Health care. Now there’s an app for that. At Georgia Medicare Plans we believe in open access to health care information. When patients, consumers and their medical providers have access to relevant information the level of health care goes up and the cost of health care comes down.
OK, the video is a bit corny but it get’s the point across.
Something that isn’t corny is saving money on your Medigap plans. One carrier lowered rates while others are raising rates. Maybe your Medicare supplement carrier is increasing rates. Shop and compare GA Medigap quotes now.
Your data is never sold.
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Health care and iBlueButton
It is surprising how many retirees on Medicare are not aware they can view their health care records online by logging in to MyMedicare.gov. If you have not already created a user account, do it now.
You will also need to install iBlueButton on your mobile device or Chrome enabled computer.
Once you have installed iBlueButton you can download your medical data from MyMedicare directly to your smartphone or tablet.
It’s that simple!
Medical Identity Theft
Anthem made headlines recently when they disclosed that their computers had been hacked and 80 million current and former policyholders personal information had been compromised.
Most of the headlines and news reports have focused on traditional identity theft. Things like using your name and Social Security number to create a “new you” so someone in Bangladesh can buy a Ford.
No doubt someone can pretend to be you and establish a new line of credit but the bigger threat is medical identity theft. Georgia Medicare Plans has posted on this before and you might want to review our earlier posts.
We also found this online WSJ article to contain very useful information.
Medical records typically sell on the black market for about $50 each, says Mr. Pascual. The thieves, often hackers from overseas, are rarely caught, and medical clinics and hospitals compound the problem by having poor record security and holding personal data for long periods.
This widespread problem of medical-record theft, which often targets children and the elderly, shows no signs of slowing.
The theft (of your medical records) can mean canceled insurance plans, damaged credit, misdiagnosed illnesses and unwarranted medical charges that can take over a year to fix. – Wall Street Journal
Unfortunately too many view medical identity fraud as a victim-less crime since, in most cases, the money loss comes from insurance carriers or Medicare. But theft always comes back in the form of higher prices, higher premiums and higher taxes.
Improving your health care
As we age we often go from one or two doctor visits a year to several. Our little black book usually has more names that end in M.D.
And as our medication list expands we may purchase prescriptions by mail as well as retail. Your doctor(s) need to know which medications you are taking before prescribing something new or even evaluating your current list of complaints.
When was the last time you had your Medicare prescription drug coverage reviewed? Over the last few years we have saved our clients anywhere from a few hundred dollars per year in out of pocket prescription costs to several thousand. Just last year we saved one client over $7,000 per year by showing them a Part D plan with a lower premium but more importantly, significantly lower drug costs.
We also find that most retirees do not have a Medicare plan that meets their needs and budget. Many are overpaying for Medicare supplement plan F. They bought plan F because that’s what their friends have. Almost without exception you can save anywhere from $300 per year to over $1,000 by making a switch.
Georgia Medicare Plans has access to over 170 different Medigap plans. Somewhere in that mix is a plan that is right for you and will save you a lot of money. When you pay more you don’t get more, you simply paid too much.
Shop and compare now. Instant online quotes.
With iBlueButton you can take charge of your health care and have access to all your medical records at the touch of a button.
#iBlueButton #Medicare #IdentityTheft #GAMedigapQuotes
