Seniors and Cancer—Know How Medicare Can Help

Medicare Advantage Plans and Cancer

Medicare Advantage plans most often require no cost-sharing for Medicare-covered preventive services including mammograms and prostate exams. Medicare Advantage plans also typically cover annual physical exams.

Unlike Medicare supplement plans, however, most Medicare Advantage plans require you to see doctors and receive health services within a restricted network. In some cases, you’re allowed to go outside the network at a higher cost, but Medicare Advantage is probably better designed for you if you’re willing to stay within your plan’s network. When it comes to cancer treatment, some seniors are reluctant to accept such a limitation.

If you’re in generally good health and prefer to keep month-to-month expenses low, you’re probably in a good position to improve on your current health coverage by enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan. If cancer treatment is a major consideration, however, Medicare supplement insurance may be more suited to your individual needs. For the best advice about whether Medicare supplement insurance or Medicare Advantage is a better match for your individual needs, you can’t go wrong by giving MedicareMall a call.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans and Cancer

RXMedicare Part D prescription drug plans can provide important benefits to people who’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Part D drug plans pay for prescriptions purchased at pharmacies, and Part D plans have helped countless Americans save money on prescriptions associated with cancer treatment.

A Medicare & Medicaid Research Review report examining cancer findings in West Virginia notes what many Americans already know—that “the elderly carry an unequal burden of cancer.” But the report also indicates something many Americans may not be aware of. Contrary to what many Americans believe, “this burden is especially higher in rural areas, which are known to report higher cancer frequency and death rate.” It’s been no secret that rural dwellers are sometimes exposed to factors elevating their risk of cancer—and more often are simply in locations making effective treatment of cancer more difficult. Whatever your situation, it’s important to be aware of risk factors so that you can work with your healthcare professional to minimize them and increase your chances of living a cancer-free life. Knowing how Medicare can help in the battle against cancer can be just as important.

Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B), Medicare Advantage plans, and Medicare supplement plans can all go a long way toward keeping you protected against cancer. If you have further questions about cancer and Medicare or any other aspect of senior healthcare, why not give MedicareMall a call today?

What’s the number one precaution you’re taking to stay cancer-free? Leave a comment letting us know!


Seniors and Cancer—Know How Medicare Can Help © 2012 MedicareMall.com

 

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