How Caregivers Can Help Medicare Recipients

Caring for a Medicare Beneficiary? How You Can Simplify Your Life and Get them Proper Medicare Coverage

“I’m the caretaker for two elderly relatives – my mom and my uncle,” says Harriet, 45 years old. “I feel privileged to do it, and I don’t really mind. (I hope that in 25 years, my own kids will not feel resentful about keeping an eye on me and my needs. It’s kind of like the `Circle of Life’ principle in “The Lion King.”) My only concern is that I am going to make some kind of mistake regarding Medicare that is going to cost too much money or fail to provide the kind of coverage my mom and uncle need.”

Harriet, as the expression goes, is “a good egg.” But although she doesn’t really mind helping out, she has her own life to live, and helping her mother and uncle with the following issues only adds to her stress:

• Insurance – Making sure the premiums are paid on not one, but two life insurance policies
• Nuts and bolts – Taking two old cars to be inspected when required. (“I blew it last year and the registration lapsed on my uncle’s Toyota,” she says.)
• Utilities – Paying the utility bills for her mom’s house and the monthly fees for the retirement community where her uncle lives.
• Home maintenance – Being on call to call plumbers, electricians, and other pros when something goes wrong at her mother’s home. 
• Drugs – Picking up prescriptions at two different pharmacies. (“Last month one prescription lapsed, and it was the Dickens to get it going again.”)
• Driving – Taking her mom and uncle to medical and other health-related appointments.
• Errands – Shopping for groceries and holiday presents. (“Yes, I have to help out with that now too.”)
• Tech support – Serving as a tech consultant for phones, the Internet, cable TV, and lots of other issues. 

How One Call Can Make Things Easier

Harriet and other caregivers can dramatically simplify at least one responsibility . . . 

Reviewing and changing Medicare policies for elders when needed

If you are managing responsibilities like those for one or more older relatives, dealing with Medicare can start to seem like “the straw that breaks.” It’s a complicated responsibility and if you get something wrong, the person you care for could encounter some very real problems. 

But we have a solution for you, which is to let a CoverRight Medicare advisor review your relative’s coverage with you and make sure you are considering the right options. The good news is that a call with CoverRight takes only about 30 minutes. You will then know you have the information you need to make the best choices from among different Medicare plans and policies. 

Here’s What Caregivers Can Expect from a Call with a CoverRight Medicare Advisor

• First of all, the call is free. Even if you decide to utilize one of the plan options that your advisor recommends, you will never have to pay CoverRight for the advice you received. (You will, however, have to pay the insurer for the costs of the policy you choose.)
• You will review the medical concerns and history of the individual who will be enrolled in a Medicare plan.
• You will also provide the names of the primary care provider and other care providers that your relative wants to use. (Some of them might not be in the networks of care providers that some plans will pay for, and you have to know.)
• You will provide a list of prescription medications your relative takes, to be sure they are covered and to learn how much each available Medicare plan will pay for them. (Comparing prescription drug plans can save you a lot of money.) 

And that’s about it! A call to CoverRight can help you cross off at least one responsibility from your to-do list as a caregiver, by taking away a stressful and long process of shopping and research into Medicare.