And offers lessons for reporting on the stuff
Let’s resist temptation to do the “if only consumers do that” story and instead sit down with real people like Frank Lalli and learn how they make choices and what barriers they encounter. That’s the story. It offers interesting narrative while making the larger point that it’s damn hard to be the perfect shopper when it comes to health insurance.
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"That’s the story. It offers interesting narrative while making the larger point that it’s damn hard to be the perfect shopper when it comes to health insurance."
...especially hard shopping while sick.
#1 Posted by MB, CJR on Tue 4 Dec 2012 at 12:56 PM
As a licensed agent who offers only Medicare based insurance products, I assure you it is very confusing. And that's what the independent insurance broker/agent's job is all about: learning, understanding and disseminating the various plans' information to the public. With a product this important and this complex, it is probably a good idea to find a trustworthy and independent insurance broker/agent and ask them to do the leg work for you. Request that all findings be reported in written format for furture reference.
If you cannot stomach the thought of using an insurance broker, try going to the Medicare.gov website and entering all your prescription drug information as shown. Use the annonymous feature to prevent follow up calls from agents. Enter your prescriptions then compare the types of plans you are interested in, sorting by most important benefit to you. Then contact the plans which interested you most and get complete information. Or, refer to suggestion one which is have an agent do the work for you. It is done at no cost to you. The plan will pay the agent a commission if you join; if not, the agent performs for free.
Finally, know that with the ability to change the formulary, regardless of what was told to you in December, it is possible, though usually not likely, that the rules of the prescription game can change midway through the benefit year.
Next time you shop for insurance, shop for an agent you trust first. It will not cost you a cent to have them help you find the plan with the best fit.
#2 Posted by Maureen Wilson, CJR on Wed 5 Dec 2012 at 07:56 AM