Many beneficiaries have questions about late enrollment penalties and Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA), and this course will help people with Medicare avoid penalties wherever possible. You will learn that penalties are incurred if individuals do not enroll in Medicare Parts A, B, and/or D when they are first eligible to do so, and we will explore how these penalties may be eliminated. The course reviews all key IRMAA considerations: what IRMAA is, when it must be paid and who is likely to pay it, and how to appeal or request a new initial determination if there is disagreement with Social Security’s IRMAA decision.

This course guides you through the Medicare Part D appeals process, which is the same whether a person has a stand-alone Part D plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage Plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD). We will review the reasons beneficiaries might want to appeal, including the drug they need is not covered by their plan, the drug is covered but there are coverage restrictions on the drug, or the drug is covered but they want to request a tiering exception in order to pay a lower copay. You will learn the specifics of the first pre-appeal step, and then we will detail the five levels of appeal within both standard and expedited timeframes. You will gain valuable tips to help people with Medicare move effectively through the appeal process, such as how to properly complete paperwork and how to enlist a doctor to support your appeal.

In this course, you will learn about Medicare Advantage (MA) appeals, or appeals beneficiaries make to their Medicare Advantage Plan if the plan is denying a health care service or item that they would like to receive or have already received. You will learn about standard appeals for both pre-service and post-service denials. We will also review standard and expedited appeals and their applicable timelines.

A person with Medicare will file different types of appeals depending on the type of service they receive and the type of coverage they have. In this course, we will talk about Original Medicare appeals, which beneficiaries may file if they are denied a health care service or item and think that it should be covered. You will learn about the five steps of filing a standard appeal and also how to file an expedited appeal for hospital and non-hospital care.

This course focuses on Medigaps, also known as supplemental insurance plans or policies, which work with Original Medicare and pay some or all of the costs that Medicare does not cover, such as deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. You will learn about the 10 different standardized Medigap policies, labeled A through N, and explore how different lettered plans may offer different levels of coverage, but all plans under the same letter—regardless of the insurer issuing them—must offer the same level of coverage. You’ll see how premium costs can vary widely from insurer to insurer, depending on if the plan uses community-rated, attained-age-rated, or issue-age-rated pricing. Finally, you will find out when an individual can purchase a Medigap and learn about the guaranteed issue right.

This course addresses Medicare Part D, the part of Medicare that covers most outpatient prescription drugs either through a stand-alone Part D plan or included in a Medicare Advantage Plan. You will learn how each Part D plan covers different drugs on its formulary, take a closer look at the drugs Part D and Part B cover, and find out which drugs are excluded from Medicare coverage. The course also details the cost structure of Part D plans, particularly the way premiums, deductibles, and copay/coinsurance amounts can vary, depending on the plan. We provide detailed explanations and examples to illustrate the four different phases of Part D coverage in any given calendar year: the deductible phase, the initial coverage period, the donut hole or coverage gap, and catastrophic coverage. We will also explore common coverage restrictions, including prior authorization, quantity limits, and step therapy. Finally, we’ll introduce Medicare Plan Finder, an online tool that helps individuals compare and find a Part D plan that works for them.

In this course, you will learn about the coverage and costs under Original Medicare Part B, also known as medical insurance. You will learn about key areas of Part B coverage: outpatient care, doctors’ services, preventive care, home health care, and durable medical equipment. We’ll also explore how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services set the Part B premium and deductible each year. Finally, we’ll talk about how copays/coinsurances vary depending on the type of service a beneficiary receives and whether the provider is a participating, non-participating, or opt-out provider.

In this course, you will learn about the coverage and costs under Original Medicare Part A, also known as hospital insurance. You will learn about key areas of Part A coverage: inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility care, home health care, and hospice care. We’ll also explore cost components for Part A, including what constitutes premium-free Part A for beneficiaries or their spouses based on work history, what determines a benefit period and how the Part A deductible applies to each period, and how coinsurances may apply for Part A-covered services, depending on what type of service is received.

This course focuses on important Medicare enrollment periods, which are times during the year when an individual can sign up for Medicare for the first time or make changes to existing Medicare coverage. We will also review the penalties that one can incur for not enrolling in Medicare when first eligible, underscoring the importance of making timely Medicare decisions and helping individuals consider their coverage options. Enrollment periods covered in this course include the Initial Enrollment Period, General Enrollment

Period, Special Enrollment Period, and Fall Open Enrollment Period. This course is currently W3C WCAG 2.0 AA conformant.

In this course, you will learn about the Medicaid program in more detail and how it affects lower-income Medicare beneficiaries. We will explore the basics of Medicaid, including eligibility and state-specific rules. Specifically, you will find out how individuals can qualify for Medicaid in some states by taking advantage of a Medicaid spend-down, participating in a trust program, or enrolling through the Medicaid Buy-In program. You will learn about Medicaid coverage, including mandatory and optional benefits, and go into detail about Institutional Medicaid and Medicaid waiver programs for beneficiaries who need long-term care. The course will also introduce MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) Medicaid, including Medicaid for expansion populations under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), available to individuals with higher income limits than traditional Medicaid. You will also find out how individuals transition from MAGI Medicaid to Medicare and possible outcomes.