UNITED STATES—Toni: I’m shocked to discover that the Medicare Supplement my husband and I purchased last year did not disenroll us from the Medicare Advantage HMO we had. Now I know why the supplement has never paid a dime!

The agent who sold us the Medicare Supplement did not advise me how to disenroll from the HMO.  We have spent over $200 a month since January 2018 and the policy has never been used.  How can we get out of this Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare to use the Medicare Supplement I purchased last January?

Looking forward to your answer, Susan from St. Louis, MO.

Susan: The biggest No-No in the Medicare insurance world is when an agent sells a Medicare beneficiary (which is what you and your husband are) that has a Medicare Advantage plan a Medicare Supplement without the agent advising the client how to disenrolled properly from the Medicare Advantage plan.

Susan, the agent who sold you the Medicare Supplement failed to advise you and your husband how to disenroll properly from your Medicare Advantage plan.  Thus, you and your husband have never been in Original Medicare to use the new Medicare Supplement benefits.

The change would have been a simple one because you both qualified medically for the new Medicare Supplement and all that agent should have done is enrolled you in a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

That simple step would have cancelled your Medicare Advantage HMO Plan effective January 1, 2018 and would have returned both you and your husband to Original Medicare with the new Medicare Supplement that you had enrolled in with a new 2018 Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. This is what Medicare Open Enrollment period is all about!

Those who wish to change from a Medicare Advantage plan to Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement should either enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or make a phone call to inform the Medicare Advantage plan that you want to disenroll and return to Original Medicare. Enrolling in a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan is the easiest way to return to Medicare effective January 1 of any year.

The average American does not realize that they cannot have both Original Medicare with or without a Medicare Supplement and a Medicare Advantage plan at the same time.  Medicare will pay the Medicare Advantage plan for your care.  Medicare will not pay for your care because Medicare has already paid the Medicare Advantage plan for your medical care.

Visit www.ABBS4U.com for Toni’s 2019 Prescription Drug Survival Guide and for more information regarding Medicare Annual/Open Enrollment visit ABBS Course #7 which explains Medicare’s Annual/Open Enrollment rules and various options available.

Remember to discuss your Medicare changes with your primary care or specialty physicians and discover which plans the office or healthcare facility are accepting. Also explore which 2019 Medicare Part D plan has all your prescriptions in their formulary.  Call the Toni Says® Medicare team to discover your 2019 Medicare options at 1/844/250-8664.

Toni King the author of Medicare Survival Guide® Advanced, is offering a Medicare Open Enrollment book package special at www.tonisays.com. For questions about Medicare email info@tonisays.com or call 1/844-250-8664.