Caregivers
Helping a parent choose Medicare, from across town or across the country
A guide for adult children and caregivers: permissions, paperwork, red flags and how to run a calm family plan review.
Many of the calls we receive start the same way: I am calling about my mother. Sometimes the caller lives on Wilmington Island, ten minutes away. Often they are in Atlanta, Charlotte or Chicago, trying to help a parent in Savannah make sense of a stack of mail. This guide is for you.
Start with permission, in writing
Privacy rules mean Medicare and insurance companies cannot discuss your parent's coverage with you unless your parent has authorized it. It is far easier to set this up before something goes wrong.
- Complete Medicare's authorization form so 1-800-MEDICARE can speak with you.
- Ask your parent's plan for its own authorized representative form.
- If you hold a durable power of attorney or healthcare power of attorney, keep a scanned copy ready.
- Tell us, as their advisor, in writing that you may be included in calls.
Gather the four things every review needs
Whether your parent is choosing a plan for the first time or reviewing an existing one, the same information drives a good decision. Photos from a phone are fine.
- The front and back of every insurance card, including Medicare and any Medicaid card.
- A list of medications with strengths, or photos of each bottle label.
- Names of doctors, specialists and the preferred hospital.
- The most recent Annual Notice of Change letter from their current plan.
Watch for these red flags
Older adults are heavily targeted by aggressive marketing, especially between October and December. Some of it is legitimate but pushy. Some of it is fraud.
- Anyone calling unsolicited who asks for a Medicare number to check eligibility.
- Offers of free equipment, genetic tests or gift cards in exchange for plan information.
- Pressure to switch plans quickly because benefits are ending.
- A plan change your parent does not remember making, which shows up as a new ID card.
Run the family review as a conversation
The goal is for your parent to feel in charge of the decision, with you as support. We usually suggest a video call where your parent is with us in person or at home and you join from wherever you are.
We start with what matters most to them. For some it is keeping a cardiologist they trust. For others it is a predictable monthly budget, or dental work they have been putting off. Then we compare two or three options side by side and leave time for questions. Nothing is signed on the first call unless your parent wants to.
When Medicaid is part of the picture
If your parent's income and resources are limited, they may qualify for Georgia Medicaid, a Medicare Savings Program that pays the Part B premium, or Extra Help with prescription costs. People who qualify may also be eligible for a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan with care coordination and transportation benefits.
These programs have their own applications and renewals. Missing a renewal letter can cause coverage to lapse, so we recommend setting a shared calendar reminder for the renewal month.
Make it easy for next year
Create a single folder, paper or digital, with the cards, medication list, doctor list and plan documents. Add a note with the advisor's phone number and the date of the yearly review. When October arrives, the review takes thirty minutes instead of three hours of searching.
If you would like help, call us at (912) 555-0143 or request a family review online. We are glad to include you.
This guide is general education, not legal or tax advice. Figures change annually. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
