California Medical Quotes.com

The most unselfish gift a person can give to another is the purchase of life insurance. The insurance does nothing to help the insured. It is a gift of love to the beneficiary.

I rarely speak with my clients about their life insurance; instead I’ve been focusing on their health insurance benefits. But I lost a client who lived in Southern California recently and his life insurance was completely inadequate to care for his wife and two young children.

If you haven’t reviewed your insurance lately I strongly urge you to do so. Term insurance for most people is quite affordable and the new plans even will return all your premium at the end of the policy term if you don’t die.

Please give me a call at 800-550-0155 and allow me to show you how inexpensive it is to give a gift of love.

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Many of my California Medicare clients really don’t understand Medicare. This should help a little.

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If a doctor has requested a LEEP procedure, it’s because the annual Pap smear indicated the presence of abnormal cervical cells, or cervical dysplasia. It’s important for you to remember that having cervical dysplasia does not mean that the patient has cervical cancer. However, treatment of the abnormal area is imperative to prevent abnormal cervical cells from developing into cervical cancer.

I receive requests for health insurance from women who have had the LEEP procedure and many carriers will decline to issue for a period of time. Below are the underwriting guidelines for some of the major California health insurance companies:

Health Net Must have two normal subsequent cervical cancer screenings; annual follow-up to be considered.

Blue Shield Two normal Pap test 6 months apart following the abnormal Pap. Possible eligibility at higher rate.

Anthem Blue Cross Most cases when followed by 2 consecutive normal Paps (6 months apart). Possible coverage at Tier 1 (standard) Rating

Aetna this is from experience, not from underwriting guide With one normal Pap 6 months after LEEP procedure, can consider at a higher rate. Two normal Paps 6 months apart, likely standard.

About a month ago, I was contacted by a young lady who was paying about $550 per month under Cobra. She had one normal Pap about 7 months after the LEEP procedure. I recommened that she apply for the Aetna policy and received a quote from the company for about $185 per month for an HSA plan. This was a 50% rate up from standard but clearly a much better alternative than continuing her Cobra. My suggestion was to apply now and get something in force.

She chose to wait and see what her next Pap which was scheduled for December would show. Hopefully it will be normal and she can receive a standard rating. But what if it was abnormal? Now she will not only have to continue paying the high price for Cobra, but perhaps has jeapordized her ability to get individual insurance in the future.

Not only is it important to seek out the expertise of a professional insurance agent, but it is just as important to take his or her advice.

I certainly hope this woman has no further issues.

To review your insurance, please go to www.califorinamedicalquotes.com. If you are approaching Medicare or know someone who is confused as to choices, go to www.californiamedicareplans.com.

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Article Link: http://www.webmd.com/medicare/news/20080925/medicare-warns-part-d-changes

Medicare Warns of Part D Changes
Seniors Urged to Check Their 2009 Drug Coverage
By Todd Zwillich

WebMD Health NewsReviewed by Louise Chang, MD Sept. 25, 2008 - Medicare officials on Thursday urged beneficiaries to scrutinize their prescription drug coverage, warning that coverage in the plans may change significantly in 2009.

Kerry Weems, the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), said seniors and disabled beneficiaries “may see significant premium increases or changes” in their plans.

It is unclear how drastic the changes will be. Drug plans vary state to state and even county to county. Most of the hundreds of private drug plans nationwide won’t release benefit and cost information until the middle of next month, according to CMS.

But Weems said beneficiaries may see “significant premium increases” in their plans, as well as reduced coverage in Part D’s “gap.” That’s where Medicare stops paying drug benefits after spending reaches $2,510 and doesn’t pick up again until most beneficiaries have spent $5,726 on their medications.

“We encourage individual beneficiaries to review how their plans are changing and what other options are available to them to determine which plan best meets their needs,” Weems told reporters.

Officials said beneficiaries in every state would be able to purchase plans that cover drugs in the gap. The fast majority of those plans cover generic drugs, with only a handful covering a wide range of brand-name drugs.

Vicki Gottlich, a senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, said “a huge number” of Medicare beneficiaries will end up having to change their plans or confront reduced coverage or higher costs in their existing plans.

But she said it was too early to know how many patients would need to change.

“Its difficult for folks to have to go through the process of having to go through the whole process every year,” said Gottlich, whose group is a critic of Part D’s private-based drug insurance.

Plans are required to notify beneficiaries of changes to their coverage by Oct. 31.

Medicare has two general types of Part D plans: standalone plans and plans that are part of Medicare Advantage managed care packages.

CMS said the average monthly premiums for standalone plans would be $28 in 2009, up $3 from this year. Drug plans folded into Medicare Advantage are set to rise from an average of $16 dollars this year to $17 in 2009.

Open enrollment for new beneficiaries to sign up for Medicare’s Part D prescription drug plan begins Oct 1. It’s also the time, up until Jan. 1, for current beneficiaries to change plan.

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2009 Low Income Subsidy (LIS) Premium Benchmark Subsidy Amounts

These are the benchmarks for stand alone PDP’s. This determines how much premium would be WAIVED if a Medicare Beneficiary qualified for a Low Income Subsidy (LIS) in each state. (Carlifornia is region 32).

2009 low-income premium subsidy amounts:

Region State(s) Subsidy
1 NH, ME 28.12
2 CT, MA, RI, VT 31.74
3 NY 27.71
4 NJ 30.99
5 DE, DC, MD 30.85
6 PA, WV 29.23
7 VA 31.72
8 NC 33.45
9 SC 32.01
10 GA 29.16
11 FL 21.47
12 AL, TN 29.80
13 MI 32.08
14 OH 28.40
15 IN, KY 33.95
16 WI 38.15
17 IL 30.18
18 MO 31.89
19 AR 26.89
20 MS 31.53
21 LA 27.48
22 TX 25.36
23 OK 29.36
24 KS 33.66
25 IA, MN, MT,
ND, NE, SD, WY 33.19
26 NM 20.55
27 CO 30.17
28 AZ 16.22
29 NV 20.20
30 OR, WA 31.76
31 ID, UT 37.46
32 CA 24.86
33 HI 25.01
34 AK 36.00

You can go to our Medicare site, www.californiamedicareplans.com for more information on the Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) or call us a 800-550-0155.

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I’ve spoken with many Medicare beneficiaries who are confused with the annual open enrollment for the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan - PDP - and when they can change or buy a Medicare Supplement.

Unlike Medicare Advantage and PDP plans, there is no set time when a Medicare Supplement can be purchased, changed, or dropped. So if you just receive a hugh rate increase from your company because you hit a new age band, it’s time to go shopping.

For example, I just helped a young lady of 75 living in Encino. She was paying $261 for a Plan F with Anthem Blue Cross. Since all plans are exactly the same, she chose to change her insurance to Mutual of Omaha at a monthly savings of almost $70! That’s over $800 per year. And since she did it within 30 days of her birthday, there were no medical questions and the policy was issued on a guaranteed basis.

It pays to use an insurance agent that represents virtually all carriers in California. You can give us a call at 800-550-0155 or go to our Medicare site at www.californiamedicareplans.com. Most people can save hundered by just spending 10 minutes on the phone.

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Are all Medicare Supplements the same? Since 1992 carriers in California and most other states can only offer standardized plans. This means that the coverage is identical between carriers. Does one company offer better claim service than another? Not in my experience. They all receive claims electronically via the Medicare system.

So what is the difference between companies? If you take a look at the 2008 Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People wiht Medicare developed by CMS (Medicare), page 7 specifically states:

Each type of Medigap [Medicare Supplement] policy offers the same basic benefits,
no matter which insurance company sells it. Usually the only difference between
Medigap policies sold by different insurance companies is the cost.

Here’s the link to the entire guide: http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf

Now, how to save money. Shop, shop, SHOP!

Did you just “defaut” to the plan endorsed by AARP? Did you simply enroll in the plan your agent recommeded, likely to be Blue Cross.

In Los Angeles County, a 70 yr. old non-smoking woman who has Plan F can pay $209 from Blue Cross, $199 from Blue Shield, or as low as $154 using an “A” rated carrier. Unless you think that the “Blues” need the money, you are spending way too much.

We represent carriers from A-Z; from Anthem Blue Cross to Mutual of Omaha to United Healthcare (via AARP). We can help you save money on the exact same coverage you have now.

Visit our sister website at www.californiamedicareplans.com or call us at 800-550-0155.

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A few weeks ago I received an email from a client who I enrolled in a Medicare Private Fee for Service Plan. Since he was under 65, a Medicare Supplement was way too expensive and in fact, he could not qualify for it. However, the issue with the PPFS plans is that although there is no network, providers are under no obligation to accept the insurance.

Well, it seems that everyone was all set for surgery except that when my client arrived at the hospital for the pre-admission tests, they informed him they would not accept the insurance. This man desperately needed surgery on his back and the best doctor for the job only had privledges at this one hospital.

My client called me as he was at this point desperate. He had already contacted the insurance carrier along with the hospital and got nowhere. Time for me to get involved.

I made a number of phone calls and convinced the insurance company to make every effort possible to speak with the hospital. Apparently it worked!

Here’s the email received from my client:

Rick,

Jay

Of course, this email made my day. This is why it is important to work with an agent that cares.

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