Without Medicare Advantage Lakeland Residents May Not Be Able To Afford Medical Care

By Joyce Davis


People older than sixty five and many disabled younger people have been benefiting from medical care since 1966, when the federal social insurance program was introduced. Membership is limited, however, to those that worked through their lives and that made contributions to the program and, in some ways, the program is limited. Still, by 2015, the program had more than 55 million members. With Medicare Advantage Lakeland members now enjoy even more benefits.

The medical insurance program is by no means free of charge. Only about half of the cost of treatment is covered. The patient is responsible for the remainder. In addition, not all conditions are covered and only approved drugs can be prescribed in terms of the program. Patients can also only see medical practitioners that support the plan and that are registered with the program.

The full program consists of four distinct part. Basic membership includes access only to Part A and Part B, a hospital plan and medical insurance with a very limited number of drugs. Part D makes provision for the prescription of many more types of drugs. Part C is what the Advantage plans are all about. They offer members the opportunity to increase the medical benefits that they are entitled to.

Most medical insurance companies offer Part C plans. The terms and conditions and the benefits offered by the various plans differ wildly, however, and it may be difficult to compare them. Experts advise that the services of an independent medical insurance broker are obtained. They can assess the needs of the client and recommend the plan that will best suit his needs and unique circumstances.

Members should make very sure that they fully understand the rules of the plan that they have chosen. It is vital to contact the insurance company if there are any questions. Failure to do so can end up being very costly. For example, if the plan requires a member to get approval for referrals to a specialist, they will end up being responsible for all the costs if they did not do so.

Despite the restrictions, Part C plans offer many benefits. They are generally affordable and they may not charge treatment fees that exceed those of the original plan. Another great benefit is that the yearly out of pocket expenses of the member is limited. Once he reaches that limit all further treatment is free of charge. This limit varies from plan to plan and should be an important consideration when choosing a plan.

Critics of Part C plans say that there are too many exclusions. They criticize the fact that members may only use practitioners approved by the insurer. This lead to situations where members rarely see the same practitioner with each consultation and this may lead to incomplete medical histories. There are even those that say that government expenditure on medical care for a select few is morally wrong.

The exorbitant cost of medical care makes it imperative to have some sort of medical insurance. Part C plans certainly offers the most affordable solution. This is especially true for older people and those suffering from chronic conditions that need regular treatment.




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