Page 18 avy eniiooravvy S iorn or avvyavy y io iori by Jim Miller Medicare Coverage Options for Retirees Eager to Travel Dear Savvy Senior, What are the best Medicare coverage options for COVIDvaccinated retirees who are eager to travel? My wife and I will both turn 65 over the next few months and would like to know which Medicare plans are best for extensive travelers. Almost 65r Dear Almost, The best Medicare plans for retirees who plan to travel will vary depending on your destinations. But, before you book a trip make sure you know the current CDC COVID-19 travel recommendations (see CDC.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers), and research your destinations too so you can know if restrictions apply wherever you’re going. Medicare Review Before we dissect how Medicare works for travelers, let’s start with a quick review of your diff erent Medicare options. One option is original Medicare, which covers (Part A) hospital services and (Part B) doctor’s visits and other medical services. If you choose original Medicare, you may also want to get a Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan (if you don’t already have coverage) to cover your medications, and a Medicare supplemental (Medigap) policy to help pay for things that aren’t covered by Medicare like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. Or, you could get a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan instead, which is sold through private insurance companies, and covers everything original Medicare covers, plus many plans also off er prescription drug coverage and extra services like vision, hearing and dental care all in one plan. To help you evaluate your options contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see ShiptaCenter.org), which provides free Medicare counseling. You can also shop and compare Medicare health and drug plans and Medigap policies at Medicare.gov/fi nd-a-plan. Also note that whatever Medicare plans you choose to enroll in, if you fi nd that they are not meeting your needs or your needs change, you can always switch to a diff erent plan during the open enrollment period, which is between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7. U.S. Travel If you and your husband are planning to travel domestically, original Medicare may be the better option because it provides coverage everywhere in the U.S. and its territories as long as the doctor or hospital accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans, on the other hand, which have become very popular among new enrollees may restrict your coverage when traveling throughout the U.S. This is because most Medicare Advantage plans are HMOs or PPOs and require you to use doctors, hospitals and pharmacies that are in the plan’s network within a service area or geographic region. So, if you’re traveling outside that area you may need to pay a higher fee, or your services may not be covered at all. If you do decide to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, be sure you check the benefi t details carefully to see what costs and rules apply when traveling outside your service area. Traveling Abroad If you’re planning to travel abroad much, a Medicare Advantage plan may be a better option because many Advantage plans today off er emergency care coverage outside the U.S. But be sure you check before you choose a plan because not all plans off er it. Original Medicare, on the other hand does not provide coverage outside the U.S. and its territories except in rare circumstances (see Medicare.gov/coverage/travel), and Medicare drug plans will not cover prescription drugs purchased outside the U.S. either. But if you do choose original Medicare, you can still get some coverage abroad through a Medigap policy. Plans D, G, M and N plans will pay for 80 percent of medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S. to new enrollees, but only for the fi rst 60 days of the trip, and you have to meet an annual $250 deductible fi rst. There’s also a lifetime limit of $50,000, so you’d need to cover any costs above that amount. Some beneficiaries, regardless of their Medicare coverage, purchase travel medical insurance for trips abroad, which you can shop for at InsureMyTrip.com or SquareMouth.com. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. 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Walking distance to schools, shop & restaurants 4Bd, 1 & 3/4 Ba, 1733 Sq.Ft. Single Family ~FOR SALE~ THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, May 14, 2021 ROUND | FROM PAGE 11 thank MGCC’s partner organizations, which include Amplify Latinx and locally the Entrepreneurship Center @CTI with us today, who truly made this program successful because of their extensive outreach to the communities that are traditionally underrepresented.” To increase applications from underrepresented groups and achieve equitable access to funding, MGCC worked with a statewide network of local nonprofi ts, small business technical assistance providers, and other organizations that support minority enterprises to reach businesses and entrepreneurs that would match the program’s priorities. These partners included the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), Amplify Latinx, the Business Equity Initiative, the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), the Local Enterprise Assistance Fund (LEAF), the African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE), Small Business Strong and the statewide Coalition for an Equitable Economy. “The success of this program was a direct result of the leadership of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and Secretary Kennealy; and the team at MGCC, who rose to the occasion to stand up a new program and deliver an unprecedented amount of relief to small businesses across Massachusetts that have been impacted by the pandemic,” said MGCC President/CEO Larry Andrews. “Also critical to this program’s success was the extensive network of partner organizations, ROUND | SEE PAGE 22
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