In this brief video I have some big news on current events and their impact on your Medicare supplement plan
and if you have a Medicare supplement plan, and or if you're currently
Researching Medicare supplement plans. This information will be important to you. So stay tuned
Hi i'm matthew claassen with medigapseminars.org
My company is an independent insurance brokerage
specializing in medicare and retirement needs
we help people with their Medicare decisions in virtually every state of the country and
Our services are free to you. The consumer. All you need do is ask
For those who have watched any of my 40-plus videos or read my articles on the various Medicare supplement plans
You will know a few things about how I approach
advising people on their Medicare
First and foremost there is no good or bad Medicare supplement plan
All Medicare supplement plans are good because they allow you to keep the benefits of Original Medicare
You can see any doctor go to any medical fills any medical facility as long as they accept
Medicare in addition no insurance company has any say in your coverage
Medicare makes all the decisions as you evaluate Medicare supplement plans
Your goal should be to find the plan that you believe is the best value
The right plan for you is the one that meets your needs and your budget
After you know which plan is right for you
it's important to identify an insurance company whose prices are competitive and
stable all that said as I make this video in late March of
2020 there are two new developments that will likely increase the value of Medicare supplement plan m
So let's take a look at these
First is a big change by Mayo Clinic in their Florida facility
now for people in Florida
One of the drawbacks of a Medicare supplement plan and has always been that Mayo Clinic in
Florida has charged a Medicare Part B excess charge
Many people view Mayo Clinic as one of the nation's top cancer treatment facilities
especially for blood cancers
Unfortunately the Mayo Clinic in Florida charged as an excess charge for many outpatient services
and that would leave the medicare supplement plan and
Policyholder liable for the extra 15% that was billed on most of the outpatient services the good news
Is that Mayo Clinic in Florida? No longer charges and excess charge?
They now accept Medicare's assigned rates
So let me repeat that Mayo Clinic in Florida as of March
2020 no longer charges a Medicare Part B excess charge. They now accept Medicare assignment
The only state where Mayo Clinic still charges in excess charge is in their arizona facility
so you can find this information by going to Mayo Clinic org website and
Looking in their faq, their frequently asked questions sections now link that below
So this news is big on several levels
Obviously, it's big for Florida residents and those in nearby states who might wish to travel to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville
Florida for treatment
But it goes beyond that. It's an important part of a growing trend
To the best of my knowledge Mayo Clinic is the last of the major medical facilities that were holdouts that charge and excess charge
There are a few doctors here and there most definitely and it seems to be fewer each year, but you see Medicare
Penalizes doctors that choose to have a contract with Medicare that allows them to charge an excess charge
Medicare pays them less than those who accept Medicare assignment and
Medicare won't be their one-stop biller. This means that the doctor or facility that charges an excess charge
Cannot bill your Medicare supplement plan in most cases
They ask you to pay upfront for the service and then you submit your bill to the supplement company for reimbursement
Not exactly consumer friendly
So Mayo Clinic's retreat from excess charges in Florida is a big deal
There are also forces within the insurance industry that are lobbying your State Insurance
Commissioners to
simply outlaw excess charges in your state
That's already the case in numerous states like, Pennsylvania
Ohio New York and others
If each insurance commissioner would do the same we can get rid of Medicare Part B excess charges coast-to-coast
That would really make plan and a great value
So don't be afraid to write a letter to your State Insurance Commissioner
Asking the Medicare supplement Part B excess charges be outlawed in your state. It may help
Now before we move on if you appreciate or find value in this information that I'm sharing with you
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Alright that's the first piece of big news
The second piece of big news has to do with developments resulting from the co vid 19 the novel coronavirus
coronavirus outbreak a
Couple of days ago. It's mid March of 2020 the US government announced an
Unprecedented expansion in telehealth services for Medicare and this is going to impact both those on Medicare Advantage
Plans as well as those with Medicare supplement plans
the announcement and I quote
Medicare patients can now visit any doctor by phone or video conference at no additional cost
Including with commonly used services like FaceTime and Skype
Now there are two parts as to why this is important
the first part is that telehealth is very likely to see a permanent boost and its availability and usage the
Government is putting a lot of money into making telehealth meetings more available
doctors and other health care professionals who have shied away are now breaking the ice and
To use telehealth in their meetings out of necessity and will find it easier to manage
Than they expected and of course
It's a very efficient way of working with patients that have any infectious disease
It keeps the healthcare workers safe while providing a meaningful
convenience for those that are ill
They no longer need to get in their cars and drive to an office and wait for an appointment to see a healthcare
Professional as a result of this virus and the government's response
We're likely to see a lot more telehealth in the years ahead
It's it's a natural progression of using technology to become more efficient in business and it
reduces the risk of spreading infectious diseases
but how does this impact the Medicare supplement plan and policyholders as
Likely, you already know one of the drawbacks or it's a minor drawback of a Medicare supplement plan
And is that there's a copay of up to $20.00 per office visit now
These are visits with a doctor or a nurse practitioner for diagnosis evaluation and management
There is no copay for physical therapy or lab work
Just doctor visits. Well as you may have guessed there's also no copay for a telehealth doctor visit
Let me repeat that
There's no copay for a telehealth
Doctor visit when CMS published their guidelines for medicare supplement plan and back in April of 2010
They published
specific billing codes that were allowed for copay that way there was no confusion among healthcare providers in
item 6 of the CMS the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
guidelines it
specifically reads
Would online telehealth or telephone services constitute office visits for the purpose of determining
Whether a plan and subscriber is subject to the Part B coinsurance or co-payments
to $20
answers providers do not code these services office visits office consultations or
evaluation and management visits in their Part B Billings
Therefore those services would not be subject to the plan and coinsurance or co-payments and no quote
So there you have it as a telehealth becomes more mainstream in usage it offers the Medicare supplement plan
Policyholder a way to visit a doctor for evaluation or diagnosis and management
without a copay
The fact that fewer medical professionals are charging in excess charge
Along with the mainstreaming of telehealth meetings in the medical facility in the medical community
Makes me to believe that a Medicare supplement plan and is going to be an even better value in the years ahead
Please don't misunderstand me. All Medicare supplement plans are good plan
Choosing the right plan for you will depend on your personality your needs and your budget
But as you make that decision consider what we covered in this video
if
You'd like my recommendations for a plan and/or insurance company and you're designed your zip code for you specifically
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I'm Matthew Clawson with medigapseminars.org
Thank you for watching