CMS announces a "special election" de-enrollment period

If you're in Arkansas, by now you've probably seen Dustin McDaniel's PSA on television regarding the Medicare Advantage plan, a private insurance plan option available to Medicare beneficiaries. The coverage and costs associated with these plans, as well as the sales tactics employed by some Medicare Advantage salespeople, make it difficult for elderly consumers to choose the plan that is best for them.

I've received a number of calls, and numerous consumer complaints have been lodged with the AG regarding senior citizens who have been misled into changing their coverage from traditional Medicare only to discover later that the new plans do not include their local hospitals and local doctors. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees Medicare Advantage Plans, has announced a “special election” de-enrollment period for people who enrolled in a plan based on misleading or incorrect information. If you think you've been misled, call or e-mail me -- or you can call Medicare directly at 1-800-633-4227 to see if you qualify for the immediate de-enrollment. Here's the AG's consumer alert.