>>> WELCOME BACK.
NOW, MANY PEOPLE WILL BE
SIGNING UP FOR MEDICARE
PLANS LATER IN THE FALL, BUT
THIS SUMMER MARKS A BIG DATE
IN MEDICARE HISTORY -- THE
20TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE
ADVANTAGE.
MELANIE HEFFELMAN IS HERE
FROM UNITED HEALTHCARE TO
GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF
ADVANTAGE, AND KIND OF
CELEBRATE THE ANNIVERSARY;
RIGHT?
>> YEAH, IT'S VERY EXCITING.
>> 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
IT'S JUST THE RIGHT TIME TO
GET EVERYBODY UP TO DATE.
WHAT IS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE,
IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T KNOW?
>> MEDICARE ADVANTAGE IS THE
ALPHABET SOUP.
YOU HEAR ABOUT PART A, B, C.
ADVANTAGE BRINGS THEM
ALTOGETHER INTO PART C.
PROVIDER CARE.
COVERAGE.
WHEN YOU PUT A, B, AND D
TOGETHER, YOU GET PART C,
WHICH IS MEDICARE ADVANTAGE.
>> I LOVE THAT WE CALL IT
ALPHABET SOUP!
THAT MAKES COMPLETE SENSE.
IT OBVIOUSLY IS WORKING.
ANNIVERSARY.
BECAUSE I KIND OF -- THE WAY
I ALMOST UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S
ALMOST LIKE AN ALL IN ONE.
PEOPLE?
>> CONGRESS ACTUALLY
ESTABLISHED MEDICARE
ADVANTAGE IN 1997, AND THE
GOAL WAS TO PROVIDE
BENEFICIARIES WITH A CHOICE.
WE WANT TO MAKE IT SIMPLE
AND CONVENIENT, AND PUT IT
ALL TOGETHER.
WE TALK ABOUT VISION,
HEARING, AND DENTAL CARE.
WE ALSO HAVE PLANS THAT
OFFER GYM MEMBERSHIPS.
THIS IS ALL GOING TO COME
WITH A ZERO-DOLLAR PREMIUM
ON THE MAJORITY OF OUR
PLANS.
SO IT'S A REALLY EXCITING
OPTION TO ALLOW OUR
BENEFICIARIES TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT THEIR BENEFITS INCLUDE,
PREDICTIVE COST MODEL THAT
GOES WITH IT AS WELL.
>> NOW, EVERYTHING THAT
YOU'RE SAYING, MY QUESTION
HAS ALREADY BEEN ANSWERED
BUT I'M STILL GOING TO ASK
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS FLEXIBLE,
AND THE ZERO DOLLAR -- THERE
ARE SO MANY GREAT THINGS.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT HAS
GROWN SO MUCH?
EVERY YEAR I FEEL LIKE WE
TALK ABOUT THIS, IT JUST IS
GROWING IN POPULARITY, MAYBE
EDUCATED.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT IT'S
BECOMING MORE COMMON.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY STARTING
TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON
WHAT MEDICARE IS AND WHAT
THEIR CHOICES ARE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 19
MILLION AMERICANS COVERED
UNDER THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
PLAN, AND ADVANTAGE
ENROLLMENT IS UP 50 PERCENT
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
1 IN 3 BENEFICIARIES ARE
CHOOSING IT.
I THINK IT'S THE PREDICTABLE
COST THAT COMES WITH IT, THE
ADDITIONAL BENEFITS, AND WE
NOW HAVE RESEARCH COMING OUT
WITH THE MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
PLANS.
THERE WAS A STUDY DONE BY
USC IN JANUARY 2017 OF THIS
YEAR, AND THEY FOUND THAT
INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD A
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN
ACTUALLY HAD BETTER HEALTH
OUTCOMES WHEN IT CAME TO
RECEIVING SOME OF THE MOST
COMMON SURGERIES.
SO THEY HAD SHORTER
IN-PATIENT STAYS, THEY HAD
FEWER DAYS OF
REHABILITATION, AND WERE
LESS LIKELY TO BE ADMITTED
TO THE HOSPITAL IF THEY WERE
HOSPITALIZED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, THAT
THEY KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO
OF.
>> AND THAT PEACE OF MIND
AND HAVING THIS DATA COMING
IT HELPS.
YOU'RE MAKING THIS SO EASY.
I ALWAYS SAY ON THE SHOW, IF
I CAN UNDERSTAND IT, ANYONE
CAN, BECAUSE THINGS CAN GET
VERY COMPLICATED, ESPECIALLY
HEALTHCARE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE
UNDERSTAND YOUR MAILBOX GETS
INUNDATED WITH A LOT OF
INFORMATION, WHEN OPEN
ENROLLMENT COMES.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT LESS
COMPLICATED?
YOU'VE ALREADY DONE A GREAT
JOB HERE.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS
WE'RE DOING THAT.
>> IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS
SPECIFIC TO UNITED
HEALTHCARE PLANS, THEY CAN
VISIT UHCMEDICAREPLANS.COM,
THEY CAN REACH US AT
1-800-UHC-6509, OR THEY CAN
GO TO MEDICARE.GOV, AND
THERE IS A LOT OF
INFORMATION OUT THERE.
I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE
THEIR OWN ADEQUATE.
IF SOMETHING DOESN'T SOUND
RIGHT, QUESTION IT.
ASK YOUR NEIGHBORS ABOUT
WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
TALK TO YOUR PROVIDERS ABOUT
WHAT THEY RECOMMEND.
BENEFIT.
>> AND I KNOW WE'VE SAID
THIS ALSO BEFORE, IS ALWAYS
LOOK TO SEE WHAT I COMING
OUT, WHAT'S NEW.
DON'T JUST ROLL OVER
WHATEVER YOU DID LAST YEAR.
ALWAYS BE EDUCATED AND GET
INTO IT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT NOW
WITH THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY.
WHEN IS THE ENROLLMENT TIME?
WINDO
WINDOW.
YOU HAVE THREE MONTHS PRIOR
TO YOUR 65TH BIRTHDAY, THE
MOVE YOUR BIRTHDAY, AND THE
THREE MONTHS POST YOUR
BIRTHDAY.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY COVERED
UNDER MEDICARE, THERE IS
OPEN ENROLLMENT, OCTOBER 15
YEAR.
THAT GIVES YOU AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CHANGES
TO YOUR PLAN, MAYBE SHOP FOR
A NEW ONE, ASK QUESTIONS,
AROUND.
>> SO THERE'S LOT OF
OPPORTUNITY.
THE 65 IS THE ONE YOU NEED
TO REALLY HIT.
EVERYBODY HEARS THE OPEN
ENROLLMENT, BUT THAT 65 IS
SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY
SHOULD REMEMBER: YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE OPEN
ENROLLMENT ONCE YOUR
BIRTHDAY GETS HERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU HAVE A MARCH OR
AUGUST BIRTHDAY, IT MAY NOT
BE OPEN ENROLLMENT THAT YOU
TARGET, BUT DO YOUR
RESEARCH, CHECK OUT
MEDICARE.GOV.
WE'RE HAPPY TO HELP ANY WAY
WE CAN.
>> IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO
GET EDUCATED.
ENROLLMENT.
GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW NOW.
HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY, AND A
>> THANK YOU.
>> IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE
PLANS, INFORMATION IS ON