Seniors Struggle to Avoid Medicare Enrollment Pitfalls

Seniors are often confused by the myriad Medicare options available, which makes it important that they and their families are aware of several free and less-promoted public services for mulling their choices while paying close attention to the details, reports NBC News . The official government website at medicare.gov/find-a-plan is one such resource, says Kiplinger's Personal Finance contributing editor Kim Lankford. She notes users can type in their zip code, drug prescriptions, and dosages, and the system will perform analysis to list all plans they can choose from and out-of-pocket costs. Meanwhile, the State Health Insurance Assistance Program is optional for people who are not as well-versed in computers. Every state received federal funding to offer free health coverage consulting for Medicare beneficiaries. Seniors can visit local offices to get free one-on-one counseling for navigating their plan options, with nearest outlet locations available at shiptacenter.org . With the choice of Medicare Advantage plans expanding this year, Lankford recommends beneficiaries consider total costs in addition to premiums. Average premiums are decreasing for Advantage and Part D, yet some plans might charge higher co-payments or have smaller provider networks.