Time is almost up to change your Medicare plans and you may be able to save money if you do. The Medicare Open Enrollment period ends December 7th. 

Some people have tricky situations and may want to figure out a special strategy.  Sheila Gassler wrote to us and said she discovered that she has a penalty payment  for her Medicare drug plan because she didn’t sign up for Medicare Part D initially. Now she has to pay extra for the rest of her life, and the charges add up.

She says, “I am 79 years old and want to get a Medicare Advantage plan, but the plan came with a drug plan. The plan costs $50 a month.” But the penalty, she says, is an additional $40 a month and it doesn’t seem worth it. She says that she’s been paying out of pocket and finds that she can get cheaper medication when she needs it in Canada.

Rae Carole Fisher, an agent for UnitedHealthcare, told us, “There are Medicare Advantage Plans that do not have a drug component. At United Healthcare we have a Medicare Advantage Plan that is called Medicare Advantage Essentials.”

The plan may not be available in every state, so you have to do a little research and check to see which plans are offered in your area.  

The tip is simple

• Ask insurers in your area if they have Medicare Advantage plans that don’t require a separate drug plan that will come with a penalty.