Medicare insurance plans in Southeastern Connecticut

11/15/2025

CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) released on Nov. 14, the benefit amounts for Medicare’s Part A & B during 2026.

I am pleased to share a couple of the new amounts:
+ The monthly cost for Part B will be $202.90.[$185 this year]

+ The deductible when receiving treatments and services under Part B will be $283 [$257 this year]

09/28/2025

An important time for Medicare Beneficiaries

Every year, Medicare regulations provide individuals covered by a Medicare Advantage or a standalone Prescription Drug Plan a period of time to review their current coverage and, when appropriate, make a change!

You will see and hear other names, such as Open Enrollment, but the official name for this period is the Annual Coordinated Election Period. Commonly referred to as the AEP.

The AEP has two parts. October 1 through October 14. This is the time for individuals, Medicare calls them beneficiaries, to review and discuss the options that will be available on January 1st.

October 15 through December 7 is the second part of the AEP, during which a beneficiary can complete and submit an application for a change. All changes submitted during any of these days will take effect on January 1st.

As of the date of this post, September 28, 2025, Medicare Insurance Professionals are not yet able to discuss 2026 plan details with individuals. I do, however, want to mention two trends Medicare beneficiaries will be seeing:
+ The reduction in the maximum out-of-pocket cost for the prescriptions a beneficiary received meant their plan had to pay more. Then, too, the costs companies have had to pay for treatments and services have increased. This resulted in companies making changes to their 2026 plans. It also resulted in some plans not being available in 2026.
+ The way the Medicare system has had insurance companies pay for treatment or services a beneficiary receives outside their regular in-network providers in 2025 resulted in additional costs. Thus, companies are moving away from Preferred Provider Plans (PPOs)

Things you can do when thinking about coverage for 2026:
+ Review in detail the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) that your current plan’s company mailed you. It will show plan coverage in 2025 and for 2026.

+ Review the Medicare & You booklet. The copy individuals receive in the mail includes a list of the Medicare Advantage Plans available in their state. The 2026 booklet has eight companies in CT with regular Medicare Advantage plans. Note: Some Medicare Advantage options are not available in all counties. There is also a list of the Special Needs Plans Medicare Advantage companies offer in CT.

There is another list of the standalone Prescription Drug Plans. There are six different Prescription Drug plan companies in CT.

11/04/2024

Better understand when to change a Medicare Advantage or stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan that happens each Fall.

Medicare’s official term is:
+ Enrollment period for the limited times when an individual can sign up for Part A & Part B

+ Election period, for most situations when an individual can sign up for a Medicare Advantage or a Prescription Drug Plan to work with Part A & Part B.

The official term for the October 1 to December 7 period we are currently in is the Annual Coordinated Election Period (AEP). Applications for a plan can only be submitted beginning October 15.

However, various terms are used for this time. For example, when an individual goes to Medicare.gov to review plans, they will see it is called Open Enrollment. Companies that market plans during this time often advertise Annual Enrollment.

I am pleased to share some information to eliminate confusion and better understand what an individual gains by buying one of the two options that work with Medicare’s Part A & Part B.
+ First - a Medicare Advantage plan. Details on how they work and the times to sign up are on this website:
https://medicareplanssect.com/medicare-advantage-plans

+ Second – a Medicare Supplement plan. Details on how they work and signing up are on this website:
https://medicareplanssect.com/medicare-supplements

Note: This site also has some details about Prescription Drug Plans, which individuals using a Supplement usually buy.

Call or text John at (860) 662-3000 if any questions.

Call today: Let's meet to discuss MediCare and what you gain with a N L Cty Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Supplement plan!

09/30/2024

Beware of MediCare TV ads saying — Call for Extra Benefits!

MediCare’s annual time to make a change to your Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan starts October 1st. This special time is officially the Annual Election Period. (AEP)

Changes can only be sent to the insurance company from Oct 15 to Dec 7 for coverage effective January 1, 2025.

You will be seeing lots of ads on TV channels here in Southeastern CT and many are from Medicare Marketing organizations not an actual insurance plan company.

Observing these ads as a Medicare insurance professional, I believe some are not following MediCare advertising rules and are close to being deceptive.

For example:
● Ads cannot mention benefits and imply anyone can call and sign up, when these benefits are only available to individuals who also have MedicAid.

● Ads about plans with money back into SS are often "not available" to most people!

● Ads that mention specific benefits are to include the name of the company offering them.

09/04/2024

Big changes in Medicare Prescription plans

Many individuals here in SE CT may have to change their prescription coverage during this Fall's Annual Election Period. Changes can start Oct 15 and be made NLT Dec 7

Why? Regulations have lowered, starting Jan 1st, the maximum a person will spend to $2,000. This means many plans will place prescriptions in a higher Tier (cost more). I also sense the most common thing individuals will see is a significant increase in the Plan's monthly cost!

09/22/2023

A look (guess) at Medicare costs in 2024.

In previous years Medicare's costs, such as the Part B deductible and the monthly cost of Part B, for the next year were released in early November.

Last year as a big change - the costs for 2023 were published in late September! Looks like it will happen again.

One insight I want to share - the monthly cost of Medicare Part B will be up about $10.

07/08/2023

Beware of MediCare TV ads saying — Call Now & Call for Extra Benefits!

Most ads are from a Medicare Marketing organization and are close to being deceptive because:
● Individuals wilh MediCare can not sign up for a Medicare Advantage or a Prescription Drug Plan whenever they want!

● Thus, Medicare marketing rules state ads can not say anyone with Medicare can call. Ads are to be focused such as call if you are turning 65 or have a Special Enrollment Period.

● The money back into SS benefit, mentioned in TV ads with celebrity spokesmen, is "not available" to most people * !
- > * Only individuals on MediCare and whose income makes them also eligible for MedicAid can qualify for a Special Needs Plan with the benefits mentioned! ! .

When can individuals?
Sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B: Social Security is responsible for and sets Medicare’s sign up rules.

Enroll in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP): CMS, which manages MediCare, sets the periods when Individuals can enroll in or make a change in their plan. The basic times are:
- > When turn 65 — Can sign up in either of the three months before age 65, the month when, and in any of the three months after ! ! !
- > During the Annual Election Period from Oct 15 to Dec 7 each year
- > When leaving an employer medical plan after 65 — individuals are eligible for a Specail Enrollment Period.

12/16/2022

Part of the effective date rules, when an individual signs up for Medicare, are changing beginning Jan 1, 2023:

+ This first rule stays the same: An individual turning 65 who decides to sign up during either of the 3 months before 65 will have Part A and Part B the first day of the month when 65. The seven month sign up times around when a person turns 65 is their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) The month when 65 is considered their “eligible” month.

+ The rule for signing up during eligible month is also the same. Part A is the first of their eligible month and Part B will be the first of the following month.

Note: The following rules for when Part B is effective where changed so they will be the same as when an individual enrolls in most employer medical benefit plans.

+ Part B for an individual who signs up the second or third month after 65 will be the first of the month after they apply. Part A stays the first of their eligible month.

Another time when a person can sign up for Medicare is the General Enrollment Period (GEP). It’s for someone who did not sign up in their IEP and did not have a Special Enrollment Period such as leaving an employer medical plan. The GEP allows an individual to sign up in Jan, Feb, or Mar of each year. Currently Part B would not be effective until July 1st.
+ The new rule says Part B will be effective the first of the month after they apply.

The Social Security system, responsible to establish Medicare’s effective dates, has not yet established all the details on when Part A will be effective.

10/24/2022

Medicare will "slowly" be taking action on deceptive TV ads like where a personality says you can "get money back".

This article mentions some action Medicare is planning. In addition, a staff member of my professional association, the National Association of Health Underwriters, brings out individuals receive limited and often not correction information when they call the marketing organization sponsoring the TV ad!

https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/101348?xid=fb_o&trw=no

Send a message to learn more

10/08/2022

Medicare plan TV ads in New London County

As of October 1st we are in Medicare's Annual Election Period. (AEP) It’s a federally approved time when a person enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan can make a change. The AEP runs from October 1 to December 7. Individuals however, cannot submit a change application, to select another MA with their current company, or to another company, or return to original Medicare [Part A & Part B] until Oct 15th.

Thus, Medicare Advantage plan companies are and will be doing do a lot of TV advertising up until Dec 7th. However, all Medicare Advantage companies with approved plans in CT are not available in all counties. There are seven MA companies with 30 approved plans in New London County.

A couple companies, one more than the other, is running lots of ads on local TV. Regretfully the ads do not indicate where the company is approved or that they are not available in New London County.

John C Parker, RHU, LTCP
Niantic CT

09/27/2022

New Medicare regulation does not help individuals better understand Medicare!

Background: In response to the large number of complaints they were receiving from all the individuals misled by all the TV ads with celebrity spokespersons saying “call now for new benefits!” the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which runs Medicare decided the way to eliminate these complaints was to expand an existing regulation. It states:
When a person calls a Medicare Plan company or a Third Party Marketing Organizations (TPMO) about a Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug Plan and then decides to enroll in a specific plan, they are asked to approve recording the completing the application.

Now effective October 1st all Medicare Health Plan Professionals are required to record any and all telephone calls with current clients or others about Medicare. Professional Medicare Health Plan Advisors, when on the telephone with a Medicare beneficiary focus on simplifying and increasing understanding thus, do so much more than complete an application. They have detailed conversations and answer questions on things such as how:
+ to sign up for Medicare,
+ Medicare’s Part A & Part B work,
+ the two different types of plans, which are available to cover the part of their treatments Medicare does not pay, work.

These conversations usually bring out lots of details on the individual’s situation and interests followed by a review of plans in their area. If the individual selects a plan to fit their budget and situation, then lots of details and information on the plan is provided.
Note: Recording all telephone conversations does not help individuals or increase understanding of how Medicare and the health plans work!

Asking a person as soon as they begin a telephone conversation to talk about Medicare Plans to approve the recording of their discussions is significantly different than approving a recording on filling out an application form. Individuals also have to OK the fact that the recording will be retained for 10 years!
Note: Recording a discussion of a individual’s personal information does not help them in any way and does not go over well with many.

I certainly do not understand how creating this “crazy” requirement will eliminate these complaints! What should have been done is investigate the TPMOs, which create the TV ads about why they were not following current marketing rules.

Lots of effort has been going on by the National Association of Health Underwriters, my professional association focused on Medicare, to ask CMS to modify the expanded definition of who is a TPMO. This effort was recently featured in an Inside Health Policy article. The details can be found here. Hopefully you will review.

CMS confirms it has no plans to delay implementation of the 2023 Medicare Advantage and Part D final rule that cracks down on aggressive MA marketing tactics, despite calls to do so from health insurance agents and brokers who object to being included in the definition of a third-party marketing org...