Let’s go undercover… together!! (Bring a buddy or request to have one assigned to you)
Why are these meetings offered? Insurance companies spend vast amounts of money to get Medicare-eligible people signed onto Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. One of the ways they do this is by hosting informational presentations to seniors shopping for plans during the annual open enrollment periods, Oct 15-Dec 7. These presentations provide a great opportunity to educate folks about some of the issues surrounding MA plans.
Can anyone participate? Yes! You don’t have to be 65+ to attend these meetings. In fact, many seniors have their family and friends attend to ask questions on their behalf.
Before we move into How does this work, we want to highlight one very important point that we need to keep in mind in these spaces:
While we are there to share information, we are NOT there to disrupt the presentations.
Other attendees will genuinely want to hear about their options, and we want to make sure that they do not feel that we are obstructing their attempts to learn more and choose the best plan for themselves.
THE METHODOLOGY FOR THESE PRESENTATIONS: Stealth Advocacy
Sales folks will likely be highlighting some of the best selling points of MA plans. Our purpose is to ask intentional, targeted questions that may have answers that shine light on MA plans’ shortcomings.
We are entering these spaces with the goal of being perceived as potential customers, not as activists. If it becomes clear we have ulterior motives, it will be much harder to get your voice heard in a productive way.
“Undercover Advocacy” Goals:
- Share information that may cause attendees to look more critically at MA plans.
- Highlight issues regarding delays and denials, and the fraud allegations.
- Have conversations with folks who are curious to learn more after the session is finished.
“Undercover Advocacy” Reminders & Tips:
- Be thoughtful of how you approach these conversations – many folks are ALREADY on Medicare Advantage plans and we do not to criticize individual choices.
- Do not disrupt the session. If you are seen as a disruption, attendees are more likely to dismiss not only your comments, but also future arguments they hear. You are a representative of the movement! Make sure everyone you are with is on the same page about this.
“Undercover Advocacy” Questions:
- Can I get back into Traditional Medicare whenever I want and still get a Medigap policy?
- (Is there an) How much is the out-of-pocket limit on what I may have to spend?
- Who authorizes treatment requests?
- What is the timeline for request approval? Should I worry about care not being covered?
- Is Artificial Intelligence involved in any of the decisions regarding approvals for care?
- What is the rate of (approval) denial for requests for care?
- What can I do if treatment is denied? I’ve heard that there are no pre-authorizations in Traditional medicare… Is that right?
- Are there networks? Can I keep all of my current providers?
- What happens if one of my providers or hospitals leaves the network?
- A friend was telling me about fraud and overbilling allegations with MA plans – Can you comment on that?
- Would I be covered if my provider recommends care at a center of excellence – either within or outside of my geographic area?
- Which hospitals in our area are covered? I’ve heard that Mayo, HealthPartners, Alina, and other hospital systems are refusing MA patients. What can I do if my local hospital opts out?
- Are all specialists in our area in-network, like retina specialists & dermatologists?
- I want to stop wearing glasses. Does the eye benefit cover multifocal lenses after cataract removal or only the single-focus ones? Does the dental benefit cover root canals/crowns/implants? My dentist says they don’t take MA patients; I don’t want to go to a new dentist; what can I do?
Networks (Open for Meeting Location Options):
Search “Medicare Informational Meetings Near Me” or click the links below to see locations