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SLO County seniors without insurance, provider lost license

June 23, 2022

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A California health insurance provider recently lost its Medicare license, leaving some San Luis Obispo County seniors without coverage. [Tribune]

Golden State Medicare Health Plan lost its Medicare license because of a failure to maintain good financial standing. The health insurer was operating with a deficit of about $35 million, according to a Feb. 2022 settlement.

The California Department of Managed Health Care ordered Golden State Medicare Health Plan to terminate all existing contracts with clients on or before June 1, with Medicare coverage ending on Aug. 1.

As of April 2021, Golden State serviced 4,966 clients, according to a court filing. Golden State had clients in eight California counties, including SLO County, according to a 2022 summary of benefits.

Local residents with questions about the suspension of Golden State Medicare Health Plan can make an appointment with a SLO County Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program (HICAP) provider by calling (805) 928-5663.


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You can keep your doctor… you can keep your healthcare plan…period….


3

This sounds like a Medicare Advantage provider. These plans can sound attractive because they often have little or no premiums. However, they can be treacherous because once on such a plan, it can be exceptionally difficult to get back to standard Medicare, particularly if one has or acquires a pre-existing condition while on Medicare Advantage. These are things that I suspect prospective clients of Medicare Advantage plans are not told. Use CAUTION when leaving the Medicare system and going to a Medicare Advantage plan.


10

Interesting, I have friends who raved about this ‘Golden’ Medicare supplement option, “paid nothing” for plan per month pretty much and but didn’t care about which doctor they could see. It never made sense to me how it penciled out until now. Dr Corporate Scam is not taking new patients at this time.


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