Selected Podcast

What to Know about Open Enrollment

It’s time for the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), from October 15 to December 7. During this time, patients 65 years and older have the opportunity to review plan benefits and options to make sure they’re getting the coverage that’s right for them. Duly Health and Care is communicating the importance of this to our patients through a multi-channel campaign that includes a Medicare Resource Guide, direct mail and email outreach. We have partnered with Integrity Medicare Helpline, independent insurance agents, to answer patient questions and review plan options. Patients can connect with Integrity through:

• Information Stations at our 12 medical office buildings for a one-on-one consultation
• Medicare 101 seminar – in-person at select Duly clinics or virtually
• By calling the Integrity Medicare Helpline at 1-855-205-2037

Medicare Annual Enrollment Period begins on October 15th and ends on December 7th. If your patients have questions regarding their Medicare options and plan benefits, please refer them to speak with a licensed agent through the Integrity Medicare Hotline by calling 1-855-205-2037.
What to Know about Open Enrollment
Featured Speaker:
Mathew Philip, MD
Dr. Math­ew Philip approach­es com­plex health issues with a sim­ple, yet bril­liant, solu­tion. By bring­ing all the clin­i­cal exper­tise, sup­port and resources you need to improve your health under one roof at our Wheaton clin­ic, adults 65 years of age and up have access to all the resources and sup­port you need to lead a health­i­er, hap­pi­er life. 

Learn more about Mathew Philip, MD
Transcription:
What to Know about Open Enrollment

Deb: Duly noted, a health and care podcast is the official podcast series of Duly Health and Care. Each podcast features physicians or team members discussing groundbreaking topics and innovations that help listeners reimagine and better understand an extraordinary health and care experience.

Scott Webb: Hello, everyone. I'm pleased to welcome you to another episode of Duly Noted, the official podcast of Duly Health and Care. I'm Scott Webb. And today, I'm delighted to be joined by Dr. Matthew Philip, Senior Vice President of Clinical Innovation at Duly Health and Care.

The topic for today, the Medicare Annual Enrollment period, AEP, which is from October 15th to December 7th. As we begin the season for our patients who are eligible for Medicare and Medicare Advantage, it could be a confusing time. We want to ensure people have accurate and helpful information, especially if they're newly eligible. Matt's going to help us better understand this topic and why it's important to patients. So welcome, Matt. Thanks for being here.

Dr. Mathew Philip: Oh, thanks so much for having me, Scott.

Scott Webb: Yeah, it's great to have you. As I mentioned in my intro there, it's a confusing time, right? But can also be an exciting time. There's many benefits, healthcare services. These things become available and available to more people. So, let's talk about that. Who is eligible?

Dr. Mathew Philip: You're right. This can be a really confusing time, but it's also an exciting time to kind of learn what new benefits and healthcare services are available to more people. And it's available to any patient who is 65 and older, or anyone under 65 who has a qualified disability that qualifies them for Medicare, and it's a time to review kind of plans and benefits and find the right option for them.

Scott Webb: Yeah. And that's the key takeaway here, right? Is sort of knowing who you are, if you are eligible, and then sort of matching you up, matching yourself up with the best plans. So, what are some of the ways we're connecting with patients on AEP?

Dr. Mathew Philip: You know, there are a lot of different ways. Duly Health and Care, we're communicating directly about the importance of this through a Medicare resource guide that we have as well as direct mailing and email outreach. Additionally, our team has provided number of materials to support patients in the clinic during AEP, so that we can make sure that we're prepared to guide patients to the best resource and education that's specific for them.

Now, we can't provide that guidance directly, so it's important to note that we're not advocating for a specific program, only providing information. We're also partnering with Integrity Medical Helpline. They're an independent insurance agent who can answer patient questions and review plan options. For instance, which medicines may be covered better on one plan or another? Does a plan have hearing aid benefits or rides or food programs potentially after hospitalization? And patients may not have their own insurance broker, who they can connect with, so they can connect with the Integrity team at information stations that are 12 medical office buildings for one-on-one consultation.

They can also participate in a Medicare one-on-one seminar in person at select Duly Clinics or use a virtual option. We just want to make sure that everyone has all their questions answered because this process is pretty complicated and we just want to make it so much simpler. The Integrity Medicare helpline is available at 1-855-205-2037.

Scott Webb: Yeah, I love that, that Medicare 101 seminar. As you say, like this can be confusing and exciting and sort of figuring out which questions to ask and where to find those answers. As you mentioned, the Integrity Medicare helpline there, 855-205-2037. And what are some of the services you provide in your practice for this population?

Dr. Mathew Philip: Yeah. We believe in a tailored approach to each individual patient, and we believe in total healing, mind, body, and soul. And so, we've arranged a team that can help fulfill that kind of vision. We have a pharmacist who can look through medicines. And what we realize is a lot of people end up on one medicine to treat the side effects of a different medicine. And so, we try to decrease medicines as much as possible to streamline people's care and apply for tier reduction so that their medicines are more affordable.

We have a social worker that helps link them to resources in their community because if you don't know what's available, then it's hard to really get those resources, as well as provide counseling services, so they can be a part of that total care that we're talking about. We also have health coaches who are RNs, who get to know patients personally and, again, this is part of that tailoring care.

And we're starting to realize that actually maybe the root cause of some of their health problems is a gap in education and provide that information and education so that people can flourish. And we're looking to expanding these resources to many of our other clinics as well because we've seen a big impact in patients.

Scott Webb: Yeah. I think you're so right, you know, that education is key and we certainly hope that podcasts like this help a little bit in our own way. Really helpful stuff today. Really grateful, Matt, for what you and your clinical teams do to help this population flourish.

As a reminder, the Medicare annual enrollment period began on October 15th. It ends on December 7th, so you still got time. Patients with questions about their Medicare options and plan benefits should speak with their insurance broker or a licensed agent through the Integrity Medicare hotline by calling once again 1-855-205-2037. Thanks again, Matt.

Dr. Mathew Philip: Thanks so much, Scott. It was great being here with you.

Scott Webb: As we close, I want to thank again, Matt, and all the providers and team members focus on our Medicare and Medicare advantage patients for delivering extraordinary care to our communities. To learn more about all we are doing to help humans flourish, visit us on the web at dulyhealthandcare.com. Thanks for listening.