Spring brings good news to the Medicare world

Along with tender shoots of beautiful flowers sprouting, robins nesting, and snow melting comes fantastic news in the Minnesota Medicare world. Cost plans are not going away for 21 counties in Minnesota (see list below) for plan year 2020.

I was notified at the end of March that the cost plans would continue through 2020 for those in approved counties.

Those counties are: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Goodhue, Itasca, Kanabec, Koochiching, Lake, LeSueur, McLeod, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Pine, Pipestone, Rice, Rock, Sibley, St. Louis, Stevens, Traverse and Yellow Medicine.

I have been receiving calls from clients who are concerned about this and I am pleased to let you all know you can stop worrying. The advertising calls and letters you are getting say you "may" lose your coverage - but if you are in an approved county this is just not true.

I am going to be periodically writing a column in the Pine Knot News and welcome your questions on Medicare. It is my belief that anyone enrolling in Medicare deserves to make an informed decision when it comes to their plans so I would be happy to answer your questions in a column or article.

One thing I want to point out is that you can be solicited only through the mail for Medicare plans, which is why you get so much mail. Don't feel bad about hanging up on telemarketers trying to sell you something over the phone. The best advice I can give you is to always check with your insurance agent before getting talked into other plans that may not fit your needs.

To recap: The cost plans you have been worried about losing are not going away for the 21 counties listed above. Platinum Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield), Prime Solutions (Medica), and Freedom (HealthPartners) are cost plans. If you have one of these plans, they will be continuing through 2020.

Happy Spring!

Writer Starr Marshall is a longtime Medicare agent at Reliable Agency in Cloquet. Have questions for Starr? Mail your questions to Starr c/o the Pine Knot News, 122 Ave. C, Cloquet MN 55720 or email [email protected], and write "Attention Starr" in the subject line.

Disclaimer: Medicare guidelines and regulations are always subject to change.