O/T Touchstone is going out of business
 

Hi. sorry to post this here but I don't know where to post this. With all that we are going through, we just heard (didn't get the official letter yet but it's confirmed), our Medicare HMO Touchstone is going out of business as of December 31st. The guy told me over the phone that we have to choose another medicare advantage company. This hit us like a ton of bricks because Alan has to go for a prostate biopsy (naturally this is not going to be done this month), we haven't gotten approved yet for Tomorrow's urology follow up visit, let alone where he's going to get a prostate biopsy.

My question is, I know there is a window when one has to switch medicare plans. I believe the window is up on December 7th.
Does this apply to us who just heard we have to switch plans?

I have no words here.

Thanks much, Melody

I think the letter should detail the steps & time line you will have.

I went to their website and this popped up

[Public Notice

On January 1, 2016 Touchstone Health HMO, Inc. will no longer offer coverage of Medicare Advantage benefits to our Medicare members in the following service area: Bronx, Queens, Kings, Richmond, New York, Westchester and Orange counties.

If you are a current member, you will no longer be enrolled beginning January 1, 2016.

For additional information, we suggest you call the following numbers:
(hours of operation: 8 am to 8 pm EST) Monday to Friday
1-888-777-0204 (toll free)
711 (TTY)

For help and information about Medicare, please call 1-800-Medicare (1-800-633-4227). Individuals that use a telephone device for the hearing impaired can call 1-877-486-2048. Both numbers may be called 24 hours / 7 days a week.
]
http://www.touchstoneh.com/

If you don't want to wait for the letter you can call the numbers to get details..

Hi, the letter came today. We are arranging meetings with reps from the other medicare advantage plans and we'll be going to breakfast meetings. We definitely have an extension so we have until the end of the month to get this done and we will do it. We have no choice.

The side effect is that I was supposed to be measured for my yearly diabetic shoes at Hangar Clinic (the place where Alan got his humungous Crow Boot) but thank god I called them and I asked "Don't they have to honor this shoe thing when I come in on the 23rd of December'. She said 'oh, sorry, we bill when the shoes come in and that won't be until January".

So no shoes anytime soon. I'll have to wait until the new year with my new plan (whatever that may be).

And I do thank you very much for all the info. You're a doll

Melody
P.S. I'm not getting any email notifications on any threads. That happened a long time ago also but then I began getting them again. I have to look into this.

For missing email notices, check your spam or junk folder.. just in case they went there.

Oh, never thought of that. I have a question. We have just had a nice conversation with one of the Medicare Advantage Plans (this just might be the one). It's within our means. I told her "we are keeping appts and we will get back to you, do you come to the house?" She was very nice. She said 'No, I have all your information and we can do this over the phone". She gave me her name and cell number also. I said 'We can do this over the phone, we can switch over the phone??" She said "yes, everything is done by computer now, all I would need is your medicare claim number, your physican numbers, etc. etc, your EPIC ID, and we'll get in touch with EPIC. It can be done over the phone because we are in the month of December and because your insurance company is no longer in business after the first, we can do this over the phone".

Never heard of that. Last time, the rep came to our house, and all the paperwork had to be signed, etc. Then we got our card in the mail.

Update, before I hit the post option. Just called her back and I said "Don't we have to sign something, some paper that we are switching?" She said 'no, I will get your authorization over the phone, this is how we do things in our HMO".

It's a popular plan, not some off name plan.

Just want your opinion, Thanks much, Melody'

I do not have a spam or junk folder. Does everyone have these?

Thanks, Melody

Most email services do have spam or junk folder, could be called bulk also..

Or go into your setting here and turn off or change notice settings and then log out & then back in and reset for notices?

If you go online to check your email , look around there or in the FAQ pages for junk or spam folder info..
* Online Email includes the most popular functions, like Custom Folders, Address Book, Vacation Messages and junk mail handling*

Okay, will check. Thanks so much
Guess what. Today we signed up for a new medicare advantage plan that all our physicians participate in. Going to go ask some questions on the diabetes forum. Cost of insulin is skyrocketing. Don't know what to do

Love ya, Melody