Medicare open enrollment begins for nearly 2.3M Ohioans
Open enrollment for Medicare, the governmental health insurance serving 2.3 million Ohioans mainly ages 65 and older, began Friday and will end Dec. 7.
Health and drug plans under Medicare can make changes each year to things like cost, coverage, and in-network providers and pharmacies. Open enrollment allows participants to choose plans that better fit their needs.
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The Ohio Department of Insurance will be providing help to Ohioans throughout the enrollment period through its Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program. More information can be found at 1-800-686-1578 or www.insurance.ohio.gov.
There will be weekly webinars to go in-depth on how to enroll, in-person and virtual one-on-one counseling and hotline staff to assist. A list of in-person events, now more limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can be found on the department's website.
Enrollees should have already received a form notifying any changes to benefits, as well as information on what's being offered by plans for next year.
If one does nothing during the enrollment period, the individual will remain in the plan he or she is currently on. But it's important to be aware of what, if any, changes are happening with your Medicare plan, said Chris Reeg, head of the information program.
"We have had plans with a steep increase in prices. If you got a prescription drug Annual Notice of Change, and your monthly premium is quadrupling next year, that is probably a huge red light" and a sign to pick another plan, she said.
For individuals who forgo original Medicare, run by the federal government, their options for managed care plans run by private companies are limited by the county they live in. Plans can be compared at Medicare.gov.
Ohioans struggling to pay a plan's out-of-pocket costs can reach out to the Ohio Department of Insurance for assistance navigating programs offering financial assistance.
Reeg also warned about potential scams as plans flood the media market with advertisements during open enrollment. No one should be going door-to-door or calling, she said, and companies cannot give out cash or expensive gifts.
Even with valid advertisements, certain perks promised by plans may have restrictions or more strings attached.
"This is the time that everybody's making their choices," said Reeg. "There is added confusion due to the heavy marketing and the many plan options that are out there. And that is just a breeding ground for unscrupulous activity."
Titus Wu is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.