TAMPA, Fla — Lois Manzi and her husband are trying their best to stay active and healthy—I spoke with her at Sims Park in downtown New Port Richey as she walked her dog Tuesday morning.
“We try to keep healthy and walk, go to the gym when we can. Of course, we're getting older, and there's different things that we need, and we have to go to the doctor more," she said.
WATCH full report by Heather Leigh
It’s why they’re enrolled in Medicare. I asked, "How important is Medicare to you — if Medicare didn’t exist?" Lois replied with a smile, "Then we’d have problems, I guess."
With major changes expected for Medicaid in 2026, is Medicare also changing? It's a question many may be asking, as confusion around both government-funded healthcare programs swirls.
"There's a lot of uncertainty going around, there's a lot of 'what ifs' going around," said Nicole Green, a sales director at Achieva Insurance. "Change is one thing that's going to be constant. That's one thing that's going to happen.”
Major legislative changes are coming for Medicaid, but Green says Medicare is remaining mostly the same.
“Your deductibles can change, your co-insurance can change. We have providers going in and out of the network with some of our carriers," she said.
Read the latest from CMS.gov here.
It’s one reason Lois is going to revisit her current benefits.
“Doesn’t take long, it’s very simple. And it’s competitive, there’s a lot of companies out there that want you," she said.
She wants to make sure her plan is the right one for her.
"Different people have different needs. Somebody might need the transportation benefit, some might need more hospitalization, they might have different medical issues where they need a better pharmacy payout," she said.
If you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, Green said you’ll receive an “annual notice of change” letter in the mail soon. It outlines the coverage you have now and any changes for the upcoming year. But she said oftentimes people don’t read through it.
“A lot of times that letter sits on a coffee table and the new year's coming around and they go into the doctor's office and now their co-pay is $40 when it was maybe $20 and they're not sure why," she said.
If you’re confused by the letter, want to go over other plans out there, or have never been on Medicare, Green encourages you to stop by any Achieva Credit Union and talk with a representative.
“You're new to Medicare. You have no idea what's going on. We are here to help set the record straight," she said.
Achieva Insurance also represents all carriers, not just one.
“Medicare is not a one-size-fits-all, so what works for you may not work for me, what's most important to you may not be as important to me," said Green. She said it's crucial to have "the ability to sit in front of a licensed benefit consultant, go over what's important to you during that election period. Your health changes every year, insurance changes every year, and so you're doing your due diligence to make sure that you're going into the new year happy and healthy.”
Open Enrollment is Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and coverage begins Jan. 1. But, through March 31, Green calls that time "buyer's remorse" because you have the chance to move into a different plan if the one you chose isn’t holding up to your expectations.
You can visit any Achieva Credit Union to talk with a benefits consultant. Click here for more details.
Achieva also has in-person group seminars. Below are the upcoming dates which will all be held at the Achieva Corporate Office: 1659 Achieva Way, Dunedin, FL 34698
Wednesdays 9am-noon
October 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th,
November 5th, 12th, and 19th
December 3rd
Fridays 9am-2pm
October 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st
November 7th, 14th, and 21st
December 5th
Corporation for Public Broadcasting shutdown will impact Tampa's PBS and NPR stations
From Mr. Rogers to Sesame Street. From Downton Abbey to the documentaries of filmmaker Ken Burns. They’re shows so many Americans love and grew up on, and they were broadcast on local PBS stations thanks to funding from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting.
