can
save you thousands, others can
cost you thousands!

WHEN REVIEWING PLANS:

•Make sure your doctors accept
the plan.
•Carefully review the coverage,
monthly premiums, deductibles &
co-pays.
•Ask what the maximum, worse
case out of your pocket is.
•Check at least one other com
pany’s plans for comparison!
•Look at company support sys
tems (an 800#) with or without a
local agent.
Prescription Drug Plans [Part D] for
2015 have made changes to their
formularies, their premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

WHEN REVIEWING
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS
•Make sure your prescriptions are
on the plan’s formulary!
•Estimate expected annual costs
for