Senior Care and Medicare

Here at Hill Family Medicine, we’re passionate about providing high-quality care for our community. We want to promote health and wellness among our friends and neighbors in the Austin and Bee Cave areas, no matter their age or financial situation. That’s why we have an expansive list of accepted insurances to make accessing the primary care you need easy. We are proud to accept Medicare and Medicare Advantage because we know, as you or your loved ones get older, you’ll need more consistent care.

What is Medicare & Medicare Advantage?

Medicare is the insurance that is made available at a certain period of life to make the later years of life, when health problems often escalate, more affordable. Original Medicare is the most commonly known version of Medicare. Usually, when you turn 65 you’ll receive a form to sign up for Medicare and start getting health benefits from the United States government. However, there’s another program that is along the same lines that fewer people are aware of: Medicare Advantage. Both plans have to offer the same benefits, however Medicare Advantage often goes above and beyond the initial expectations people have for the average Medicare plan. Medicare Advantage often offers more coverage than the original Medicare and it’s separated by three key differences between the two programs.

Original Medicare

Original Medicare differs from its counterpart in a couple of major ways. Coverage is the biggest difference between the two programs and with Original Medicare you can often only expect medical and hospital costs to be taken care of only.

Additionally, the costs between the two plans differ as well. In the original Medicare plan you won’t have a cap on what you can pay out of pocket for a medical procedure. Original Medicare will only pay for a certain number of days in the hospital or at a skilled nursing facility. It does not provide long term financial relief for any serious ailments.

While the last point they differ on is rarely tested and is not widely known, Original Medicare does not cover costs of care that you receive while out of the country. Even in the event of an emergency. There are some exceptions to this rule, but there are not many. For this reason, it’s almost impossible to only have Original Medicare as the only health plan you have access to in your old age.

Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage is an excellent insurance plan if you can qualify for it. It rises about the coverage offered by Original Medicare by a remarkable amount. Most Medicare Advantage plans cover vision, dental, hearing, prescriptions and visits to medical facilities of all kinds. This means you won’t have to struggle to find a way to cover the cost of your medications or your appointments that you need to stay in touch with your doctor and stay healthy.

Medicare Advantage also has an out-of-pocket maximum each year that ensures you won’t have to pay an arm and a leg should something severe go wrong with your health. After you hit a certain dollar amount of out-of-pocket care, you won’t have to pay a single thing for the rest of the year!

Plus, if you like to travel, you’ll have coverage in the case of an emergency outside out of the country as well as inside the country! While you’ll have to wait until you get back into the states to access your primary care physician, you won’t have to worry about paying egregious amounts for any emergency care that you might need while abroad. This takes a huge weight off of most people’s minds and is one of the main reasons that Medicare Advantage is often chosen over the original Medicare plans.

Preventative Care Services

Having good health requires taking precautions. Health precautions can range from eating well to putting on sunscreen before you spend a day outside, but the most important precaution you can take is by scheduling regular preventative care appointments with your primary care provider. We provide a wide and comfortable selection of preventative care measures that you can take to remain healthy and happy for years to come. While some of our preventative care services include things like weight loss, risk factor assessments for strokes and heart disease, and skin cancer screenings, we can provide a selection of other care options, too.

For example, if your family has a history of diabetes or other disease that might be linked to being passed on through hereditary connection, we can create a plan that helps you combat potential future issues.

If you can get started now on keeping your mind and body sharp and healthy, you’ll prosper in the future.

Outpatient Care Services

Outpatient care is becoming an increasingly more attractive way to handle standard care procedures on the day-to-day. Luckily, here at Hill Family Medicine, we’re equipped to perform a selection of procedures as outpatient care options. Through our program, you can pursue exams and testing, mental and physical health treatments, and referrals to specialists in the area, all without having to stay overnight or make a bigger deal about a minor health issue.

Our outpatient care menu includes help with stress, skin sores and infections, urinary tract infections, eye injuries, cuts and bruises, test panels, vaccines and so much more. We want to be able to help you pursue the very best health that you deserve while still being able to go back home and recover in your own bed.

Telemedicine Services

With the COVID-19 pandemic changing the way we live our lives, telemedicine has become more crucial than ever before. What was once a matter of convenience can now be a life saving measure. Through telemedicine, people with pre-existing conditions can stay safe and sound at home while still accessing the care and professional advice they need in order to live a healthy, happy lifestyle.

Plus, it won’t matter where you are. You’ll be able to set a telemedicine appointment up while you’re in a foreign country, if you’d like to. Distance and traditional time frames won’t have to be an issue. For example, if you run out of a prescription while you’re on a long-term abroad trip, you won’t have to figure out how to live without life saving medication. You can simply set up a telemedicine appointment and access the refills and supplies you need to continue your trip as planned.

You’ll also be able to reduce your own risk of exposure to other illnesses as well as other people’s exposure to a potentially contagious disease you’re carrying. You’ll be able to get the answers you need and the care you need all from the comfort and safety of your home without endangering yourself or others.

We proudly offer our telemedicine services to Medicare Advantage and Medicare insurance carriers as we know that, as you age, it can get harder to get out of the house on your own. Instead, you’ll be able to connect with your doctor, discuss your symptoms, and find a course of action, all while remaining comfortable and happy, right where you are.

We’re always proud to take on new patients as we are dedicated to our community and the friends and neighbors within it. If you’re ready to start taking advantage of the many, premium options we offer, feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to schedule an appointment and start exploring new healthy lifestyle opportunities with you.