What Is The Medicare Coverage Helpline
NEW YORK November 11, 2021
iQuanti: You can use the Medicare Coverage Helpline to get information about different Medicare plans, how they work, and their respective pros and cons. However, its important to be aware that the federal government has no affiliation with the helpline. Rather, the helpline is designed to connect insurance agents and prospective Medicare enrollees. And if youre not careful, you risk getting only a fraction of the information you need regarding all of the Medicare options at your disposal.
Ultimately, it pays to know what to expect from the Medicare Coverage Helpline before you call. That way, you can use the helpline to get the insights you need to make an informed decision regarding your Medicare coverage.
How Does the Medicare Coverage Helpline Work?
The Medicare Coverage Helpline is accessible via phone at 1-800-MEDICARE and can connect you with a Medicare specialist 24/7. You can discuss a variety of Medicare topics, including:
- Preventative exams
You can use the helpline to gain insights on your options regarding Medicare. However, the helpline represents only one of several resources you can use to learn about Medicare. If you capitalize on all available Medicare resources, youre well-equipped to decide which Medicare plan works best for you.
How to Use the Medicare Coverage Helpline
Here are three things you can do to prepare for a call with a Medicare Coverage Helpline specialist.
1. Conduct Research
Medicare Commercials: Deciphering Fact From Fiction
Prepare yourself: we are about to enter the season of Medicare advertising. Soon you wont be able to escape the barrage of mail, television, and online commercials about Medicare.
Insurance companies know that the annual election period is when you get to review your Medicare options and switch to a new Medicare plan or company. So these companies are eager to grab your attention!
You probably wish you could ignore the distracting noise of these commercials. But at the same time, you worry you might miss something important. How can you sort through the mess and tell the difference between what is important and what you can ignore?
Lets start by talking about what IS important information, and move down through to messages you can ignore.
Correctly Choosing Your Medicare Advantage Plan
Many Decisions to make for Expanded Coverage in your Medicare Advantage Plan. Recommend that you consider talking to a broker or consultant to go through every detail with you before you commit to enabling the best coverage for the money and peace of mind for you and your family.
Important Considerations
- Finding a list of Medicare Advantage Plans that are in your coverage area.
- Choosing the Best Type of Plan
- Special Needs Plans
- Health Maintenance Organization-point of service
- Health Maintenance Organization
- Copayments or Coinsurance costs
Recommended Reading: Do You Have To Have A Supplement With Medicare
Medicare Coverage Helpline Tv Commercials
We dont make the ads We measure them
Sign up to track 51 nationally aired TV ad campaigns for Medicare Coverage Helpline. In the past 30 days, Medicare Coverage Helpline has had 12,743 airings and earned an airing rank of #27 with a spend ranking of #370 as compared to all other advertisers. Competition for Medicare Coverage Helpline includes UnitedHealthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Humana, Cigna, Independence Blue Cross and the other brands in the Insurance: Health industry. You can connect with Medicare Coverage Helplineby phone at 800-371-0800.
Also Check: When Does The Medicare Enrollment Period End
Comparison With Private Insurance
Medicare differs from private insurance available to working Americans in that it is a social insurance program. Social insurance programs provide statutorily guaranteed benefits to the entire population . These benefits are financed in significant part through universal taxes. In effect, Medicare is a mechanism by which the state takes a portion of its citizens’ resources to provide health and financial security to its citizens in old age or in case of disability, helping them cope with the cost of health care. In its universality, Medicare differs substantially from private insurers, which decide whom to cover and what benefits to offer to manage their risk pools and ensure that their costs do not exceed premiums.
Medicare also has an important role in driving changes in the entire health care system. Because Medicare pays for a huge share of health care in every region of the country, it has a great deal of power to set delivery and payment policies. For example, Medicare promoted the adaptation of prospective payments based on DRG’s, which prevents unscrupulous providers from setting their own exorbitant prices. Meanwhile, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has given Medicare the mandate to promote cost-containment throughout the health care system, for example, by promoting the creation of accountable care organizations or by replacing fee-for-service payments with bundled payments.
Don’t Miss: Is Kardiamobile Covered By Medicare
Caring Agents And Agencies
An agent who cares will have the time you need to discuss, understand, and properly decide with a plan that is best for you and your family. And the proper information to make sure you qualify, not just sell you something.
A caring agent wishes you to retain your policies, therefore, will help you genuinely choose the best for your family. They will also be available to continue serving you and you wont feel rushed to make a decision, but instead, informed.
Opinion: Joe Namaths Medicare Farce
Joe Namath, Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl III in 1969, has become Most Valuable Persuader as the snake oil salesman for the Medicare Coverage Helpline in 2021.
In these uncertain times, you need to get all the benefits you deserve, shouts Broadway Joe. Free dental, free eyeglasses, transportation to and from doctors offices, health club membership even free meals delivered to your home, at no additional cost. So call the number on your screen today, ITS FREE!
The only thing free about this scam is the phone call itself, which connects you to a for-profit insurance company. Its impossible to read the disclaimer on your TV screen.
But heres some of what it says: The Medicare Coverage Helpline is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of any government agency or program. The Medicare Coverage Hotline is a private for-profit lead generation campaign and does not offer insurance and is not an insurance agency or broker. Your call is sold to a licensed insurance agent to give you information about your Medicare Advantage Plans. Prescription, dental and vision benefits are not guaranteed, are only available in select plans and are not available in every state or zip code.
According to Truthinadvertising.org, Medicare Coverage Helplinewhich in no way is affiliated with the governmentcontinues to mislead consumers on the benefits it can offer Medicare recipients, only now it has the help of New York Jets legend Joe Namath as a paid spokesperson.
Read Also: Does Medicare Pay For Power Chairs
Does My Zip Code Affect My Medicare Coverage
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reports that, with Original Medicare , you can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. Medicare plans like Medigap and Medicare Advantage are a different story, though. The pricing, rules, and availability of these plans vary by state, and even sometimes by zip code. Here, we cover what you need to know about Medicare coverage based on where you live, using the official U.S. government website for Medicare as a guide.
And If I Could Really Get Money Added To My Social Security Check At Timestamp: 0: 16 Seconds
Do you qualify for a refund of $148.50?
If you have Parts A and B, you can also enroll in an Advantage plan with a give-back option. These plans reduce your Part B premium up to the full standard amount of $148.50 each month and simply add the money to your Social Security check.
This happens only to eligible beneficiaries who meet the criteria of a limited income. This program with the government helps pay for prescription drug costs for Medicare Part D.
The beneficiaries of Medicare that get the low-income subsidy will then get some assistance to help pay their monthly premiums, coinsurance, copayments, and the monthly premium for their Part D.
Some of the requirements to qualify for the are if your assets and annual income limits are below the eligibility threshold. The limits can change yearly and the most up-to-date requirements can both be checked online at Medicare.gov.
Also Check: Does Medicare Require A Referral For A Colonoscopy
Effects Of The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 made a number of changes to the Medicare program. Several provisions of the law were designed to reduce the cost of Medicare. The most substantial provisions slowed the growth rate of payments to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities under Parts A of Medicare, through a variety of methods .
PPACA also slightly reduced annual increases in payments to physicians and to hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients. Along with other minor adjustments, these changes reduced Medicare’s projected cost over the next decade by $455 billion.
Additionally, the PPACA created the Independent Payment Advisory Board , which was empowered to submit legislative proposals to reduce the cost of Medicare if the program’s per-capita spending grows faster than per-capita GDP plus one percent. The IPAB was never formed and was formally repealed by the Balanced Budget Act of 2018.
Meanwhile, Medicare Part B and D premiums were restructured in ways that reduced costs for most people while raising contributions from the wealthiest people with Medicare. The law also expanded coverage of or eliminated co-pays for some preventive services.
Always Remember Timestamp: 0: 03 Seconds
This is a paid endorsement, and what this means is quite simply that somebody is getting paid to make all of their comments from a script written.
The actors are not somebody who actually bought the medicare coverage plan from the 800 number.
They are but actors who got paid money. You should remember this and always be aware.
Also Check: When Do You Sign Up For Medicare
Medicare Coverage Helpline Review
Verified | View Our Editorial Guidelines
The Medicare Coverage Helpline TV commercial is all over television these days. Starring William Shatner, the commercial promises to help you find the best Medicare coverage for your needs. But is it a scam?
Lets take a closer look at the fine print of the commercial and see what Medicare Coverage Helpline has to offer.
Remember that this is not an endorsement of the Medicare Coverage Helpline* just an examination of their possibly misleading claims on their TV commercials.
FOR EASIER NAVIGATION:
Medicare Advantage Plan Part C
This type of plan is an additional way to get what Part A and B cover but having additional benefits.
These additional coverage plans are many times called Part C or Medicare Advantage Plans and are offered by separate private companies that have been approved by and must follow rules that are governed by Medicare.
Have a look and read, if you wish, at The official U.S. government Medicare handbook 2022 pdf.
Read Also: When Does Your Medicare Start
Beyond The Medicare Advantage Scam
Originally published on DailyKos.com
In a television ad repeated incessantly, 60s quarterback star Joe Namath reads his lines to promote the Medicare Coverage Helpline. Are you getting all the benefits you deserve? He ticks off the new benefits. You may be able to lower your out of pocket costs and get extra benefit now, he says.
The ad announces that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has officially authorized new benefits that Medicare Advantage Plans may include. One simple call gives you free, professional assistance to help you get more benefits and save money, says Namath. It sounds like a public service announcement from Medicare.
But it isnt. Its a pitch to sign up in the privatized, for-profit Medicare Advantage plansand its a scam. It is true that a person may be able to lower monthly costs by enrolling in one of these plans. Thats a powerful incentive in a time when the majority of seniors live on tight budgets, many just an inch from disaster. The laws and regulations allow these insurance companies to lure seniors away from traditional Medicare, and Congresspersons of both parties should be held responsible.
He makes it seem to be a new opportunity provided by Medicare because of the corona virus that is keeping us homebound.
Namath didnt mention that in the ad.
Mr. Mills no longer saves that monthly sum on his Medicare Advantage plan he pays extra.
The insurance industry manipulates our democracy.
2020-09-14
Medicare Coverage Helpline Disclaimer
Its always smart to read the fine print on advertisements before you call them or give them any personal information.
Here are the Medicare Coverage Helplines fine print exclusions:
The Medicare Coverage Helpline is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of any government agency or program. Outside of the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, members can enroll in a plan only if they meet certain criteria. A licensed insurance agent can help you determine whether you are eligible. Your call will be directed to a licensed insurance agent or to a third-party partner of TogetherHealth Insurance, LLC, who can provide more information about your Medicare insurance plan options. There is no obligation to enroll. This information is not a complete description of the benefits. Contact the plan for more information. This is not a complete listing of plans available in your service area. For a complete listing, please contact 1-800-MEDICARE . 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or consult www.medicare.gov.
Many people say that the Medicare Coverage Helpline commercial is misleading and confusing. They leave out important information, and people often feel tricked into thinking they will get additional free benefits.
Also Check: Can You Register For Medicare Online
The Medicare Advantage Scam And Beyond
Kay Tillow writes for Daily Kos about the Medicare Advantage scam and beyond. She explains that these for-profit health plans that deliver Medicare benefits are using stars like Joe Namath to mislead people into signing up for coverage that very well might not meet their needs if they get sick or need a lot of costly care. Medicare Advantage plans, in fact, could keep them from accessing critical care.
What Namath does not tell you is that if you choose the wrong Medicare Advantage plan, you might face inappropriate denials of care, along with other administrative and financial barriers to care. Indeed, new research finds that the wrong choice of Medicare Advantage plan might literally kill you. Thats what Yale economics professor Jason Abaluck found when analyzing data about these corporate health plans. But, the plans wont let you have access to their mortality data, and Congress is not requiring them to give you access.
Instead, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is allowing Medicare Advantage plans to send you to the Medicare Coverage Helpline. And, while you might think that it is a government, independent agency, it is in fact a corporate marketing agency, designed to seduce you into giving up your public health insurance under traditional Medicare and to sign up for a private insurance Medicare Advantage plan.
Heres more from Just Care:
Final Disclaimer Fine Print Timestamp: 0: 46
Disclaimer Fine Print The fine print in the red circles on this screenshot says
The Medicare coverage helpline is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of any government agency or program. Outside of the Medical Annual Enrollment Period, members can enroll in a plan only if they meet certain criteria. A licensed insurance agent can help you determine if you are eligible.
Then more of the fine print states
Your call will be directed to a licensed insurance agent or to a third-party partner of Health Plan Intermediaries Holdings, llc who can provide more information about your Medicare insurance plan options.
Disclaimer fine print means
- Not affiliated with or endorsed or acting on behalf of any government agency or program.
- Your call will be directed to a licensed insurance agent or to a third party partner Health Plan
- Only if they meet certain criteria, then can members enroll.
- Medicare may not offer all plans available in your area.
- The agent may not offer Medicare Advantage Plans.
Recommended Reading: What Is A 5 Star Medicare Plan
What That Fine Print Really Means
So when they say a third-party partner, this means it may not go to Medicare Coverage Helpline. It may go to some random call center that you dont know or have a relationship with or dont understand anything about that.
You are just calling a random person without verifying are they experts? Do they understand the business? There is not much quality control with that, so again buyer beware.
This is opposed to independent brokers that have the latest and best that you get to choose from so that obviously then you and your family are most likely to retain the best for you and save money because its not wasted on lesser inferior coverage.
Simply, see for yourself in a timely fashion to make the correct decision for you and your family.
The conclusion of fine print states
There is no obligation to enroll. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. This is not a complete listing of plans available in your service area. For a complete listing, please contact 1-800-MEDICARE , 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, or consultwww.medicare.gov
Jimmy Walker Medicare Helpline Commercial Review
Perhaps you saw a commercial from EasyMedicare TV Commercial featuring spokesman Jimmy Walker, and now youre wondering, Is this legitimate?
Lately, there have been many commercials about Medicare and Medicare Advantage Plans . A Trekkie well-known actor, and recently, is it a coincidence that we see a couple of former professional football stars also trying to promote M.A. plans during this time of year?
Many commercials concerning M.A. Plans with paid endorsement actors make you feel like you arent getting everything you deserve or missing out on coverages. These missing benefits are shown in large letters repeatedly and imply free and call this number.
We all know that seeing the disclaimer fine print its so evident of the holes and indeed brings to mind, if its too good to be true, then. First and foremost, Federal law states explicitly that in advertisements, all that we see and hear must not be misleading and must be the truth!
For straight facts about how Medicare Coverage Helpline works and how you can be helped legitimately, then youre certainly at the right place.
Together we can then take a good, hard look at the fine printit might surprise you!
Don’t Miss: How To Pay Medicare Bill Online
