By Cathy O’Brien, Chapter’s Lead Advisor and Director of Education

Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period is underway. Do you need to enroll? Do you want to change your Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan for 2022? Do you want to compare your Medicare Supplement to other types of coverage? You can choose your new coverage between now and December 7th.

Are you excited? Probably not. You might find yourself in that dark place that thinking about Medicare takes you. Which is too bad. You should be excited about Medicare. It is outstanding insurance. But for most of us, Medicare is confounding. That is why Chapter was created. And that’s why when Lustre met Chapter we both realized that Chapter could provide a great service to Lustre’s readers.

Who are we? Chapter is a Medicare advisory organization that advises thousands of older Americans. Chapter is also a trusted partner of the National Council of Aging (NCOA), America’s longest-running advocacy organization.

Chapter has put together this list of three things you should know as you review or re-confirm your coverage. Chapter can help with each of them:

1. There are more than 20,00 Medicare coverage options available nationwide.

2. When reviewing or choosing coverage, there are many factors to consider.

3. Most advisors only guide you to plans that pay them commissions.

There are more than 20,00 Medicare coverage options available nationwide

Did you know the county you live in often has more than 100 Medicare plan options? Each plan has different premiums, and many plans offer different benefit options and networks of providers. If you feel overwhelmed, you are not alone.

Chapter’s team can help every person find the best plan for them. With more than 20,000 plans to choose from, this is a service that is necessary for those of us who want to ensure we receive the best healthcare coverage at the most affordable cost. 

When reviewing or choosing coverage, you need to search across your doctors, prescriptions, preferred hospitals, benefits, and of course cost.

These factors are crucial when evaluating your options. Yet, it can be challenging to know with precision what your plan actually covers, like what specialists are in-network at each location they practice.

Chapter’s team will take into account all the doctors you currently see and also note any important physicians you may need to see in the future. Additionally, our team will also take into account all the prescriptions you currently use, as well as the hospitals you go to for care.
Most advisors only search the subset of plans that pay them commissions.

Almost all advisors recommend only plans that pay them commissions. This creates a significant risk: you might pay too much or miss out on benefits because your advisor does not represent the plan that happens to be the best-fitting one for you. 

There are a few advisors, though, like Chapter, that search every single option. Chapter is able to do this because it has built, and maintains, a database of every single plan nationwide. Chapter recommends plans based only on your needs. 

Like many Medicare advisors, Chapter is paid by insurance carriers when an individual enrolls in a Medicare plan with them. Unlike traditional Medicare advisors, who only search a subset of plans, Chapter has built and maintains a proprietary technology platform used by its licensed advisors to search every Medicare plan nationwide and recommends only the best-fitting coverage for the people they serve. Chapter is truly independent.

If you’d like to speak with a licensed advisor this Annual Enrollment Period, we have set up a dedicated line for Lustre readers. You can call Chapter at 332-246-0464.

Join us at an Educational Medicare Webinar for Lustre readers

Lustre and Chapter will also be offering a free educational webinar for all Lustre readers on November 9th at 4 PM EST. We will cover the basics of Medicare, and how to prepare for the Annual Enrollment Period, as well as ways to avoid common mistakes in order to maximize your savings. This session will be highly interactive, so come with your questions ready! 

If you would like to attend the event, you can register using this link. 

If you have any questions ahead of time, you can call the Chapter team at the Lustre line, 332-246-0464..

We look forward to helping you through this confusing, but valuable, process.