Medicare Open Enrollment: What People Living With COPD Need to Know

**In this episode of the Lung Health Champion, host Arnelle Konde speaks with respiratory therapist Audrey Chavez and Emily Brown from the Patient Advocate Foundation about Medicare coverage and preparing for 2027 open enrollment. They discuss why people living with COPD and other chronic lung conditions should review more than monthly premiums, including medication formularies, provider networks, respiratory equipment, pulmonary rehabilitation, and out-of-pocket costs. Audrey and Emily also explain common barriers to respiratory care, what to do when coverage is denied, the Medicare appeals process, and where to turn for help when coverage questions become overwhelming.** **Key Points From This Episode** **\[00:00:00] Highlights & Show intro** **\[00:01:40] Overview of Medicare Enrollment** **\[00:06:02] Enrolling for Coverage in 2027** **\[00:08:15] Common Insurance Barriers** **\[00:13:57] What To Do If It Isn’t Covered** **\[00:17:25] Where To Go With Medicare Questions** **\[00:22:36] Final Takeaways** **Links** **The Lung Health Champion Podcast is brought to you by the COPD Foundation. Learn more at** https://www.copdfoundation.org.  - **Sign up for COPD Foundation's Newsletter:**https://copdf.co/faces **Check out these resources to help you learn more about coverage:** - **Patient Advocate Foundation Medicare Resource Center:** https://www.patientadvocate.org/medicare/ - **Open Enrollment: What You Need to Know:** https://www.panfoundation.org/open-enrollment-what-you-need-to-know/ - **Patient Advocate Foundation Education Resource Library:** https://education.patientadvocate.org/ **Check out these resources for help affording your treatments:** - **Medicare’s Extra Help Program:** https://www.medicare.gov/publications/12203-medicares-extra-help-program.pdf - **State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) Homepage: http://www.shiphelp.org/** **Production and editing by The Podcast Consultant:** https://thepodcastconsultant.com  ***The podcast is provided by the COPD Foundation as an educational resource only and should not be considered as offering medical advice. This information should not be used as a substitute for a physician's professional judgment in providing advice, diagnosis, or treatment for any medical or health condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment before undertaking a new health care regimen. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on this podcast.***