New Mexico Senior Health Insurance

Explore Your Options

If you are an outdoor lover, New Mexico might be your ideal state to retire. From skiing, hiking and of course the annual hot air balloon festival there are many reasons people retire in New Mexico. Once you decide to retire and become eligible for Medicare it’s important to know the different options available to you. To learn if you are eligible for Medicare please click here.

Once you are eligible, you have a few different options available to you. You can sign up for a Medicare Supplement Plan (or Medigap), Prescription Drug Plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan. Medicare Supplement Plans are state specific plans and are standardized by the government. This type of plan allows you to see any doctor that accepts Medicare. It will also allow you to utilize your benefits when you travel outside of your state. There are many more benefits covered by this type of policy. To see if a Medicare Supplement Plan is a good fit for you and to get rates in your area call a MySeniorHealthPlan.com specialist today.

Medicare Supplement Plans don’t include prescription drug coverage, so they are often paired with a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan. Prescriptions are covered based on their tier level, which is located on each plan’s formulary. It is important to understand if your prescriptions are covered by the plan you sign up for and their associated costs. Not taking any prescriptions? Most people still obtain Prescription Drug coverage to avoid getting the Part D penalty. To learn more about the penalty click here. Another reason that it is important to have a Prescription Drug Plan is to ensure that you are covered should you need prescriptions in the future. If you need Extra Help paying for your prescriptions, please visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare/prescriptionhelp/

Next, you can explore Medicare Advantage Plans. Medicare Advantage Plans are county-based plans that typically have drug coverage built into the benefits. However, not all MAPD’s have drug coverage built in so it’s important you understand the benefits of your plan. Medicare Advantage Plans that are available to the Medicare population in New Mexico are HMOs and PPOs. This type of plan is a network-based plan so to ensure you can keep your current doctor, make sure that your doctor accepts the plan you intend to enroll into. The specialists at MySeniorHealthPlan.com can walk you through this and make sure that you are signing up for a plan that fits all your needs.

Some retirees of New Mexico also have benefits through Indian Health Services. The relationship between the federal government and Native American tribes constitutes various rules to follow. However, CMS has made Medicare and Medicaid healthcare services accessible to all Native Americans who are eligible. For more information visit http://www.ihs.gov

Senior Resources:
Medicare: www.medicare.gov
Indian Health Services: http://www.ihs.gov
New Mexico Department of Aging and Long-Term Services: www.nmaging.state.nm.us
New Mexico Human Services Department: http://www.hsd.state.nm.us