Health Insurers Announce Terminations of Medicare Advantage PFFS, PPO and a few HMO plans

Each year, private Medicare insurance plans evaluate their ability to effectively provide Medicare insurance. As the Medicare rules change from time to time (read more), private Medicare insurance companies have to make decisions about whether to continue to offer the same insurance plans, raise premiums, or terminate plans. This year, many private Medicare insurance carriers have made the decision to terminate their Medicare Advantage Private Fee for Service, PPO and even in a few cases their HMO plans. You can expect that the plans that remain will raise premiums and increase the amount of services that require a copay. Bottom line, you'll have less choices and you will pay more – $5 and $60 more – than you paid in 2009.

Medicare Doughnut Hole Calculator or Part D Coverage Gap

As you are all aware, we are now in the 2010 Medicare Annual Election Period. In the coming weeks, Medicare will begin releasing information about the 2010 Medicare plans. Some of this information includes:

• Medicare Part A deductible changes
• Medicare Part B premium and deductible changes
• Average Medicare Part D premiums

When the information becomes available, we will be sure to update the blog and point to where you can access the most recent content. At that time, we will update the 2009 Chart with 2010 changes.

Medicare has updated some 2010 information already, including the 2010 standard prescription drug plan benefit. According to the Medicare.gov website, the 2010 standard prescription drug plan benefit increased, on average, by 4.66%.