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Medicare

The Medicare Open Enrollment deadline of December 7, 2021 is fast approaching. If you’re on Medicare, now is the time to review your health and prescription drug coverage and compare it with other plans to make sure you have a plan that best meets your needs for 2022. Coverage changes take effect January 1, 2022.

You can get help comparing Medicare plans from your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), available in each U.S. state, territory, and the District of Columbia.

Private insurance companies administer, market, and sell Medicare Advantage (MA, Part C) and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), so it’s important to understand your rights and some of the limits on marketing. That way you’ll be prepared if an insurance broker or agent tries to enroll you in a Medicare plan that isn’t right for you. To learn more, read Avoid marketing scams during 2022 Medicare Open Enrollment.

Healthcare Marketplace

Open enrollment for 2022 health plans in the Healthcare Marketplace continues through January 15, 2022, but if you want your coverage to start January 1, 2022, you need to enroll by December 15, 2021. If you enroll between December 16, 2021 and January 15, 2022, your coverage will start on February 1, 2022.

Make sure any plan you’re considering actually gives you the coverage you seek. Dishonest companies sometimes market medical discount plans or health plans with limited insurance benefits, as comprehensive health insurance. And sometimes they just lie about the “health plans” they offer. To learn more, read This open season, is that really the health insurance you’re looking for?

If you spot a scam, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The more we hear from you, the more we can help fight scams. If the scam is Medicare related, report it at 1-800-MEDICARE.

Search Terms

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
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  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

G. Dub
December 02, 2021
The ONLY thing these constantly showing Medicare commercials are doing is just making viewers SICK of seeing them on TV every five minutes all day and night.
youngvconsumer
December 02, 2021
There has been a lot of information offered, but the one thing that seems to be misunderstood so much is the fact that you will NOT be getting extra money in 'addition' to what you would normally receive. The truth is that the so-called extra money in your check is what would normally be deducted for Medicare premiums. If you are eligible as a "Qualified Medicare Beneficiary" or "QMB," that premium is being paid for you and not taken out of your check...but ONLY if you apply and are eligible. That is what should be made clear as I have heard from some people that they assume they are getting up to $144 outside of, or in addition to, their normal check amount.
worldsfair424
December 06, 2021

In reply to by youngvconsumer

Thank you for offering an explanation clarifying this issue. I hear these commercials day in and day out that the commercials specifically say you are getting an extra $144 back which, of course, is misleading and deceitful, in my opinion. And, once you call one of those numbers and the company has your name and phone number you will NEVER, I repeat, NEVER get off their mailing list--EVER!
Don't use your…
December 03, 2021
Call me relentlessly about Medicare