Having Diabetes usually leaves seniors confused about what Medicare covers. With all the drugs, supplies and various other needs, it can all become quite a mess. Here you will find the answers to how Medicare covers Diabetes Treatment and Supplies.

If you have missed your Medicare Supplement initial enrollment period when you are first eligible for Medicare Part B, you might think, “I’m out of luck.” But that’s not always the case. There are a few options….

When you first turn 65, you have a window to enroll in Medicare Advantage and your Medicare Prescription Drug coverage, which you can check using our Deadline Calculator. If for any reason you miss your deadline to enroll, don’t worry. You still have a couple of chances to get Medicare Advantage or your Part D.

In the event that you missed your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) and need to enroll in Medicare, don’t despair. You can still enroll during Special Enrollment Period (SEP) or the General Enrollment Period.

If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan you have a right to switch to a Medigap Plan (Medicare Supplement) without health review under certain limited circumstances. Normally you have a one year Medicare Advantage trial period after which you can dis-enroll and purchase a Medigap Plan. In Maine, this trial period is three years long.

Medigap policies handle preexisting conditions in a few different ways. Enrolling in a Medigap plan during your initial enrollment period is your best bet to avoid the pitfalls of preexisting conditions. You are guaranteed to be approved regardless of your current health. This doesn’t mean you’re covered right away, though. Let us explain….

There are special circumstances often referred to as Guaranteed Issuance that will allow you to enroll in Medigap with no health questions asked. You can also modify your Medicare Advantage coverage or your Medicare Part D Drug coverage during this time. These opportunities are called Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs) and they are outlined below:

After January 1st 2020, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will change Medicare Supplement plans in all states. It will change who can buy Medigap Plans F, High F, and C. As of 2020 only beneficiaries that do not fall into the category of “newly eligible” will be able to keep Plan F, High F and C.

It is more and more common for people to keep working beyond age 65 due to their Employer-Sponsored Insurance. Senior65.com generally recommends those over 65 to delay enrolling in Medicare part B if they are offered coverage through work (including spouses work). We all want to stay clear of paying Medicare late-enrollment penalties while avoiding gaps in coverage. This is where Senior65.com comes in to make sense of it all.

Aetna offers many Medicare Supplemental Medigap plans to help cover the gaps in coverage that Original Medicare leaves.