Medicare Advantage Plans: Know Your Options
The infamous Secure Horizons plan from United Healthcare is now called the Medicare Complete plan. United Healthcare launched Secure Horizons, the nation's first Medicare HMO plan, in 1985 and has since been one of the most recognized Medicare Advantage plans for many years.
The plan currently administers healthcare benefits for more than 360,000 Medicare beneficiaries in California alone,
where the company is headquartered.Depending on which county you reside in you may have several Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. To enroll in a plan, you must be eligible for Medicare Part A and continue to pay your Medicare Part B premiums every month. With the Medicare Complete Plan (HMO) you will receive care by using a group of local contracted doctors and hospitals that coordinate your care. Your annual Out-of-pocket costs are usually lower for these types of plans than most other plans.
Benefits of the Medicare Complete HMOMedicare Complete plans offer all of the benefits covered under Original Medicare A & B and more. While the exact benefits vary depending on your specific plan (because they vary by county), the plans provide:
- Access to medical care through a trusted network of contracted doctors, specialists and hospitals.
- Assistance with financial protection through annual limits on out-of-pocket health care expenses.
- Annual Preventive care services at no cost ($0 co-payment) including an annual routine physical.
- Worldwide coverage for emergency care
If you choose to go to a doctor or hospital that is outside of the covered network, you must pay for these services yourself, except in certain situations such as emergency care. Neither the Medicare Complete Plan nor the Original Medicare Plan will pay for these services. While the exact benefits vary depending on the specific plan for your county, the plan may also include:
- Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (includes a 4 Tier Formulary Drug List)
- Coverage for additional preventive services such as routine vision, hearing, and dental
In addition, optional Dental, Vision & Hearing Aid packages are available with Medicare Complete HMO ranging from $6 - $39/mo. All of these great features and benefits for little to no cost - now that is value! So if you are like most retirees in today's world that are on a low or fixed income, or if you are in great health and you never go to the Doctor, the Secure Horizons also known as the Medicare Complete plan is perfect for you! This way you only spend your hard earned money when you really have to use your benefits.
