Aetna Medicare HMO Plan – Choosing Your Doctor

Medicare plans are offered through many different suppliers, and then there are supplements to these plans like the Aetna Medicare HMO Plan. This is a Medigap (or Medicare Supplement Plan) that helps you get some coverage that you may not otherwise get with your standard Medicare plan. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium and Part A, if appropriate, but you get the benefit of the following:
• A wide network of doctors and hospitals that you can choose from to start your care. Your health care is coordinated through the Aetna Medicare network of health care providers, which helps to lower your costs.
• You can choose a primary care physician (PCP) from the network of doctors that have been preselected for quality and qualifications to do the job. You don’t have to worry about switching doctors as most doctors will recognize Aetna.
• In many areas Aetna Medicare’s health care provider network is so large that it’s likely to include your current doctors and hospital. This makes it a great opportunity for you to supplement your current Medicare policy with this so that you can keep going to the doctors you know and trust.

Wellness Programs and Tools are Offered to All Aetna Medigap Plans
With Medigap (or Medicare Supplement Plans) you are allowing yourself to be covered in excess of what you would get with a standard Medicare policy. Aetna offers some perks to anyone that wants to supplement their Medicare plan with an Aetna Medigap plan to entice you to enroll. Here are three perks that are offered to members of any of the three Aetna Medigap plans.
1. Motivational Coaching Benefit — If you are in need of some assistance to stay on the healthy straight and narrow this is a great option for you. This option gives you free telephone access to professionals and advice on wellness programs to help you stop smoking and lose weight.
2. Fitness Option — Your plan may include a benefit for a free membership at a participating fitness center or spa nationwide, and more. This would make it possible for you to take care of yourself with the convenience you need with regard to facilities.
3. Personal Health Record — A private, secure online tool for you and your doctor to use that keeps your health information in one place. This is worth a lot of money when compared to buying a personal organizer to do all of this for you. It is automatically updated with your most recent health results, diagnoses, and prescriptions so you don’t have to worry about anything.
Some Referrals are Necessary with Aetna’s Medigap HMO Plan
To be able to get access to the type of help you need there are some stipulations that you must fulfill with most insurance companies. If you require care that is beyond typical services you will have to get a referral in many instances and this can be a pain. Aetna’s HMO Medigap plan does not require referrals for some direct-access services and these services are listed below:
• Emergency and urgent care does not require a referral as this could possibly affect the ability to get you the urgent care you need in case of an emergency.
• Routine eye exams don’t require a referral as it is important that you get these exams without delay in order to keep you seeing with the ability you need.
• Flu and pneumonia shots do not require referrals as everyone wants you to get these without hesitation for the better good of all.
• Annual mammograms will not require a referral so that you can get the annual checkup that is required without concern.
• Annual ob/gyn services are the same as these are preventative and shouldn’t need the help of a doctor’s referral.