Important Cost Information Missing From Medicare Materials

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Important Cost Information Missing From Medicare Materials

October 29, 2001: About 536,000 Medicare HMO members are losing their health plans December 31st. Getting comparison cost information on Medicare health plans is tougher this fall. Despite a $30 million dollar ad campaign to help Medicare beneficiaries understand their Medicare coverage options and make better health care choices-key Medicare resources lack critical out-of-pocket cost information, according to The Medicare Rights Center (MRC), a Medicare consumer service organization. MRC warns that the Medicare Personal Plan Finder on the www.medicare.gov web site lacks key information about out-of-pocket costs, benefits and quality in different Medicare plans. Delays are also likely MRC says because although Medicare expanded the toll free telephone line hours and added more operators, callers are referred to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs). The state programs did not receive additional resources to handle the increased volume of calls.

Resource: The Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is a national, not-for-profit consumer service organization that works to ensure older adults and people with disabilities receive good, affordable health care. For more information about MRC, call 212-204-6219, or visit the MRC web site: (www.medicarerights.org).

November 2001

This article first appeared in Volume 6, Issue 11 of `The Social Security and Medicare Advisor` newsletter (November 2001). To receive future editions of `The Advisor` in its special, free e-mail version, please click here.