Medicare Changes for 2027 and 10 Costly Mistakes to Avoid | Dollars & Diagnosis

In the first episode of Dollars & Diagnosis, a new financial education series from HealthTree, Diahanna Vallentine, HealthTree's Financial Advocacy Program Manager, breaks down everything cancer patients and caregivers need to know about the 2027 Medicare enrollment period.

Diahanna walks through the three key enrollment windows (Initial, Annual, and Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment), the special circumstances that let you make changes outside those windows, what's changing with costs and coverage in 2027, and why reading your Annual Notice of Change every year is essential. She also shares the 10 most common, costly mistakes patients make with their Medicare coverage, and how to avoid them.

This video is for educational purposes only and does not recommend any specific product or service. Medicare and Medicaid rules vary by state; links to official resources (CMS.gov, Medicare.gov, Medicaid.gov, your state's SHIP program, and more) are included in the video to help you get personalized guidance.

Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction: Meet Diahanna Vallentine
0:30 Important disclaimers
1:03 Where to get help: key Medicare resources
2:37 The 3 Medicare enrollment periods you need to know
2:45 Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
3:13 Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): Oct 15 - Dec 7
3:44 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP)
5:17 Special enrollment periods: exceptions to the rules
6:18 Why you must read your Annual Notice of Change
7:50 3 signs it's time to change your plan
8:39 What's changing in 2027: costs and coverage
9:18 The new Medicare Prescription Payment Plan
9:50 Watch out for automatic plan "crosswalking"
10:52 Estimated 2027 Part B and Part D premiums
11:24 10 costly Medicare mistakes to avoid
13:00 Mistakes 1-4: timing and enrollment penalties
14:03 Mistake 5: Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap
15:52 Mistake 6: delaying a Medigap purchase
16:43 Mistake 7: not preparing for coverage gaps
17:52 Mistakes 8-9: network and prescription coverage
19:53 Mistake 10: assuming you can't afford Medicare
20:32 Closing thoughts and a patient success story

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