Ron Bliss: Annual enrollment period key

When Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) rolls around, it is a chance for those on Medicare to change plans — both for medical care and for drug plans.

Each year, AEP takes place from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

Those on Medicare Advantage can switch plans, during this time period. They can also switch from Medicare Advantage to standard Medicare and purchase a Medicare supplement.

It is also a time to switch drugs plan, if you are on standard Medicare, to one that includes all your drugs and is cost-efficient.

Don’t just assume that your existing drug plan fits all your needs. Call Medicare at 1-800-633-4227, give the agent a list of your drugs and have the agent tell you the three plans that best fit you.

I am trained in Medicare and have been assisting Medicare recipients with drug plans for the last six years and, from experience, I can tell you that plans can vary by thousands of dollars.

One couple in Genoa had a parent moving from the Bay area to Carson City. I set up the wife’s mother with a drug plan in September that had a total cost of just under $1000 a year. I told them I needed to return during AEP and check again. When I entered their home, they mentioned that the plan had been working well and maybe it would be best to just keep it.

However, in checking with Medicare, three of the mother’s prescription drugs had been dropped from the plan and — had the couple kept it — the cost would have gone from $1,000 to $5,500 for the year.

I was able to find them a plan that covered all the mother’s drugs for just $550 — a difference of $5,000.

I assist my customers in making the call. I also can set them up for either Medicare Advantage or a choice of 10 different Medicare Supplements.

So, if you are in need of assistance, give me a call at 775-224-7169. There is no charge for my services. An agent receives commissions from the company you choose for your coverage and not from the client.

Ron Bliss is a former long-time sports writer who has been doing health and life insurance since 2009. He is certified on both Covered California and the Nevada Health Link and can sell products on and off both exchanges. Affordable Healthcare Pros also offers a variety of dental plans to include dental-vision-hearing plans in both states, as well as a wide variety of Medicare supplements and other health supplemental products to include critical illness, disability, plans to cover in-home or nursing home costs, accidents and hospital indemnity policies. He can also give you the choice of a number of Life Insurance carriers, including those who offer Long-Term Care riders.