While Medicare Advantage for veterans may not seem necessary for retirees using TRICARE or VA health coverage, it could be more beneficial than you know.
While some healthcare coverage can be restrictive, you are allowed to combine Medicare Advantage with TRICARE and VA health coverage.
We’ll go over how they can work together to make sure you have convenient and effective healthcare coverage.
First, to get a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, you have to have Medicare Parts A and B. That’s something the VA encourages you to do anyway.
MA plans provide the same basic coverages with extra benefits Original Medicare doesn’t. We’ll get into that a little more later. But here’s how this combination of Medicare Advantage and VA can benefit you most:
Medicare Advantage plans cover all your needs in one convenient plan
Sometimes there are wait times associated with a VA facility or lengthy travel
Eligibility for VA health coverage is not guaranteed and is subject to change
Adding an MA plan increases your healthcare flexibility and amount of benefits
Medicare Advantage plans put an out-of-pocket maximum on your healthcare, something Original Medicare doesn’t do
It also covers you if you’re on a vacation outside of the United States
There are explicit occasions in which you can take on a Part C plan:
Beginning inclusion political race period — Your underlying inclusion political race period is a seven-month time frame that begins three months before the month you turn 65 and closes three months after the month you turn 65. On the off chance that you are under 65 and get Social Security incapacity, you fit the bill for Medicare in the 25th month after you start getting your Social Security benefits. In the event that that is the means by which you are getting qualified for Medicare, you can select into an Advantage plan three months before your period of qualification until a quarter of a year after you got qualified.
Yearly political race period — Also known as open enlistment or AEP, the yearly political race time frame for Medicare Advantage is October 15 through December 7 consistently. Inclusion for the Part C plan you pick during this time will start January 1 the following year. During this time, you can likewise include, change, or drop current inclusion.
Federal health care Advantage Open Enrollment Period — During this open enlistment period, you can change starting with one Advantage plan then onto the next or drop it to re-visitation of Original Medicare.
Extraordinary Election Period — There are a few things that can trigger an uncommon political race period and they are remarkable to a person. It is ideal to address an authorized Medicare protection operator to see whether you fit the bill for a unique political decision period. Notwithstanding, there are a couple of normal occurrences we can discuss. For example, on the off chance that you move outside your Medicare Advantage plan’s administration territory, fit the bill for additional assistance, (for example, a program that helps pay for your doctor prescribed medications), or move into a nursing home you may meet all requirements for a unique political race period. During this time you can make changes to your Advantage plan or return back to Original Medicare.
MA plans are required by Medicare to provide the same benefits of Parts A and B. That is inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility, hospice, lab tests, surgery, home health care, outpatient care, medical equipment, and some preventative services.
However, Advantage plans can provide additional benefits like:
Benefits you are eligible for will depend on your area and plan providers.