Benefits, however, are usually the most comprehensive for the least cost, and paperwork is minimal. Speakers on these topics and a long list of other subjects for seniors can be arranged through the Good Health Club Speakers' Bureau. Dates and times available. While speakers are sometimes available on short notice, you'll be more likely to get the speaker and topic you want if you give the Good Health Club staff plenty of notice. Both HMOs and PPOs are required to accept any Medicare patient, even after the initial open enrollment.
Coverage begins on the first of the month following acceptance.
Knowing when you need referrals and how to arrange them will prevent costly misunderstandings. Most plans contract with major medical centers and physicians with good credentials in order to attract members. Also, according to research published in the September 1997 Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, HMO and PPO patients were less likely to receive unnecessary and potentially risky tests or treatments. By requiring that members be referred to specialists by their primary physicians, the plans guarded against misguided self-referrals to the wrong kinds of specialists. If that relationship is good, you should guard it.