How Not To Pull Your Family Apart

The Changing Face of Medicare Advantage Plans

Major Medicare carriers are reporting significant Medicare Advantage (MA) losses. What changes can we expect to see as they navigate the future? Helping people early in the health care continuum is one way of avoiding more costly care for advancing diseases and illnesses. We know that from seeing more positive outcomes from early planning and coordination for limited, extended, and long-term care needs. Recently, a major healthcare carrier sent out a flyer to its Medicare Advantage clients. The offer goes beyond just the traditional check-up or treatment. Medicare Advantage coverage may include: • physical health-fitness programs • emotional health-mental wellness workshops, grief and loss counseling • nutritional health-cooking demonstration or referrals to food banks • personal development-financial, advanced planning and health literacy education classes • spirit and soul health-meditation classes and interest groups • social health-games, movies, and celebrations. MA Carriers are also navigating significant regulatory changes coupled with increasing medical care costs. The most sweeping set of regulatory changes to the Medicare Advantage program since the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 will go into effect in the next three years, affecting rates, risk adjustment, star ratings, and Part D. Individuals and Families that labor under the belief that Medicare or Medicare Advantage is their extended or long-term care plan-better think again. It is more important than ever to have the “talk.” Use my three-step roadmap to create a feasible, well-designed, affordable limited, extended, and/or long-term care plan.