In or Out: What the Deal Is with Texas Health Insurance?
You might not always live in the same place. That’s almost a given in today’s busy world with job opportunities all over the States, transfers, family situations, and retirement choices. What about your Medicare needs? Opting in and out of Medicare supplements seems like a major hassle, but it doesn’t have to be if you talk to a knowledgeable insurance agent.
It’s enough for you to have to get your act together to manage a move from one state to another. The list of things to do are endless and often the last thing that gets dealt with is what to do with your health care insurance. What you have in one state might not fit what you need in your new home. The timing for premium payments may change, etc., and the list goes on.
Health care insurance has at times been compared to a can of worms. Open the lid and you know for sure things will be all over the place. This is easy enough to sort out by talking to a health care insurance agent that knows their stuff. The difficult part is usually trying to figure out the opt in and opt out provisions. Those are complex.
Right now (and this may change depending on what state you are in, so check this out) you are able to opt in to Medicare supplements between November 15th of the prior year and December 31st. At that time you’ll be locked in until the next opt out period. This isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, so make sure you ask about this. It’s not simple because there are a lot of exceptions to the rules.
Although exceptions are a good thing, because they will then suit your changing needs, it is hard to always know for sure what you have and what you don’t when it comes to health care insurance. Take the time to ask, since opt in times may vary.
Here is another exception; this is if you happen to already be in a plan. If you are already in a plan, you are able to opt in to Medicare supplements between January and March rather than the 15th of November to December 31st. Another example, or exception, is if you are leaving one group health care plan or moving to a different service area. Yes, opt in and out times will vary.
While you may find this confusing, this is precisely the kind of information the health care insurance agents know inside out. So, when you call about opt in or opt out, rely on their expertise and save yourself a major headache.
Richard Cantu is with Texas Health and Life, a Texas health insurance and Texas life insurance agency in Texas. To learn more, visit http://www.texashealthandlife.com/.
Texas Health Insurance, Texas Life Insurance, Texas Medicare Supplements
Tags: Texas Health Insurance, Texas Life Insurance, Texas Medicare Supplements
