To help reduce the number of provider claims that may be denied because a patient switched to a Medicare Advantage plan, TDI offers these tips:
- Post information in your office about the Medicare Advantage Plans your office does or does not accept.
- Post TDI's consumer alert "Protect yourself against Medicare Advantage fraud"
- Consider posting this publication from the Medicare website:
- Publication 11220 – Have You Done Your Yearly Medicare Review?
Providers also may wish to offer these tips, suggested by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), to their patients who are considering a Medicare Advantage plan:
- PREPARE by gathering all of the information needed to make a decision about health and prescription coverage. This may include preparing a listing of medications, providers the patient wishes to see, and any notices received from the patient's plan regarding changes to costs or coverage for the next year.
- COMPARE plans by visiting www.medicare.gov and searching for plans in the patient's area. The beneficiary should remember to think about the 3 C's: Cost, Coverage and Customer Service.
- DECIDE which plan is right for their needs. If a change is necessary, the patient should call the plan they want to join. Medicare can also help the patient enroll – online, in person, or on the telephone. Beneficiaries should call 800-MEDICARE to determine if they qualify for low income assistance or if they feel they have been misled to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.