Dr. Mehmet Oz urged Medicare beneficiaries to use the final days of open enrollment, warning that failing to review coverage options could mean "throwing money away," he told Newsmax in an interview as the Dec. 7 deadline approaches.
Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said on "Wake Up America" that beneficiaries who do not select the plan that best matches their needs risk losing savings and important options for the coming year.
"If you don't sign up during an open enrollment for the best program that meets your needs, you're throwing money away," Oz said. "You're also throwing away some important options, and you don't get to come back in and change it for another year."
Oz said Medicare.gov should be the primary resource for comparing coverage, describing it as a government-run site designed to educate beneficiaries about available choices.
He said the website has been improved to make shopping for plans easier and more personalized, including tools that help users check whether medications and doctors are covered.
"We added a plan finder," Oz said, describing it as a way to identify plans that make sense in a beneficiary's area and confirm that preferred providers are included.
Oz said the process can be quick, estimating it can take about 10 minutes, and he emphasized that beneficiaries should review their options even if they plan to keep the same coverage.
Health needs can change significantly year to year, he said, particularly for older Americans, and small adjustments can produce large savings.
"If you have a new medication that's $800 a month, but with your new plan that's available on Medicare.gov, it's only $5 a month, you'd be throwing away a lot of opportunity by not checking," Oz said.
Oz pointed to telephone support through 1-800-Medicare and suggested involving a trusted relative to avoid errors for those who may be confused.
Oz also cautioned seniors to look past heavy advertising during open enrollment season and rely on official government resources for guidance.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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