3 Reasons Why Veterans Need Medicare Advantage
We live in the land of the FREE, because of the sacrifice the great men and women of America who’ve met the call to defend our way of life. However, while we live in the land of the FREE, healthcare is NOT free. It can be expensive, cumbersome and confusing. This is why many veterans aren’t aware that having VA medical care benefits can still get Medicare Advantage and/or Medicare Advantage Part D (MAPD), which gives them more options, flexibility and a wider safety net.
If you are one of these, first, thank you for your service. Second, know your options. Here are three good reasons why, if you’re age 65, you too should enroll in Medicare Advantage and/or MAPD.
Dental Care
If you’re not 100% service connected or retired after 20+ years of service, you probably don’t get dental. Sure you get vision, hearing and in some cases, transportation, but dental is out-of-pocket. Quite frankly, any healthcare without dental is incomplete. The serious conditions one can acquire due to ignored dental issues can lead to other life-threatening illnesses.
Medicare Advantage provides dental, but it also provides additional services like hearing, vision and transportation. While each plan available is different and offers a variety of benefits, speaking with a certified, licensed Medicare Advantage professional will ensure you get the best option for you.
Flexibility: Second Opinions
The VA medical system can move slowly and is not suited for second opinions. Therefore, if you have a serious medical diagnosis and want to make sure you know all best options available, well, the VA is not going to schedule another appointment with a different doctor who will contradict one of their colleagues.
This is where having Medicare Advantage comes in. You can choose to go to a doctor in your plan and get a second opinion, so you can decide the best course of action.
Coverage When Traveling
The VA says they will pay for emergency room visits if you are a certain distance away from their facility. Moreover, they say if it’s a life-threatening emergency (e.g. a heart attack, stroke, etc.), they will pay for the nearest hospital emergency visit to stabilize the veteran and then have him or her transported to a VA facility. However, in real life, it’s not that simple. Often, the veteran is left having to cover the cost and battling government red-tape to have the bill paid – sometimes, unsuccessfully.
With Medicare Advantage, if you’re traveling and get sick or have a life-threatening emergency, you can have peace-of-mind knowing you won’t be sucker punched with a surprise bill. Plus, if you have Medicare Part D as well, you won’t have to be burdened with the high-cost of medications when a VA pharmacy is not available.
In life, we have seasons of giving and taking. You’ve served us. You’ve sacrificed family, health and wealth so we may enjoy our way of life. However, now is the time for you to take. Now is the time when you should not have to worry about your health needs being met and whether your retirement will nothing more than juggling of finances for your healthcare needs. Make sure you have the very best mix of healthcare insurance options that will allow you to enjoy what you fought so hard to defend.
