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Survey: Seniors confused by Medicare, federal health law
More than half of seniors remain confused by the Medicare program or don't understand it at all almost a half-century after its creation, says a new survey, leading many beneficiaries to make subpar choices that don't best fit their needs.
The confusion is compounded by the new federal healthcare law, says the survey of 1,500 seniors released by the nonprofit National Council on Aging and UnitedHealthcare. As a result, the survey found, seniors are losing money by failing to sign up for programs that could help them defray their costs.
"Without a solid grasp of the basics of Medicare, older adults are not well-positioned to understand their options and find the coverage that best meets their needs," council President and CEO Jim Firman said in a statement. "These findings show that Medicare beneficiaries either are not getting the information they need to understand the program or that the information that's currently available isn't resonating with them."
Also, more than two-thirds of eligible low-income seniors had never heard of the Medicare Savings Programs, which help people with limited income pay some or all of their premiums, deductibles and coinsurance. And more than half had never heard of the Extra Help program for prescription drug costs.
Even fewer — only 13 percent — had ever applied for either program, despite their eligibility, the survey says.
Seniors' uncertainty is compounded this year by changes to the enrollment dates when beneficiaries can make changes to their coverage. The enrollment period starts earlier — Oct. 15 — and lasts longer — seven weeks — than in the past, but it also ends on Dec. 7, 24 days earlier than in the past, so that the changes can be processed by the beginning of the new year.
