Medicare Advantage Users Guide: Getting Started

Whether or not we’re serving to a brand new Independence Blue Cross Medicare member or a renewing one, my Buyer Service workforce and I all the time take a couple of minutes to assessment the totally different steps they will take to assist guarantee they’re getting essentially the most from their well being plan. For anybody we haven’t had an opportunity to talk with but, right here’s a noteworthy record of our prime ideas.

Discover your Welcome Equipment

So, you chose or renewed your Medicare Benefit plan. What’s subsequent? Throughout the first month of your plan’s efficient date, we despatched out your member Welcome Equipment. It’s a soup-to-nuts information to your plan protection. Should you didn’t obtain yours (otherwise you misplaced it), contact us and we’ll ship one other.

Among the many many issues in your Welcome Equipment, some of the necessary is your Proof of Protection booklet. It explains how your plan works, how you can get protection for the providers you want, and the way a lot you’ll pay for providers (your cost-share quantities). Mainly, this booklet is the important thing to utilizing your plan — so, make sure you hold it in a secure place.

Your Welcome Equipment additionally contains details about the alternative ways it can save you cash and shield your well being, together with:

• $0 preventive care advantages
• Community suppliers and amenities
• SilverSneakers^®, a health program obtainable to members at no added value
• Listening to assist reimbursements
• Well being administration applications (Private Well being Visits, Well being Coaches, and Situation Administration)

Save on Rx

In case your plan contains Half D protection, there are a few methods you could possibly get monetary savings in your prescriptions:

1. Switching to generics. Ask your suppliers if generic variations of your prescriptions can be found and in the event that they is perhaps best for you.
2. Signing up for mail order. Should you take upkeep or long-term drugs, join mail order supply. It’s a handy and money-saving manner so that you can order a 90-day provide of your drugs for the price of a 60-day provide and have them delivered to your property.

Keep knowledgeable

Whereas our Buyer Service Staff is able to assist, there are extra instruments and sources you should use to remain up-to-date:

• Member portal — Register for ibxpress.com and you’ll test on a declare, discover a community supplier, even search for a formulary drug, 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
• IBX Wire^TM — Signal as much as obtain safe textual content message in your smartphone, together with protection data, reductions, and well being reminders (like when it’s time to get a flu shot). Textual content IBX WIRE to 73529 to get began. Have your member ID card useful — you’ll want your member ID quantity from the entrance of the cardboard to enroll.*
• Replace journal — Examine a wide range of subjects starting from recipes to informative tales on frequent well being points to detailed details about Medicare plans. View the newest situation.
• Social media — Be part of the Medicare dialog on our Fb web page and keep present on our newest well being and profit movies on our YouTube.

However wait, there’s extra!

I do know this will appear to be loads, however there’s extra. I encourage you to go to ibx.com/medicare, click on on the For Members button within the higher proper aspect of the web page, and flick through all of the sources, providers, and applications obtainable.

And as all the time, when you’ve got some other questions, be at liberty to name your Member Assist Staff on the quantity listed on the again your ID card, and we will probably be completely satisfied to help you.

This text was initially revealed on LinkedIn.

^{*Normal message and knowledge charges could apply. Textual content STOP to cease and HELP for assist. Phrases and circumstances obtainable at myhelpsite.internet/ibx. Notification messages inside IBX Wire are despatched through automated SMS. Enrollment in IBX Wire is just not a requirement to buy items and providers from Independence Blue Cross. Wire is a trademark of Relay Community, LLC., an unbiased firm.}

^{The SilverSneakers® health program is offered by Tivity Well being, Inc., an unbiased firm.}