>>> MANY BENEFICIARIES SIGNED UP
FOR MEDICAID PLAN LAST FALL, BUT
TAKING TIME NOW TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT YOUR PLAN BENEFITS CAN
HELP YOU STAY HEALTHY AND AWARE
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
ERNIE GONZALEZ IS HERE TO
DISCUSS WITH US WHY IT'S
IMPORTANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE.
GRADE TO HAVE YOU ON.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHAT IS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE?
>> MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS A
PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT
OUT BY THE PRIVATE COMPANIES.
WHAT THEY DO IS TAKE PART A,
WHICH IS A HOSPITAL, PART B,
WHICH IS THE PHYSICIANS, AND
THEY BRING IT INTO ONE COMPLETE
PACKAGE.
MEDICARE ONLY DOES NOT COVER THE
ENTIRE BILL.
A&B LEAVES A GAP OF 20%, AND IF
20% OF WHAT THE HECK.
IT CAN BE A VERY IMPORTANT WHAT
THE HECK.
IN THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
PROGRAMS WE BRING THAT INTO A
COMPLETE PACKAGE.
TAKING AWAY THE WORRY, AND
BRINGING THE BENEFICIARIES A
COMPLETE PRACTICE WITHOUT THE
WORRY OF THE 20%.
>> OKAY, OKAY.
AND 20 YEARS IS A LONG TIME.
HOW HAS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
REALLY MADE AN IMPACT ON
AMERICANS OVER THE YEARS?
>> IT IS A LONG TIME THAT.
TELLS YOU A COUPLE THINGS.
RIGHT NOW THERE'S ABOUT
19 MILLION PEOPLE ENROLL INSIDE
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS.
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS
SPECIFICALLY THE GROWTH HAS BEEN
GROW.
THAT TELLS YOU THE VERY VALUE IN
THE EQUATION.
THE PLANS ARE IN VALUE, AND
THERE'S SOMETHING OUT THERE
WELL-ACCEPTED BY THE POPULATION,
AND NOT ONLY FROM A FINANCIAL
POINT OF VIEW WHICH TAKE TAKES AWAY
THE WORRY OF THE 20%.
IT ALSO BRINGS BETTER HEALTH
OUTCOMES.
ANOTHER THINGS THAT IMPACTING
THE WHOLE PROCESS OF GROWTH
WITHIN THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
PLANS IS THE SOCIOECONOMIC
TRENDS IN WHICH YOU HAVE
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TODAY AGING
IN MEDICARE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
YEARS.
SO VALUE ADDED, BETTER
HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES AND A
SOCIOECONOMIC TREND OF FOLKS
TURNING INTO 65 ATTRIBUTE TO THE
HUGE GROWTH THAT IS TAKING PLACE
AND WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE PLACE.
PLAN?
WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW IF
THEY'RE LISTENING RIGHT NOW AND
WANT TO GET ENROLLED?
RIGHT?
GENERALLY SPEAKING BE AWARE OF
WHAT IS OUT THERE.
GENERALLY SPEAKING WHEN YOU TURN
65, AGE OF 65, THREE MONTHS
BEFORE, AND THREE MONTHS AFTER.
YOU HAVE ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS IN
WHICH YOU CAN ENROLL IN MEDICARE
ADVANTAGE.
NOT ALL PLANS ARE THE SAME.
NOT ALL COMPANIES ARE THE SAME.
THE HOMEWORK THAT YOU DO IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S YOUR
HEALTHCARE.
>> AND TIMING IS EVERYTHING,
RIGHT?
ISN'T THERE A CERTAIN ENROLLMENT
DATE THEY NEED TO KEEP AN EYE
OUT FOR AS WELL?
>> GENERALLY SPEAKING THE TIME
THAT YOU CAN ENROLL IN THE
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS IS FROM
DECEMBER 7TH.
A VERY CHALLENGING TIME OF THE
YEAR BECAUSE WE'RE THINKING
ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS AND
EVERYTHING.
LAST YEAR WE HAD A VERY HECTIC
ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE HAD THE
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES GOING ON,
THE ELECTION, THE HOLIDAYS.
IT WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION OUT
THERE, AND FOLKS STILL NEEDED TO
PAY ATTENTION LIKE ALWAYS TO
THIS PERIOD OF TIME.
OCTOBER 15TH THROUGH -- YOU CAN
START FINDING OUT THROUGH YOUR
OCTOBER 1ST.
OCTOBER 15TH.
>> GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW.
DECEMBER 7TH.
AND EVERYTHING EAST ONLINE THESE
DAYS, ERNIE.
EVERYBODY TO?
>> SEVERAL WAYS YOU CAN ACCESS.
1-800-MEDICARE IS OUR MAIN
SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR IN
THIS POPULATION.
THE UNITEDHEALTHCARE, AND YOU
CAN ALSO AVAIL YOURSELF OF THE
MANY FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING WITH
US, INDEPENDENT AGENTS THAT ARE
CERTIFIED AND LICENSED AND
WORKING RIGHT HERE IN LEE COUNTY
OUT OF THE UPS STORE THAT -- THE
UNITEDHEALTHCARE STORE WE HAVE
ON 6TH MILE SI PRESS AND DANIELS
PARKWAY, WHICH IS NEXT TO THE
UPS STORE.
THERE'S NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED.
NO CHARGE.
IT'S JUST WE'RE GOING TO BE
THERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
>> GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW
THIS MORNING.
SCREEN.
POSTED ONLINE AT