Should I panic about a Medicare rumor I heard?

Whether you are reading about Medicare on the Internet machine or talking to somebody who already has it, it is a little like listening to the customer-service person on the other end of the phone type on a computer.

What you never hear from customer service is, ‘Wow, my computer is running really fast today,’ and what you rarely hear about Medicare is, ‘Wow, it is working great and will work even greater tomorrow.’

After 15 years of doing Medicare, I have taken hundreds of calls from clients who heard that XYZ company was pulling out of the state or that Medicare was going to make them stand on their head and stack greasy BBs to get their prescriptions.

Real plan changes do happen, but the rumor is often missing the location, effective date or small detail that determines whether it affects you at all.

Before you panic, read the actual notice and call somebody who pays attention to this stuff year-round; until then, click on a cat video instead.

Source: Medicare.gov: Medicare health and drug plans

This general educational information is not individual plan advice. Plan availability and benefits vary by location and contract year.