Benefit Counseling / Medicare Open Enrollment
Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area (AAACAP) serves older adults, people with disabilities and their caregivers with a variety of services and supports throughout the region. It works to ensure people can maintain their best quality of life in the environment of their choosing. It also operates the Aging and Disability Resource Center of the Capital Area (ADRC-CAP), which connects people with the support programs that can assist them.
AAACAP provides services to support and advocate for the health, safety and well-being of older adults in CAPCOG 10-county region — Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Llano, Travis and Williamson counties.
Since 1982, it has provided services that help meet your needs or the needs of someone you care for. AAACAP directly provides older adults and their caregivers through its Access and Assistance program, Benefits Counseling, Long-term care and Assisted Living Facilities Ombudsman services, Care Coordination and Information, Referral and Assistance services. AAACAP provides services to caregivers under the National Family Caregiver Support Program. It also contracts with other agencies to ensure the availability of services such as transportation, nutrition, homemaker and senior center operations.
Medicare
Open Enrollment
What to Know About Open Enrollment
The Medicare Open Enrollment Period can be stressful for people, especially for those enrolling in Medicare for the first time. The AAACAP Benefits Counselors have compiled these things to remember to help prepare you for the open enrollment and elevate some of that stress.
Medicare Open Enrollment occurs from October 15 to December 7 every year.
- If they enroll in a plan during Medicare Open Enrollment, their coverage starts Jan. 1.
- In most cases, Medicare Open Enrollment is the only time they can pick a new Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plan.
- If they have Medicare Advantage, they also can switch to Original Medicare. To get Medicare drug coverage, they must join a stand-alone Part D plan.
Review your current Medicare health and drug coverage.
- If they have Original Medicare, review next year’s Medicare & You Handbook to identify their Medicare costs and benefits for the upcoming year. If they are unsatisfied with their Original Medicare coverage, they can make change to their coverage during the open enrollment period. Coverage changes will take effect Jan. 1 of the next year.
- If they have a Medicare Advantage plan or a stand-alone Part D plan, they should receive an Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)and/or Evidence of Coverage (EOC) from their plan. They should review the notices for any changes in the plan’s costs, benefits and rules for the upcoming year. If they are dissatisfied with any changes, they can make changes to their coverage during open enrollment to be effective Jan. 1.
- Beneficiaries who are satisfied with their Medicare coverage should review other Medicare options in their area to see if other options better suit their needs. Another plan in their area may offer better health and/or drug coverage at a more affordable price. Research shows people with Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) could lower their costs by shopping among plans each year.
Help is out there.
- Call the Area Agency on Aging at 512-916-6178 or 888-622-9111.
- Visit Medicare.gov and use the Plan Finder to search or review available plans.
- Checkout the videos and information below.
Understand the difference between the Medicare Open Enrollment & Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment.
- The Health Insurance Marketplaces will hold open enrollment for uninsured or underinsured Americans. The Marketplaces are not meant for people with Medicare. People with Medicare should not use this open enrollment period to purchase or change their health care.
- People with Medicare should continue to use the Medicare Open Enrollment Period to review and make changes to their health coverage.
Appointments
Benefits Counselors are accepting in-person appointments during open enrollment, but prefer phone or virtual consultations. In most cases a person’s needs can be met over the phone or through a virtual consultation.
If you believe an in-person appointment is necessary, you must first scheduled it ahead of time by calling 512-916-6178 or 888-622-9111.
In-person consultations should last between 30 minutes to an hour. People who attend an appointment should come prepared with a completed Pre-Enrollment form — see above, a list of their medications, their Medicare information, and a mask.
Benefit Counselors will hold standing in-person appointments during the times and days listed below at CAPCOG’s Offices. It is best to call and schedule an appointment time. Benefit Counselors also will schedule community events throughout the 10-county region.
Times
Days and times will be determined closer to the open enrollment period
Days
Days and times will be determined closer to the open enrollment period
Location
CAPCOG’s Offices are located at
6800 Burleson Road
Building 310, Suite 165
Austin, Tx 78744
Appointment Protocols
Visitors must be accompanied by staff while in the suit
Medicare Open Enrollment 101
Get the 101 version of open enrollment by watching this video with AAACAP benefits counselors and AGE of Central Texas.
Newly Medicare eligible seniors
Those turning 65 and who will be newly Medicare eligible should do their research early especially if they are still employed at 65.
Open Enrollment & Medicare Tools
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have two powerful web tools that can help people select and change their plains as well as find a preferred medical or drug provider.
Plan Finder Tool
Plan Finder tool allows someone to create an online profile and use their current prescription information to compare several Medicare Advantage or Part D drug plans available by zip code at the same time.
Need help with the plan finder? Watch this video or contact a benefits counselor.
Medicare Care Compare
Medicare Care Compare combines eight different search engines formerly operated by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services. It allows people to locate new providers that take their new Medicare coverage that was selected during the open enrollment period.
Need help using Care Compare? Watch this video or contact a benefits counselor.
More Medicare Open Enrollment information
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website contains articles about the open enrollment process that can be beneficial to seeking to change benefits during the open enrollment period.
AAACAP benefit counselors recommend watching the centers’ video series Medicare & You. The series discusses not only the open enrollment process but educates people about reviewing their coverage and how to explore their options.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services video series
- Medicare & You – Medicare Open Enrollment
- Medicare & You – Understanding Medicare Enrollment
- Medicare & You – Understanding Your Medicare Choices
- Medicare & You – Deciding to Sign Up for Medicare Part B
- Medicare & You – Different Parts of Medicare
- Promotores de Salud: Cómo Ayudar a las personas con Medicare en el Período de Inscripción Abierta
- Medicare Part D Senior Savings Programs
Medicare and Open Enrollment Fraud
During the Medicare Open Enrollment period, fraud and scams incidents targeting older adults tend to increase. The U.S Federal Trade Commission recommends the following to avoid becoming a victim of crimes related to Medicare Open Enrollment.
- Anyone who tries to sell you Medicare insurance while claiming to be an “official Medicare agent” is a scammer. There are no Medicare sales representatives.
- Ignore anyone who says you must join a prescription drug plan to keep your Medicare coverage. The Medicare prescription drug plan (also known as Part D) is voluntary and has nothing to do with the rest of your Medicare coverage.
- Never give information over the phone to someone who says they need it so you can keep your coverage. Hang up on anyone who asks for a quick payment, threatens you, or offers you free equipment or services in exchange for your information.
Remember AAACAP Benefits Counselors are available to help assist people through the open enrollment process and selecting their coverage. They will never contact anyone without being contacted first. They will never ask for payment or attempt to sell anything. They will never claim to be a Medicare agent, and they will state that you join a particular plan. They help older adults find choices and don’t select choices for the individual.
Report any suspected fraud attempts by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, call the Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (MEDIC) at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).