Serving Our Seniors Magazine: October - December 2026

It is time for Medicare Open Enrollment. Don’t procrastinate. Call Serving Our Seniors (419-624-1856) today and ask for a Medicare Counseling appointment or ask for help with just Medicare Part D. When YOU know whether your PRIMARY HEALTH INSURANCE is traditional Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan it helps Serving Our Seniors to help you more effectively. It also helps you understand how your medical bills are getting paid. Traditional Medicare If you have traditional Medicare, your primary health insurance is provided by the federal government. You will usually have several insurance cards: Medicare card — This is the red, white and blue Medicare card (Never throw away this red, white & blue card) ; a Supplemental insurance card — This coverage helps pay costs that Medicare does not cover; Part D card — This is used for prescription drug coverage. Traditional Medicare is federal health insurance. It became law in 1965 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. It generally covers people age 65 and older. It also covers some people under 65 with certain disabilities and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Medicare Advantage A Medicare Advantage plan is different. It is offered by a private health insurance company, that has a contract with the federal government. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you will use the insurance card provided by your private health plan — not your red, white and blue Medicare card. Your insurance carrier pays the bills – not the federal government. IMPORTANT NOTE: Although you will not use the red, white and blue Medicare card for your health care coverage, never throw away this red, white & blue card. Keep it in a safe place. As long as Medicare is involved with your health care coverage you will need to have this card. Why Does It Matter? Knowing your PRIMARY insurance can help you understand your costs, coverage and choices. Traditional Medicare gives you access to a broad network of doctors and hospitals that accept Medicare. You can also add supplemental and prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage plans may have lower monthly costs and may offer extra benefits, when compared to traditional Medicare. However, they may also have rules about which doctors you can see, where you receive care and how services are approved. Which Plan Do You Have? Look in your wallet and check your insurance cards. Do you have the red, white and blue Medicare card along with supplemental and prescription coverage? That means you have traditional Medicare. Do you have a card from a private insurance company that says Medicare Advantage? That means you have a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Open Enrollment: How Can I Tell What Type of Medicare Insurance Plan I Have? By India Gray & Patricia Stineman Ron Watts Patricia Stineman Bill Beihl Bill Radjewski Nikki Spriggs Carla M. Jo Seiler 19