New Medicare Advantage Member Receives Personalized Preventive Care

As Karvin Sims approached his 65^th birthday, he knew he needed to learn more about his Medicare options. “I was new to Medicare…and all this literature that I was getting, phone calls, emails, snail mail. It’s sort of confusing,” said Karvin. “I don't know which route to take, which company to choose.”

So Karvin reached out to an old friend, Pat Ransom, a Humana MarketPoint licensed sales agent in Las Vegas to learn more. Pat has been a sales agent for nine years and expertly navigated Karvin through his options to find a clear path.

Pat described what each available Medicare Advantage plan covered and checked to see which of Karvin’s current providers were in-network, including his favorite dentist. With Humana Medicare Advantage plans, vision, dental and hearing coverage are part of the package, and it’s important to know ahead of time when your doctors are participating providers.

“Signing up, the process was much simpler than I thought,” said Karvin. “I felt like at ease. Pat was such a friend, such an angel. It was almost like motherly care.”

Pat explained about the services available at the nearby CenterWell Senior Primary Care center. “He hadn't had any checkups or physicals,” said Pat. “I let him know, you don't even have to go anywhere to get your blood work done. All of that is right here. I knew that that would be beneficial for him.”

Karvin chose to switch to CenterWell for his primary care needs as the center is so conveniently located for him. There he met Marisela Nadeau, NP, who took the time to get to know him and understand his needs. Marisela also helped Karvin update his preventive screenings.

“Here at CenterWell we see about 10 patients a day, sometimes even less. When a new patient comes in, you have the opportunity to really get to know them,” said Marisela. “CenterWell is so different in that they do want us to provide quality versus quantity care. Sometimes we'll have patients come in that haven't been to a doctor in several years. That extra time helps me find out what they are currently dealing with physically and emotionally. I want to make sure they leave here knowing exactly why we do everything that we do.”

Medicare Enrollment Periods

Initial Enrollment Period—Most people first become eligible for Medicare at age 65, but your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) begins 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday, includes your birthday month and continues 3 months after.

Annual Election Period—Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plan Annual Election Period (AEP) begins October 15 and continues through December 7. During this enrollment period, people eligible for Medicare can choose Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans for the upcoming year – with coverage that takes effect January 1, 2024.

Open Enrollment Period—If you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP) is when you can enroll in another Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare. The dates for this enrollment period are Jan. 1–March 31 each year. If needed, you can also add a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan to your Medicare Advantage plan during MA OEP.

Learn more about Humana Medicare Advantage enrollment options and our approach to senior-focused primary care.