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"Medicare will cost you more in2017 - all the more reason to scrutinize your coverage as theannual open enrollment gets under way this weekend.    Open enrollment - which runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 - is thetime of year when Medicare enrollees can switch their Part Dprescription drug coverage. They also can move in or out ofMedicare Advantage - the managed-care alternative totraditional, fee-for-service coverage - or change providers.    Premiums and other out-of-pocket Medicare costs will behigher in 2017. The Medicare Part B premium may jump 22 percentto $149 for some enrollees, although final numbers will not bereleased until later this month.    The higher premium amount would be charged to enrollees whoare not &amp;quot;held harmless&amp;quot; under the program's rules, which do notallow the Part B premium to rise at an amount greater than theannual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. The higherpremium will be charged to enrollees, people not yet receivingSocial Security and more affluent beneficiaries subject tohigh-income premiums.     Meanwhile, the Part B deductible for all enrollees isexpected to jump to $204 from $166.    Premiums for many of the most popular Part D prescriptiondrug plans also will rise next year. The one bright spot on costis Medicare Advantage, where average premiums are expected todip next year.        COMPETITIVE PRESSURE    If you use traditional fee-for-service Medicare and haveonly a Medigap supplemental plan - and you are happy with whatyou have - there is no need to do anything during annualenrollment. But it makes sense to re-shop coverage if you have aPart D prescription drug plan or are enrolled in MedicareAdvantage.    Yet very few Medicare beneficiaries bother to re-shop theircoverage during annual enrollment - just 10 percent of MedicareAdvantage enrollees do so, according  to a recent study by theKaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Those who did shift Advantageplans between 2013 and 2014 saved $190 annually on their monthlypremiums on average, and lowered their out-of-pocket limit by$401, the study found.    For the civic-minded, there is another reason to shop:adding a dose of competitive pressure to the Medicaremarketplace. &amp;quot;It helps the system get better,&amp;quot; said PhilipMoeller, author of &amp;quot;Get What's Yours for Medicare: Maximize YourCoverage, Minimize Your Costs&amp;quot; (Simon &amp; Schuster, October 2016).    &amp;quot;When people shop, that consumer behavior helps disciplinethe marketplace and keeps it honest.&amp;quot;    Here is an overview of trends in the Medicare market for2017, along with tips for smart shopping.        PART D     Start by reviewing the Annual Notice of Change that Medicaresends by mail in late September each year. The notice lists allchanges to your coverage for the coming year.    Odds are that your current premium will be higher next year.Among the 10 most popular Part D prescription drug plans,premiums will rise an average of 4 percent next year, accordingto Avalere Health. The maximum deductible allowed by Medicare in2017 also will be higher - $400, up $40 from this year (actualdeductibles vary among plans).    Shoppers should not base their selection on premiums alone,cautions Frederic Riccardi, director of client services for theMedicare Rights Center, a nonprofit advocacy group. &amp;quot;You shouldlook at the premium, deductibles, co-insurance and any planrestrictions on the drugs you take,&amp;quot; he said.    Part D plans routinely change their formularies - the listof medications that are covered - and the rules under which theyare covered. For example, a plan might decide to restrict thequantity of a medication or require &amp;quot;step therapy&amp;quot; - arequirement that you try a less expensive alternative to thedrug prescribed by your doctor. And it could drop coverage ofyour medication altogether.        MEDICARE ADVANTAGE    In the Medicare Advantage market, premiums look stable fornext year - in fact, the average premium will fall 4 percent, to$31.40 monthly, according the Centers for Medicare &amp; MedicaidServices (CMS), which administer the Medicare program.    Medicare Advantage often saves money for enrollees byeliminating the need for separate drug coverage and Medigap. Butthe trade-off is less flexibility in choosing your healthcareproviders - and Advantage plans are free to add and dropproviders. The annual enrollment period provides the opportunityfor enrollees to review the list of included providers, to makesure they meet your needs.    Reviewing the list of in-network providers can be difficult.Providers are not listed on the Medicare Plan Finder, and arecent study by KFF found that the information available fromplan providers can be difficult to review, out of date andfrequently contain inaccurate information (reut.rs/2dSAfRq).        GETTING HELP    The best online tool for shopping plans is the Medicare PlanFinder at the Medicare website (bit.ly/1AezyE7) . Plug inyour Medicare number and drugs (you will need each drug's nameand dosage). The tool then displays a list of possible plans,their estimated cost, premiums, and deductibles; which drugs arecovered, and customer-satisfaction ratings. The finder also willgive you advice about drug utilization and restrictions.    Advice also is available from Medicare's toll-free number(1-800-633-4227).    The Medicare Rights Center maintains a free telephonehotline (1-800-333-4114) that can walk beneficiaries throughdifferences between traditional Medicare and Advantage plans,and help with selecting PDP and Advantage plans.    Federally funded State Health Insurance Assistance Programs(SHIP) can also provide this kind of free assistance. Find yourlocal SHIP here: bit.ly/1OU0sfN.  (Editing by Matthew Lewis)"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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