Are You On Medicare? Confused By Obamacare?

Welcome to the club! In my practice, it's very rare to meet a Medicare beneficiary who's not confused by the new healthcare legislation!

It's confusing, in part, because many of the same insurance companies are offering coverage for both Medicare and the new healthcare exchanges. But, if you're on Medicare, you don't have to do anything differently. Open enrollment still starts Oct. 15 and closes Dec. 7, while enrollment for the new state exchanges for people 65 and under runs from Oct. 1 through March.

Because of the confusion, however, the state exchanges are already fielding calls from Medicare recipients, many of whom are concerned that their Medicare supplement costs will rise. But that's not going to happen.

In actuality, your Medicare benefits won't change under the Affordable Care Act.

ONE NOTE OF CAUTION: There's one group of people who aren't confused at all - scammers. They're ready, willing, and able to prey on seniors who are confused. So don't give out personal information unless you know for sure to whom you're speaking!

Bottom line? Medicare beneficiaries may actually be the ones who benefit the most from Obamacare. They're the ones most likely to have pre-existing conditions, and most likely to be charged more because of these conditions, and their age. And that won't be allowed under the new law.

Confused? We can help.

At The Law Offices of Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we're Elder Law attorneys. We've been answering questions like these for South Florida families for the past 34 years. And we've been helping them achieve financial security, as well, with comprehensive estate planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning, asset protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid (and Medicare!) and the VA.

If you've got questions, we've got answers. And we're just a phone call away.