Editorial: Health reform’s impact on senior Medicare options

Mike McCarthy

Seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries should be aware that this year — perhaps more than any year in the past — is an important one to pay attention to their Medicare coverage options during the open enrollment period (Oct. 15 – Dec. 7).

That’s because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The ACA brings with it notable changes to Medicare, from more preventive care benefits to changes in costs. Beneficiaries need to understand both the upside and downside of such changes to best evaluate their options during the open enrollment period.

Adding to the challenge of this year’s Medicare changes is broader confusion around the ACA itself. UnitedHealthcare conducted a survey in 2013 called the Medicare Made Clear Index and found that 76 percent of people ages 60 and older say they have a “fair” or “poor” understanding of the ACA.

Por lo tanto, el período de inscripción abierta se convierte en una época del año aún más crítica porque, para la mayoría de los beneficiarios de Medicare, es su única oportunidad anual de realizar cambios en su cobertura de Medicare. Después de todo, Medicare no es igual para todos, y muchas cosas pueden cambiar en un año en términos de estado de salud y presupuesto, así como en los planes disponibles.

I encourage the nearly 452,500 Medicare beneficiaries in the San Diego area and their caregivers to take advantage of this annual opportunity to make sure they have a Medicare plan that will meet their needs for the year ahead. People can shop for and compare plans in their area at Medicare.gov.

—Mike McCarthy es vicepresidente regional de UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement en el sur de California. UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement, que atiende a casi uno de cada cinco beneficiarios de Medicare, incluidos más de 943,000 en California, es la empresa más grande dedicada a la salud y el bienestar de las personas mayores y otros beneficiarios de Medicare.