VBJ March 2020

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
10 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com
March 2020
What Medicare Does and Doesn’t Cover
by Cate Kortzeborn
Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce
2020 Board Members
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the election
of six members to their 2020 Board of Directors. The ballots sent to chamber
members in October resulted in the election of six newly elected members. Newly
elected Directors were installed at the January 2020 Board Meeting.
2020 Newly Elected Board of Directors:
Cherise Manning, A Grape Escape Balloon Adventures
Tammy Marine, Habitat For Humanity Inland Valley
Andrew Masiel, Sr., Pechanga Development Corporation
Julie Ngo, Julie Ngo Agency State Farm Insurance
Jackie Steed, Reliable Realty – Jackie Steed
Bernie Truax, Truax Management Group
2020 Board of Director Incumbents:
Al Rubio, Chairman of the Board, DCH Auto Group Temecula
Kimberly Freize Uhler, 1st Vice Chairman of the Board, Clear Blue Promotions
Mike Noon, 2nd Vice Chairman of the Board, Noon & Associates CPA’s, Inc.
Leslie Doherty, Treasurer, Nigro & Nigro, PC
Donna San Miguel, Secretary, California State University San Marcos
Brian Connors, Past Chairman of the Board, Southwest Healthcare System
BJ Fazeli, Fazeli Cellars Winery
Jeff Kurtz, Promenade Temecula
Dave Lester, Abbott
Soledad Escobedo, Pacific Western Bank
Peter Baker, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Murrieta
David Beshay, Corner Bakery Café
Kim Kelliher, Grapeline Wine Tours
Linda Wunderlich, The Valley Business Journal
“I am excited with the results of our election and the wonderful slate of Board
members who will be representing our Chamber membership during 2020,” says
Al Rubio, TVCC Chairman of the Board. “Our new board members will help our
Chamber continue its mission to promote positive economic growth while protecting
the business environment throughout the valley. They are all well-recognized industry
leaders who understand how to create real change that sustains the economic growth
and lifestyle we have seen in our community.”
The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is a member-based, non-profit organization
serving over 1,000 businesses in the community. Since 1966, the mission of
the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote positive economic growth
while protecting the environment for all businesses and by doing so, support the
programs which preserve and improve the quality of life for the entire community.
To learn more about the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.
temecula.org or call (951) 676-5090.
Medicare helps pay for a wide
variety of medical services and goods
in hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other
healthcare settings. But it doesn’t cover
everything, and it’s useful to know
what is and isn’t covered.
Services and goods are covered
either under Medicare Part A or Part
B. If you have both Part A and Part B,
you can get many Medicare covered
services whether you have Original
Medicare or a Medicare health plan,
such as Medicare Advantage.
Part A is Hospital Insurance and it
helps pay for:
• Inpatient care in hospitals
• Inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility
(but not custodial or long-term care
• Hospice care
• Home health care
• Inpatient care in a religious nonmedical
health care institution.
Part B (Medical Insurance) helps
cover medically necessary doctors’
services, outpatient care, home health
services, durable medical equipment
such as wheelchairs and walkers, and
other medical services. Part B also
covers many preventive-care services,
such as vaccinations and cancer
screenings.
You can find out if you have Parts
A and B by looking at your Medicare
card. If you have Original Medicare,
you’ll use this card to get your Medicare-covered
services. If you join a
Medicare Advantage plan, in most
cases you must use the card from the
plan to get your Medicare-covered
services.
Under Original Medicare, if the
yearly Part B deductible ($198 in
2020) applies, you must pay all costs
(up to the Medicare-approved amount)
until you meet the Part B deductible
before Medicare begins to pay its
share.
After your deductible is met, you
typically pay 20% of the Medicare
approved amount of the service, if the
doctor or other healthcare provider
accepts assignment. (“Accepting assignment”
means that a doctor or other
provider agrees to be paid directly by
Medicare, to accept the Medicare payment
amount for the service, and not
to bill you for more than the Medicare
deductible and coinsurance.) There’s
no yearly limit on what you pay outof-pocket
under Original Medicare.
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage
plan (like an HMO or PPO) or have
other insurance, your costs may be
different. Contact your plan or benefits
administrator directly to find out about
the costs.
Under Part B, Medicare pays for
many preventive services that can
detect health problems early when
they’re easier to treat. You pay nothing
for most covered preventive services if
you get the services from a doctor or
other qualified provider who accepts
assignment.
However, for some preventive
services, you may have to pay a deductible,
coinsurance, or both.
Medicare doesn’t cover everything,
of course. If you need certain
services that aren’t covered under Part
A or Part B, you’ll have to pay for them
yourself unless:
• You have other insurance (including
Medicaid) to cover the costs
• You’re in a Medicare Advantage plan
that covers these services.
Some of the services and goods
that Medicare Parts A and B don’t
cover are:
• Most dental care
• Eye exams related to prescribing
glasses
• Dentures
• Cosmetic surgery
• Massage therapy
• Routine physical exams
• Long-term care
• Concierge care (also called concierge
medicine, retainer-based medicine,
and boutique medicine);
• Hearing aids and exams for fitting
them.
Cate Kortzeborn is Medicare’s regional
administrator for Arizona,
California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the
Pacific Territories. You can always get
answers to your Medicare questions
by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-
633-4227).