Talking With Insurance Companies

If you are a senior citizen, there is one thing for certain: your risk of health trouble is increasing as you age. In order to ensure your health-related bills are covered, you must make sure you take advantage of all the insurance and government benefits allotted to you. Most seniors are eligible for medicare. Here's what you need to know about applying for and utilizing this coverage.

1. There's an initial enrollment period.

The easiest time for you to apply for medicare is just before your 65th birthday. That is the age at which you become eligible for medicare. You'll have seven months before your date of birth to apply, and at this point, the application process is simple. If you do not apply at this time, you will need to wait until January through March of the following year. Actually, you can apply in January through March of any year if you are past the age of 65. However, the process becomes a bit more complex than it was if you were to have applied before turning 65. If you apply during this general beginning-of-the-year enrollment period, you will need to answer medical questions on your application, whereas this is not a part of the initial application.

2. Don't completely drop your existing health insurance.

Many people assume that once they are eligible for medicare, they can just get rid of their existing health insurance policy. However, this is often a mistake. Medicare does not cover absolutely everything. There are sometimes gaps in the coverage it provides. So what you should do is call your health insurance company, explain that you are now going to receive medicare, and ask them what "gap coverage" they provide. They can recommend a plan that will kick in to cover costs not covered by your medicare plan.

3. Make sure your doctor accepts medicare.

Before you even apply for medicare, start calling around to your doctors, or visiting their websites, to see which ones accept medicare. If you have some doctors who don't accept this coverage, you may need to switch doctors or make sure their services are covered under whatever gap coverage you secure through a secondary insurer.

As you can see, applying for and utilizing medicare is not always straightforward. If you're not sure how to fill out an application, reach out to your local doctor's office or insurance agency.