To
participate in Independence Health Senior Care Advantage, you must be enrolled
in a participating Medicare Advantage plan and designate one of our Primary Care Physicians at The Toledo Clinic to
oversee your care. If you are enrolled in a PPO, this designation does not
limit your network access or create the need for a referral – it simply ensures
that you have designated a physician to watch over your care and help
facilitate a care plan for you.
Depending
on your status, there are different Medicare enrollment periods:
If you are a patient who will
soon be turning 65, you are eligible to participate in an Initial Enrollment Period determined
by your birth month. This period starts three (3) months prior to your 65th
birthday, includes your birth month, and extends three (3) months after your
birth month. It is important to enroll
during the Initial Enrollment Period to avoid any gap in coverage, potential
late enrollment penalties, or having to delay enrollment until the next general
enrollment period.
If you are working past 65,
are covered by group health insurance, and plan to retire from work soon, your separation date from
work triggers a Special Enrollment Period, during which you can enroll in
Medicare. You will want to work with your insurance broker to ensure there are
no gaps in coverage.
If you are currently on
Medicare,
there is an Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) each year from October 15 through
December 7, during which you can compare your options and make or change your
selection. Each
year, the health plans review and may change their benefits and the
prescription drug formularies. Many of
the changes can be substantial from year to year, and many new features may be
added like dental, vision, hearing aid, over-the-counter medication subsidies,
transportation, and much more. It is
prudent to meet annually with a licensed insurance agent to help review your
needs and help you in selecting the plan that is best for you.
If you qualify for Extra
Help, you
may join or switch Medicare Advantage plans one per calendar quarter during the
first nine months of the year. This
special election period can be used once during one of these three
periods: January through March, April
through June, and July through September.
When
you enroll in one of our accepted
Medicare Advantage plans and you designate one of our primary care physicians
on your application to oversee your care, you are automatically enrolled in the
Independence Health Senior Care Advantage program at no additional cost. To see a list of physicians that are part of
the program, click here.
To
reach a certified and licensed insurance broker that understands our program
and is appointed by the insurance companies that we are contracted with, you
may utilize one of the following options:
- Call our partner Insurance Line at 419-742-5239, powered by licensed independent
insurance agents. They can help you over
the phone or book a face-to-face appointment for you with a local broker agent.
- Complete
the form, and a local broker will contact you to help you with your unique situation.
- Attend a Medicare 101. The
basics of Medicare is taught by our preferred certified brokers in an
educational environment. Click here for the upcoming sessions and to
register.
- Enroll online. Learn more about the Medicare
Advantage plans in your area with our convenient get-a-quote tool. Click here to enroll online or over the phone.