New AARP Bulletin: Don’t Let Medicare Mistakes Cost You During Open Enrollment Season

WASHINGTON—With Medicare open enrollment around the corner, the September/October issue of AARP Bulletin provides the lowdown on upcoming changes to Medicare as well as important deadlines and the cost of missing them. This issue also highlights the manipulation tactics used by scammers, why they’re so effective, and the simple ways to spot and stop them.
 

Changes to Medicare: What You Need to Know
Every year, millions of Americans end up paying penalties to Medicare or missing out on the coverage they want because they didn’t sign up in time. This year, Medicare open enrollment begins on October 15 and goes through December 7, but these aren’t the only important dates to know. This issue outlines key deadlines, and what they’ll cost you if you miss them. For example, the initial enrollment period starts three months before the month of your 65th birthday and lasts for seven months. If you sign up late for Part B (which covers doctor’s office visits), you’ll pay an extra 10% of the standard monthly premium for every 12 months you were eligible but didn’t enroll. For Part D (which covers prescription drugs), you’ll pay an extra 1% every month for each month you didn’t join a drug plan after first enrolling in Medicare.


This open enrollment season, if you’re shopping for a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription drug plan, there are new rules that could affect your ability to compare all of your plan options and get the plan that’s right for you. Currently, there are rules in place to help ensure that insurance agents and brokers act in people’s best interests when recommending Medicare plans. But starting October 15, agents and brokers no longer have to disclose within the first minute of a Medicare sales call that they don’t offer all the options available in your area, and that they don’t provide information on plans they don’t offer. While this disclosure is still required, it’s now allowed to take place later in the call. This change “could erode the protections gained in recent years meant to enable better enrollment decisions,” said Megan O’Reilly, vice president of government affairs at AARP. In this issue, you’ll also find tips for how to shop smart for Medicare, including what to know before contacting an agent or broker.

Criminals Hijack Your Emotions to Get to Your Wallet
With fraud and scam attempts an unfortunate part of daily life for many Americans, it’s important to understand the (too often effective) tactics that criminals use to perpetrate their crimes. They operate by creating a sense of urgency, so people don’t have time to think clearly about their actions and instead respond with fight-or-flight reactions. Scammers also prey on people’s heightened emotional states, such attraction/love (think romance scams) and fear: concern for family members or pets, fear of legal trouble and financial loss. Learn three simple steps to help prevent criminals from exploiting you. And if you think you’ve been the victim of fraud or have questions related to scams, call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline toll-free at 877-908-3360.
 

Lessons in Brain Health
This issue’s cover story highlights how researchers are seeking to optimize the power of the brain’s neural plasticity — its ability to rewire and reprogram itself. They’ve identified a number of activities that help the brain heal and restore communication and movement after a brain injury such as a stroke, including high-intensity exercise, extensive physical and occupational therapy, and lesser-known options like vagus nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Researchers caution, however, that healing takes aggressive and sustained action on the part of both doctors and patients. This is especially true for strokes, the most common type of brain injury. The number of stroke victims between the ages of 45-65 has risen more than 15% over the past decade, driven in part by rising rates of obesity and high blood pressure earlier in life. Learn ways to reduce the risk of a stroke and how to recognize the signs and take action if someone is having a stroke.

Published bi-monthly, AARP Bulletin is the definitive news source for AARP’s members, delivering the story behind the key issues impacting Americans 50 and older, including health and health policy, Medicare, Social Security, consumer protection, work, personal finance, and AARP state and national news. Learn more at aarp.org/bulletin.