Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

To compare our rates and help you pick a Medicare Supplement plan, call one of the our Medicare Specialists at the phone number listed above. Medicare Advantage health care plans actually provide coverage in place of your original Medicare benefits. If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage health plan, you get all of your Medicare covered health care plus prescription drug coverage (if the plan includes this benefit) through one single plan. Depending on your area,  Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers a range of Medicare health care plans including both Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage plans. You will not give up your Medicare when you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. There are several types of Medicare Advantage plans including plans such as HMOs, PFFs, and PPOs. The plans can have different levels of coverage and benefits and some plans offer no referrals to specialists. If you retire, "initial open enrollment" is the only time during which you can enroll without a required physical exam. So if you have a pre-existing medical condition, be sure to take advantage of your open enrollment period. No, Medicare does not pay for all of your hospital bills. But a Medicare Advantage plan might help lower your hospital bills. Yes, you can. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers a choice of affordable drug plans to fit your budget and needs. To be eligible for Part D, you must be entitled to Medicare benefits under Part A or enrolled in Part B and you must reside in the service area covered by the plan. If available in your area, you may also be able to choose a Medicare Advantage medical plan that includes the new Part D drug benefit as part of the plan.

To learn more about Medicare Part D basics and our plans, please click on the link here. Depending on your personal circumstances, you have more than one opportunity to sign up for either Part D or a Medicare Advantage plan. These opportunities are called Enrollment Periods.

Initial enrollment period is your first chance to enroll and it begins 3 months before and ends the month after you turn 65 years old. For Part D, the Annual Coordinated Election Period happens every year from November 15th through December 31st. The Annual Coordinated Election Period for you to enroll in a Medicare Advantage health plan is from November 15th through March 31st. Special Enrollment Periods apply in certain circumstances such as when you move out of a plan’s service area, enter or leave a long term care facility or lose your plan through no fault of your own.

No, Medicare coverage is not automatic. You must sign up to avoid any lapse in your coverage. Please call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to see if you have already signed up for Medicare. Once you are eligible for Medicare Part A or enroll in Part B, you have six months to enroll in Part D Prescription Drug Plan. If you miss this window of opportunity, you may pay a late enrollment penalty. The 2009 annual enrollment period is November 15, 2008 - December 31, 2008. If you miss that elected enrollment period, you will have to wait until 2008 to enroll unless you fit into the Special Enrollment Period category or you are about to turn 65.