Original Medicare Costs for 2024

• Part B Monthly Premium- $174.70 (higher depending on your income)
• Part B Annual Deductible- $240 -The amount you pay before Medicare starts to pay.
• Part A Deductible - $1,632-for each inpatient benefit period

Enrollment Period Reminders

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period- January 1-March 31

• If you were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C) on January 1, 2024, you have one opportunity to choose one of the following options:
• Switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage.
• Drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and go back to Original Medicare.
• Join a Medicare drug plan

Warning! Know before you enroll! Beware of aggressive marketer/brokers of Medicare Advantage Plans. Make sure that you understand what you are signing up for before you agree to a change. Call VICAP if you have questions. If you do enroll in a new plan, it will start the first day of the following month.

Medicare General Enrollment Period -January 1-March 31

• If you missed your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period and you don’t have a Special Enrollment Period, you may sign up for Medicare Part A (if you have to pay for it) and/or Medicare Part B. Your coverage starts the month after you sign up. For information on enrollment, call VICAP.

January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month

“Glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States. But half of people with glaucoma don’t know they have it.”

National Eye Institute Glaucoma Awareness Month | National Eye Institute (nih.gov)

Medicare covers a glaucoma test once every 12 months for people at high risk for glaucoma. All people with Part B who are at high risk for glaucoma are covered. Visit Medicare.gov/coverage/glaucoma-tests.html for more information.

VICAP Open Enrollment Surveys have been sent! 

If VICAP helped you during the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (October 15-December 7), you should have received a survey by either email or mail. 

The email subject line says “VICAP Medicare OEP Counseling Survey.” It is coming via Survey Monkey. If you did not receive a survey, we are happy to mail one to you. 

Thank you to everyone who has already replied! We appreciate it. If you have not yet filled it out, please plan to submit it soon. 

Virginia SMP News

Visit the latest News Blog for fraud prevention information, including “6 Top Scams to Watch Out for in 2024” The Virginia SMP.

 For more information:

• visit VICAP Medicare Counseling Program
• call 703-737-8036 
• email VICAP