Seniors find diabetes can be expensive. Most Medicare supplement plans in Georgia cover diabetic tests and supplies, but there is no guarantee YOUR plan will.
Diabetics generally have a shorter lifespan and a much higher risk of death due to heart disease, stroke or circulatory problems.
Diabetes can be a painful and debilitating disease that robs seniors in their sunset years. When you are a diabetic, you may not enjoy life to the fullest. Treating the illness can be expensive but it does not have to be that way, especially if you find the right Medigap plan that fits your needs.
Joe has a Medicare Advantage Plan and Diabetes
At age 67, Joe was a semi-retired real estate agent. His passion was showing houses. Living in the same sleepy little Georgia town his whole life, everyone knew Joe and he knew them. People trusted him to do right by them. Things moved at a slower pace than they did in the big city of Atlanta. Here, no one locked their doors and they even left their keys in the car while shopping.
No one knew Joe was a diabetic, but one day he noticed a foot infection and his world was about to come crashing down. He called his primary care physician for a referral to a specialist.
Only then did he realize his problem was worse than just a sore foot.
The podiatrist didn’t accept Advantage patients but would see him as a new patient on a “cash only” basis but only at the end of the month. Little did he know, but postponing his care would be a life changing event.
While waiting for his appointment, the infection got worse and he had to go to the hospital. Instead of high quality care, Joe had his foot amputated.
Now he sits in a wheelchair. Instead of doing what he loves he now only wishes he could sell houses rather than sitting at home.
Joe Had the Wrong Plan and the Wrong Care
Living in a small town, most doctors willingly treat Medicare patients but very few accept Advantage plan patients. Had Joe opted for original Medicare and a supplement plan the outcome might have been different.
Since 1986 Congress decides how much your doctor can be paid to treat you if you are covered by Medicare. When Advantage plans came on the scene in 2008 and doctors saw further reductions in fee schedules many decided to continue accepting assignment for traditional Medicare patients but would not accept Advantage patients.
Original Medicare plus the right gap plan offers GA seniors the widest choice of physicians and lowest out of pocket for medical procedures.
No Cost Diabetic Testing and Supplies
Seniors with diabetes are entitled to free diabetic screening under Medicare Part B. You can have 2 screenings per year if you are predisposed toward diabetes but have not yet tested positive and 1 test per year if you have been previously tested but not diagnosed with diabetes.
Part B covers many diabetic meters, test strips and lancets, subject to a deductible, coinsurance and monthly limits. Currently you can receive up to 100 test strips and lancets per month. If you have Medigap plan F you should not incur any out of pocket costs.
You may qualify for more than the allowed limit, but only if your doctor submits documentation indicating it would benefit your overall health if you were tested more often.
If you are not insulin dependent you may still qualify for test strips but the current limit is 100 every two months.
Pharmacies and other suppliers that accept Medicare assignment will file your claim for you and should be able to tell you how much your share of the cost would be.
To learn more about what is covered by Medicare, request CMS Publication 11022.
Many Medicare supplement plans in Georgia will cover your Part B deductible as well as the 20% coinsurance that is not paid by Medicare. Choosing the right gap plan for your needs and budget can be the difference in living month to month or living life to the fullest.
