Proposed plans to bring back OEP

A few years ago, OEP (Open Enrollment Period) occurred just after AEP (Annual Election Period).  OEP was from January 1st to March 31st and gave Medicare beneficiaries the ability to make one change to their MA, MAPD, or Part D plan. However, now we have the MA/MAPD disenrollment period from January 1st to February 14th.

Click Here to view the full article from SMS-U. 

Can your client get help paying for their Part B premium?

Don’t forget about programs that might help. They may need to apply if they meet the following requirements:

• Medicare Savings Program 2013 Income Limits
• Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program (Program helps pay for: Part B premiums only)
• Individual monthly income limit* $1169
• Married couple monthly income limit*$1571

Resource limits for the QMB, SLMB, and QI Medicare Savings Programs are $7,080 for one person and $10,620 for a married couple.


Go to http://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/help-paying-costs/medicare-savings-program/medicare-savings-programs.html for more information.

Are your clients prepared for Medicare in 2014?

Have you helped your client make the most of Medicare in 2014 by encouraging them to schedule their preventive care visit?



For those with Medicare, the health care law offers most preventive health care services for free. Benefits include annual wellness visits, immunizations and some cancer screenings.

Medicare Advantage Dis-enrollment Period

The Medicare Advantage Dis-enrollment Period (or MADP) begins on January 1, 2014 and continues through February 14th.  During the MADP, you can drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to original Medicare, plus you will be able to join a stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

Special Enrollment Period

The Special Enrollment Period for discontinued plans (or Service Area Reductions) will start on December 8th and continue through February 28, 2014, with the new 2014 plan coverage beginning on the first day of the month following enrollment.

Budget Proposal Seeks Home Health Care Copay

As we head into the wrap up of OEP Congress and the President will be busy trying to work on making Medicare a fiscally viable program. One of the latest proposals would affect Medicare’s Home Health Care benefit:

• A large portion of the proposed budgetary increase is supposed to come from instituting $100 Medicare copayments for Medicare patients who use home health care. 
• The $100 copayment is supposed to produce $730 million from patients who currently use home health care but do not pay for the services they receive.
• The proposed copayment would apply to episodes of care requiring five or more visits over a period of 60 days or less, which in 2008 would have applied to 63 percent of episodes.
• The problem with the assumption that many people are using home health care that could instead seek outpatient care is that home health care prevents a lot of inpatient hospital stays.

Join us at Senior Marketing Specialist for the first of two webinars this Wednesday November 20^th to find out more about an inexpensive answer to help your clients recover at home, regardless of other coverage including Medicare.