By Diana Brown
Medicare’s annual open enrollment period began on Oct. 15 and the kind of questions I generally get asked the most are, “Do Florida Blue Medicare plans cover dental, or eyeglasses, or over-the-counter medications, etc.?” The answer is yes, we do!
However, many times the most fundamental questions about our Medicare products are never asked, and that is “How is the medical coverage under your plans?”
Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for more than 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 5 million healthcare members across the state.
Also, Florida Blue has an extensive network of doctors and hospitals – the largest in the state. At least one Medicare plan is offered in every county of the state and, depending on your plan, you can link up with 48 out of 50 other states.
Many doctors will agree that Florida Blue is likely to approve a new procedure or allow a new medication if the member needs it. Those are the things that are not as apparent as dental or eyeglasses on a plan but are very important.
So, the short answer is yes – Florida Blue has an excellent reputation for health care. But let’s talk about another matter – service!
Many times, when a person calls one of those “Joe Namath” type commercials, they are actually calling a clearinghouse, which in turn will sell your information to agents for a fee, resulting in a ton of phone calls after that. And, if you sign up with an agent over the phone, that is most likely the last time you will speak to that individual. You will be sent instead to a service center manned by people with hard-to-understand accents – probably not in Florida and possibly not even in the country.
Florida Blue agents are local to the community and know the doctors and hospitals in your area. We undergo basic Medicare and product training every year to stay on top of an ever-confusing industry. But the most important thing is this – we encourage you to call us with questions and offer great service after the sale.
If you haven’t tried Florida Blue yet, give us a try this year. Once on our plans, members usually stay. Give me a call, I’d be glad to hear from you and go over our products!
Diana Brown is a qualified, licensed agent with Florida Health Connector, your local agency for Florida Blue, providing Medicare plans throughout the State. She has been licensed with the State of Florida for over 25 years. She can be reached at (850) 819-4135.
