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About Senior Healthcare
Our Mission
At GiGi Senior Sales, our mission is to help individuals find affordable and comprehensive health insurance coverage that meets their unique needs. We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and support throughout the entire process. There is no charge for our services, so feel free to call to review your Medicare insurance plan each year during AEP or when your circumstances may change.
We are located in beautiful East Texas, but our services reach across the entire United States. So don't hesitate to give us a call to assist you in finding a Medicare plan that suits your needs and budget!
(903) 638-6375
hOW DOES THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AFFECT YOU?
CMS IMPLEMENTATION
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed into law on August 16, 2022. The new law provides meaningful financial relief for millions of people with Medicare by improving access to affordable treatments and strengthening the Medicare Program both now and in the long run. The law makes improvements to Medicare by expanding benefits, lowering drug costs, keeping prescription drug premiums stable, and improving the strength of the Medicare program. The law also extends enhanced financial help to purchase HealthCare.gov and state-based Marketplace plans and expands access to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended vaccines for adults with Medicaid coverage.
Ensures that people with Medicare pay no more than $35 for a month’s supply for each covered insulin product under Medicare prescription drug coverage, Traditional Medicare, or Medicare Advantage
Lowers Medicare Part D prescription drug costs and redesigns the prescription drug program (e.g., people enrolled in Medicare prescription drug coverage who have very high drug costs will no longer have to pay cost-sharing for their prescription drugs in the catastrophic phase of the program starting in 2024, and caps annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 for 2025).
Makes adult vaccines, recommended by the ACIP, available at no cost for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage starting January 1, 2023, and later in 2023 for people with Medicaid coverage.
Allows Medicare to negotiate directly with participating drug companies to improve access to innovative treatments for people with Medicare and lower costs for the Medicare program.
Requires drug companies that raise their drug prices faster than the rate of inflation to pay Medicare a rebate and reduces coinsurance for these drugs for people with Medicare under certain circumstances.
Provides more assistance in affording Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums and out-of-pocket drug costs by expanding the low-income subsidy program (LIS or “Extra Help”) under Medicare Part D to 150% of the federal poverty level starting in 2024.
Extends increased financial help to purchase affordable, comprehensive health insurance plans through HealthCare.gov and the state-based Marketplaces.
This law means millions of Americans across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia will save money from meaningful benefits. The Inflation Reduction Act is accomplishing the following just one year after being enacted:
- Saving Affordable Care Act Marketplace consumers an average of more than $800 per year from continued expansion of financial assistance, based on national estimates.
- Driving the nation’s uninsured rate to historic lows.
- Lowering insulin costs for 4 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes by capping a month’s supply of each covered insulin at $35.
- Providing ACIP-recommended adult vaccines at no cost to millions of people with Medicare.
- Lowering out-of-pocket costs for some people with Medicare for certain Part B drugs and biologicals with prices that have increased faster than the rate of inflation.
- Projecting savings for nearly 19 million seniors of an average of $400 per year when the $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs goes into effect in 2025.
Medicare Yearly "Wellness" Visit
If you've had Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly “Wellness” visit to develop or update your personalized plan to help prevent disease or disability, based on your current health and risk factors. The yearly “Wellness” visit isn’t a physical exam.
Your first yearly “Wellness” visit can’t take place within 12 months of your Part B enrollment or your “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit. However, you don’t need to have had a “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit to qualify for a yearly “Wellness” visit.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment. The Part B deductible doesn’t apply.
However, you may have to pay coinsurance, and the Part B deductible may apply if your doctor or other health care provider performs additional tests or services during the same visit that Medicare doesn't cover under this preventive benefit.
If Medicare doesn't cover the additional tests or services (like a routine physical exam), you may have to pay the full amount.
What it is
Your doctor or other health care provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a “Health Risk Assessment,” as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your doctor develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit. Your visit may include:
- Routine measurements (like height, weight, and blood pressure).
- A review of your medical and family history.
- A review of your current prescriptions.
- Personalized health advice.
- Advance care planning.
Your doctor or other health care provider will also perform a cognitive assessment to look for signs of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Signs of cognitive impairment include trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, managing finances, and making decisions about your everyday life. If your doctor or other health care provider thinks you may have cognitive impairment, Medicare covers a separate visit to do a more thorough review of your cognitive function and check for conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety, or delirium and design a care plan.
Source: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/yearly-wellness-visits