edicare Advantage, also known as Part C, offers older Americans a private alternative to original Medicare. These plans can be appealing for offering lower out-of-pocket costs and coverage of additional benefits (e.g., dental and fitness) despite the downsides of a constrained network of available physicians, and care delays related to prior authorization and referral to specialists.
NOT A GOOD CHOICE,BE AWARE THE AGENT GETS A BONUS FOR SIGNING U UP.
This patient doesn't realize it, but he is no longer in Medicare. He has been enrolled in a commercial Medicare Advantage (MA) plan run by a private company with a provider network to which his long-time doctor does not belong. Or the doctor is contracted with the plan and in-network, but his practice is at capacity so he's not accepting new enrollees. Or the waiting list is long.
Doctors are left with a choice: send the patient home without care, ask the patient for payment, or be prepared to give the service for free. "It's very common for patients to come to my office thinking they still have Medicare when they've actually signed up with a Medicare Advantage plan and don't understand that they have given away their rights to that card," said James Grisolia, MD, a San Diego neurologist.'
