The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) occurs every year from October 15 through December 7. As this period approaches, lots of information about Medicare insurance may be coming at you all at once and it can be overwhelming and hard to determine which plan best meets your needs.
Answers to Common Questions About Medicare
How do I apply for Medicare?
You don’t need to sign up for Medicare each year. However, you should review your Medicare health and prescription drug coverage and make changes if it no longer meets your needs or if you could lower your out-of-pocket expenses.
Is there anything Medicare does not cover?
Medicare doesn’t cover everything. It does not cover things like long-term care, vision, dental, hearing, personal care services, non-medically necessary services, and more.
How can I find out if my doctor accepts Medicare?
Most U.S. doctors accept Medicare. To find a list of doctors in your area who accept Medicare and its required pricing for procedures, go to Medicare’s Physician Compare tool (www.medicare.gov/physiciancompare) and look to see if your doctor “Accepts Medicare Assignment.” You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY users call 1-877-486-2048), or call your doctor’s office and ask before you schedule an appointment.
What is an Annual Wellness Visit?
During the first year of joining Medicare Part B, beneficiaries are eligible for what’s known as a “Welcome to Medicare” visit. After your first year, you can schedule what’s known as an “Annual Wellness Visit” where your doctor will check core health factors (blood pressure, weight, height, body-mass index, etc.) and review your medicines and treatments. You are not charged for these visits – they are completely covered by Medicare (meaning no deductible charges, copays, or coinsurance). (Learn more about the difference between your Annual Wellness Visit and an annual physical on our blog)
MedicareOnDemand
We are a health care system and not an insurance company, but we know how important this decision is for you and want to make sure we provide trusted resources. To support our patients and their families in understanding the different Medicare options, Emory Healthcare has partnered with MedicareCompareUSA* to provide a Medicare Insurance Helpline. This helpline resource is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., by calling 1-855-256-1501; TTY 711.
The Medicare Helpline service has also been expanded to bring you MedicareOnDemand**, which provides the following, all at no cost or obligation to you:
- Online Medicare plan quote and enrollment
- Immediate access to speak with a licensed insurance agent
- The ability to schedule your own appointment with a local insurance agent
- Information on attending a Medicare 101 seminar
- Access to our robust Medicare Education Center
For expanded answers and information on the earlier list of questions as well as answers to many more, visit MedicareOnDemand’s Medicare Education Center FAQs page.
Your Medicare Resource
We have one simple resource for you to help cut through the confusion and ensure you are able to keep the doctors and hospitals you prefer. To learn more, please visit MedicareOnDemand.com/Emory.
*MedicareCompareUSA and affiliated agents are paid directly by the Medicare plan when enrollment occurs. Healthcare providers receive no financial benefit when patients use the service. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 6 organizations which offer 52 products in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
**MedicareOnDemand is a non-government site hosted by MedicareCompareUSA, an independent insurance agency not affiliated with the federal Medicare program. All services are provided at no cost and without obligation.
