April 09 Marci's Medicare Answers

Dear Marci, Does Medicare cover the cost of screenings for cancer? -- Lance Dear Lance, Yes. Medicare covers screenings for several types of cancer " breast, cervical, vaginal, colorectal and prostate. Talk to your doctor about which screenings you should get. Early detection of cancer can increase the chances that treatment will be successful, and in some cases, can identify precancerous conditions that can be treated and cured before cancer develops. To learn more about risks, screenings and coping with cancer, visit the American Cancer Society s web site at www.cancer.org or call its hotline at 1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345). To learn how Medicare covers cancer screenings and other preventive care services, go to www.medicareinteractive.org/page2.php?topic=counselor&page=section&toc_id=15. -- Marci Dear Marci, I am retired and about to turn 65. Should I keep my retiree coverage once I have Medicare? -- Sheryl Dear Sheryl, It depends. Retiree coverage can be very expensive but, if you can afford it, it may still be worth the price. It acts as supplemental insurance, and may fill many of the gaps in Original Medicare s coverage, such as deductibles and coinsurance. It may also pay for some health care Medicare does not cover. If your retiree plan gives you good vision and dental coverage and fills many of the gaps in your Medicare coverage, you should think hard before dropping it. You should also find out whether the drug coverage through your retiree insurance is considered as good or better than Medicare s ( creditable coverage ). If it is, you can join a Medicare private drug plan later without penalty if you need it. Sorting out retiree health benefits To find out exactly what your retiree insurance covers and whether its drug coverage is considered creditable, contact the Human Resources Department of the company through which you have retiree coverage. Some employers sponsor Medicare private health plans (Medicare Advantage), such as Medicare HMOs and PFFS plans, for retirees who are eligible for Medicare. If you worked for one of these employers, you can get both your Medicare benefits and your retiree health benefits from a Medicare private health plan that has a contract with your former employer. Some employers require that you join a Medicare private health plan to continue getting retiree health benefits. You can always choose not to take your employer's coverage. However, keep in mind that you may not be able to get that retiree coverage back if you want it at a later date. --Marci>/i> Dear Marci, I just heard that some states have programs to help people with drug costs. How do these work? -- Keith Dear Keith, Many states offer state pharmaceutical assistance programs (SPAP) to help their residents pay for prescription drugs. Each program works differently. Many states coordinate their SPAPs with Medicare s drug benefit (Part D). If you do not have Part D but qualify for your state s SPAP, you will have the chance to sign up for Part D, and may be required to enroll in a Part D plan. If a drug is covered by both your SPAP and your Part D plan, both what you pay for your prescriptions plus what the SPAP pays will count toward the out-of-pocket maximum you have to reach before your Medicare drug costs go down significantly. Your SPAP may also help pay for your Part D plan s premium, deductible, copayments, and/or coverage gap. (Many SPAPs give you coverage during your part D plan s coverage gap or doughnut hole. ) Be aware that only official SPAPs can provide assistance that counts toward your Part D plan s out-of-pocket maximum. Some states sponsor other programs that are not official SPAPs. To find out if your state has an official SPAP, whether you are eligible and how the SPAP works with Part D, please go to: www.medicareinteractive.org/uploadedDocuments/mi_extra/spap_chart.html. - " Marci Marci s Medicare Answers is a service of the Medicare Rights Center (www.medicarerights.org), the nation s largest independent source of information and assistance for people with Medicare. To speak with a counselor, call (800) 333-4114. To subscribe to Dear Marci, MRC s free educational e-newsletter, simply e-mail dearmarci@medicarerights.org. To learn more about the services that Medicare will cover and how to change plans, log on to Medicare Interactive Counselor at the Medicare Rights Center s website at www.medicareinteractive.org.