February 2019

United Health Care OTC Catalog

By Ed Crowe | General Articles | 10 comments | 21 February, 2019 | 25

United Health Care OTC Catalog

This post will give members of the United Health Care HMO MAPD plans 1,2 and 3 access to the 2019 United Health Care OTC Catalog.

INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE HAS BEEN UPDATED. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE NEW PAGE.

If you are a member of either a United Health Care Medicare HMO Plan 1, 2, or 3, you have an over the counter benefit as part of your health plan. Although each plan has different quarterly benefit amounts, you can use the same form to look up products and find out what is available to you. Please refer to your specific plan benefits to find out exactly what your OTC benefit amount is. You need to be aware that the quarterly over the counter benefit not transferable and cannot be used once a given quarter has ended. This means if you do not use your benefit for each quarter you simply lose it.

In fact, when you chose to use your over the counter (OTC) benefit you must do so in one single order. This means you should plan what you will need by looking through the United Health Care OTC catalog before the end of each quarter and order everything you think you will need at once. United Health Care will only allow you to place 1 order per quarter.

Are you a Medicare Insurance Agent? Learn about programs we offer to agents:

If you would like to view a copy of the United Health Care OTC Catalog, CLICK HERE FOR THE 2019 OTC for HMO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS 1 2 & 3.

If you are a member of a DSNP plan, click here for 2019 DSNP member OTC Catalog.

You may order only items listed in the catalog for your OTC benefit.

The name of the company that handles the OTC orders is Firstline Medical. There are 2 ways to order. Either you can order by mail or you can order online. If you would like to order by mail you need to contact FirstLine Medical at 1-877-795-4521. You can call them from 7a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday -Friday and 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday (Central time). You will need to have your UHC card available before you call.

If you would like to place an order on line you can go to www.OTC-Essentials.com.

1. Click on REGISTER to create your account (you only need to register one time).
2. Login to check your balance, view product images and descriptions. Place your order.
3. Track your order status or manage your account information.

Please use these helpful tips to register on the website:
1. Have your health plan member ID card available.
2. When you enter your member ID, only enter the numbers that are before the dash.
3. Your Username is from 6 to 25 characters long.
4. Your Password is from 8 to 25 characters long and will need to have at least one number, one capital letter and one lower case letter. The password is case sensitive.

Additionally, if you need help finding the right Medicare plan or have questions on your current health care plan. Please contact us at 203-796-5403. Our agents will be happy to make sure you have the coverage you need at the best price for your budget.

Are you looking to quote or compare Medicare plans? CLICK HERE

Medicare Travel Benefits

By Ed Crowe | General Articles | 0 comment | 3 February, 2019 | 0

Medicare Travel Benefits

This post will give you some information about Medicare Travel Benefits. You should understand what medical coverage you have while you are away from home. In most cases, Medicare does not cover either health care services or supplies when you travel outside of the United States. Some exceptions to this rule are listed below.

In some instances, Medicare Part B may pay for services you get if you are on board a ship within the territorial waters that join land areas of the U.S.

Rarely, Medicare might pay inpatient hospital, doctor, ambulance services, or dialysis when the following happens

If you are in the U.S. and a medical emergency occurs and the closest hospital that can treat your condition is a foreign hospital.

While you are traveling through Canada an emergency occurs that needs treatment without unreasonable delay. If the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat you.

When you live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your condition. This is the case, if there is an emergency or not.

In some instances, Medicare may cover medically necessary health care services you get on board a ship. This is the case if you are within the territorial waters that join land areas of the U.S. Although, Medicare will not pay for health care services you receive on a ship that is more than 6 hours away from a U.S. port.

Please note: If you are admitted to the hospital under the circumstances listed above; foreign hospitals are not required to file Medicare claims for you. You are responsible to submit an itemized bill directly to Medicare for all the services you receive.

If you do not fit into one of the situations described above:

You will have to pay 100% of the costs, in most cases. If you do fit into one of the situations above, you do not get the 80% coverage provided by Original Medicare.

For services that are covered, Medicare pays only for services that are covered under Original Medicare.

Medicare Part A

Part A covers care received when formally admitted as an inpatient by a doctor’s order to a foreign hospital.

Medicare Part B

Part B covers both emergency and non-emergency ambulance and doctor services you receive for your covered foreign inpatient hospital stay. You will be responsible for your portion of the charge for covered services. Your portion includes coinsurance & co-payments as well as deductibles, the same way it would if you received care in the U.S. You may want to ask your doctor for prices for tests, supplies and services. This way you will know how much you will owe your provider. There are various things that may decide your costs. This includes whether or not you have other insurance, how much the doctor charges, the type of facility, as well as where you get your tests, items or services.

Medicare does not pay for services such as return ambulance trips home when:

Medicare refused to cover your hospital stay.
You used either ambulance or doctor services outside the hospital after your covered hospital stay ended.

Medicare Travel Benefits, Please note:

The 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa are all considered part of the U.S.

Medicare drug plans don’t cover prescription drugs you buy outside the U.S.

Some Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) policies cover you when you travel outside the U.S.

Medicare Supplement/Medigap coverage when you are outside the U.S.

Medicare Supplement Plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M or N. Plans C,F,G,M and N can actively be purchased.

Does Cover foreign travel emergency care that begins during the first 60 days of your trip, if Medicare does not cover the care.
Once you have met the $250 deductible for the year, Medicare supplements pay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S..

There is a lifetime limit of $50,000 for foreign travel emergency coverage with Medigap policies.

If you would like more information on Medicare supplement plans, CLICK HERE

Be aware of your Medicare Travel Benefits before you go.

Before you take that trip outside the U.S., It is best to talk to either the customer service department of your insurance plan carrier or your insurance agent to get more information about your coverage before you travel.

Sometimes Travel insurance will help make up for limited Medicare coverage for health care services outside the U.S.

You can get information about travel insurance through your insurance agent or travel agent. Travel insurance doesn’t necessarily include health insurance, so it’s important to read the conditions or restrictions carefully.

Blog

United Health Care OTC Catalog

United Health Care OTC Catalog

Are you a Medicare Insurance Agent? Learn about programs we offer to agents:

You may order only items listed in the catalog for your OTC benefit.

If you would like to place an order on line you can go to www.OTC-Essentials.com.

Are you looking to quote or compare Medicare plans? CLICK HERE

Medicare Travel Benefits

Medicare Travel Benefits

If you do not fit into one of the situations described above:

Medicare Part A

Medicare Part B

Medicare Travel Benefits, Please note:

Medicare Supplement/Medigap coverage when you are outside the U.S.

Be aware of your Medicare Travel Benefits before you go.

Sometimes Travel insurance will help make up for limited Medicare coverage for health care services outside the U.S.

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