Review of Anthem Medicare Preferred PPO

Anthem Blue Cross released a new plan in California called Anthem Medicare Preferred Standard PPO. This plan is a revamp of the old Freedom Blue that thousands of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in. On September 16, Agents and Brokers were notified to cease and desist the marketing of that product until further notice. About 2 weeks later, we received notice of the Anthem Medicare Preferred or AMP plan.

The biggest difference is that is now a Local PPO as opposed to a Regional PPO, which means many people were cut off. The plan used to cover the entire state of California and now only a handful of counties will be able to have access to Medicare Advantage PPO network. In addition. only 3 of the counties will continue to receive the "Zero Cost" option; Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura. All other counties will now have a monthly premium for this plan ranging from $40-131/mo. For some this is no problem but for many Medicare beneficiaries who are dependent upon Social Security or on a fixed income, this raises huge issues. 

Other Medicare beneficiaries were not so lucky if they live in rural parts of California. Many of the central counties in the state have very little to no options for any Medicare Advantage plans. This means they will have to either go back to Original Medicare and just carry a Part D (prescription plan) or pay higher premiums for a Medicare Supplement plan. 

As for the Anthem Medicare Preferred plan, it is expected to perform well in the available counties but has no official rating from CMS (Center for Medicare Services) just yet. It continues to offer the Anthem PPO network of Doctors and Hospitals, one of the largest in the state. The plan has a $300 deductible which applies towards Outpatient type services and does apply towards the Maximum out-of-pocket expenses. The $3,400 maximum out of-pocket-expense is the most you will have to spend in the calendar year, including co-pays and deductibles, which is one of the lowest amounts compared to most other Medicare Advantage plans. 

Anthem Medicare Preferred has an included Part D plan with reasonable co-pays for a 30 day supply and even lower for 90 day mail-order. In addition, you will have access to Silver Sneakers, which allows a monthly gym or fitness center membership for free at participating locations. There is also optional Dental and Vision benefits for an additional premium of course. 

So for those of you seeking a low cost flexible plan that will allow you to keep your physicians and not have to worry about asking for referrals, the Anthem Medicare Advantage Standard PPO plan is a great value. Make sure you get more information on specific co-pays for your county as they do differ from one county to the next. Also be sure to complete the correct application as those are also different and you need to use the appropriate one per your county. 

Tips for the Right Insurance Solutions

Having the right Insurance Solutions can be very complicated and something most people do not understand but it is very necessary. Whether you are looking to save money on insurance for your Auto, Home, Health or Life Insurance, you should educate yourself as a consumer. There are obviously many insurance carriers available here in California, but how do you know who has the best rates or the best plan for you? There are thousands, if not millions, of sites offering you online quotes but what does that mean for your insurance coverage? This is what we will be looking at today.

Save Money on Your Insurance
They say "You can never have enough...", but there is such a thing as being over-insured. Insurance is meant to cover the potential financial loss you would suffer and therefore you should try to limit the amount of money you spend just in case something happens. You want to make sure you have enough insurance that would cover any potential losses at the best rate possible but without cutting too many corners. Of course some risks carry more weight than others but you want to ensure that your overall financial exposure is at a minimum. Thus, the ideal situation is to have adequate insurance coverage but without having to break the bank. This way you can put your hard earned dollars towards something useful!

On the other hand, you don't want to be under-insured either. This can be devastating for most people. We have seen this to be true in all facets of insurance. For example: the woman who didn't have maternity coverage on her health insurance, or the man who was the victim of a Hit-and-Run and did not have uninsured motorists coverage.

Get the Right Insurance Solution in Place
As always, become an educated consumer first! Once you have all of the facts than you can begin your shopping process. At Insurance Solution Pros, we are a one-stop shop for all of your insurance needs. We are educators first and then we can help you shop the best insurance solutions for you based on your needs and budget. We work with well-known insurance carriers in California and we will be sure to answer all of your questions every step of the way. Our goal is to establish ourselves as your number one source for you and your family's insurance needs for the long term. We don't just want to sell you a policy! We will provide true insurance solutions and we will be here to help make the necessary changes as your life changes. Talk to one of our Insurance Pros to get all of your questions answered or to get your Free Insurance Quotes.

Cheaper Insurance Isn't Always Better
Online insurance quotes are a great benchmark of what you will pay based on certain factors that are important, but they don't necessarily mean its the best option for you. Most insurance quotes are based on a few things such as age, zip code, sometimes gender and even past insurance history. If you need a comprehensive insurance plan, than cheaper isn't going to be better. You run the risk of leaving gaps in your coverage in any type of insurance when you just get the cheapest plan. This can become costly in the long run if you end up needing more coverage than what you were paying for.

Anthem Freedom Blue PPO for 2012

The Anthem Blue Cross Freedom Blue 2012 will be seeing some changes. It will now be called the Anthem Medicare Preferred Standard PPO. This plan  will be the only PPO Medicare Advantage plan in California.

The Anthem Medicare Preferred is a Local PPO or LPPO available only in certain counties throughout the state and has a $300 annual deductible.. These counties include Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, Alameda, San Diego, Sacramento and Ventura just to name a few.Although the core benefits are similar there are some differences.

One of the biggest changes for the Medicare Advantage LPPO for 2012 is that some counties are now charging a monthly premium. Los Angeles, San Diego and Ventura are the only ones where it is remaining a "No Cost" plan.

The Anthem Medicare Preferred PPO also includes prescription drugs at no additional cost. It includes a standard 4 Tier Drug Formulary. This will allow you to have co-pays for your medications.
In addition, you will have the option to add Dental, Vision and other benefits for an extra monthly cost. And lastly, the plan does include Silver Sneakers for those of you who like to stay active and go the gym. This coverage is at no additional cost.

So to recap...you will have access to the Anthem PPO network, set co-pays, prescription drugs covered and great optional benefits! Now that is a value plan with an affordable cost to all Medicare beneficiaries in the available counties.

AARP Medicare Complete Replaces Long Time Secure Horizons

The infamous Secure Horizons plan from United Healthcare is now called the Medicare Complete plan. United Healthcare launched Secure Horizons, the nation's first Medicare HMO plan, in 1985 and has since been one of the most recognized Medicare Advantage plans for many years. The plan currently administers healthcare benefits for more than 360,000 Medicare beneficiaries in California alone, where the company is headquartered.

Depending on which county you reside in you may have several Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. To enroll in a plan, you must be eligible for Medicare Part A and continue to pay your Medicare Part B premiums every month. With the Medicare Complete Plan (HMO) you will receive care by using a group of local contracted doctors and hospitals that coordinate your care. Your annual Out-of-pocket costs are usually lower for these types of plans than most other plans.

Benefits of the Medicare Complete Secure Horizons HMO

The Medicare Complete HMO plans offer all of the benefits covered under Original Medicare A & B and more. While the exact benefits vary depending on your specific plan (because they vary by county), the plans provide:

·         Access to medical care through a trusted network of contracted doctors, specialists and hospitals

·         Assistance with financial protection through annual limits on out-of-pocket health care expenses

·         Annual Preventive care services at no cost ($0 co-payment) including an annual routine physical

·         Worldwide coverage for emergency care

If you choose to go to a doctor or hospital that is outside of the covered network, you must pay for these services yourself, except in certain situations such as emergency care. Neither the Medicare Complete Plan nor the Original Medicare Plan will pay for these services. While the exact benefits vary depending on the specific plan for your county, the plan may also include:

•  Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (includes a 4 Tier Formulary Drug List)
•  Coverage for additional preventive services such as routine vision, hearing, and dental

Optional Dental, Vision & Hearing Aid packages are available with Medicare Complete HMO ranging from $6 - $39/mo.

All of these great features and benefits for little to no cost - now that is value! So if you are like most retirees in today's world that are on a low or fixed income, or if you are in great health and you never go to the Doctor, the Secure Horizon also known as the Medicare Complete plan is perfect for you! This way you only spend your hard earned money when you really have to use your benefits.

Anthem Medicare Preferred PPO Replaces Freedom Blue for 2012

One of the newest Medicare Advantage plan in California for 2012 is the Anthem Medicare Preferred Standard PPO or AMP. The Anthem Medicare Preferred is the newest successor to the Freedom Blue Regional PPO plan that became very popular over the past few years. The plan offers significant freedom of choice in regards to your medical service providers. The AMP PPO plan is only available in select counties throughout California and the benefits are different from county to the next. The plans are grouped below by counties that share the same benefits:

• Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura
• Orange, San Francisco, Sonoma
• Riverside, San Bernardino, San Mateo
• Alameda, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Stanislaus

      

·       Although a few details do vary the main benefits stay the same. You will still be able to enjoy the freedom of the Anthem Blue Cross PPO network. This means you will have set co-pays for your more common services like office visits and no referrals needed when you want to visit a Specialist.

Prescriptions Drugs Covered at No Additional Cost!

The Anthem Medicare Preferred Standard PPO includes an embedded Medicare Part D plan that includes a 4 Tier Drug Formulary with set co-pays during your Initial Coverage Period. These co-payments will stay the same until you and your plan combined reach the Coverage Gap, also known as the "Doughnut Hole", which is $2,930 annually.

In 2012, you will receive a discount on covered brand-name prescription drugs. In addition, you will be responsible to pay for 86% of the plans cost for covered generic prescriptions. The best part is that what you spend plus the 50% discount paid by the Drug company counts as out-of-pocket spending to help you out of the Doughnut Hole. Catastrophic Coverage begins if and when your total annual prescription costs reach $4,700; at which point you are only responsible for a small co-insurance or co-payment for each drug.

Optional Benefits: Dental, Vision and More

Anthem Medicare Preferred PPO  also offers optional packages for an additional premium. These packages include:

• Preventive Dental
• Comprehensive Dental and Vision
• Combination of Dental, Vision, Chiropractic and Acupuncture

·        Please remember that this is a PPO plan that allows you to see any doctor of your choice within the Network. Anthem Blue Cross has over 51,000 participating physicians and approximately 400 hospitals to choose from.

Be sure to review your options carefully before making a decision on your plan for 2012. Also keep in mind that these generous benefits are only available to you if you are or will be enrolled in Medicare Part A & B and you reside in the counties mentioned above.