Doctor’s Choice helps demystify Medicare

ONE ON ONE: Dr. John Luo, founder of Doctor's Choice, counsels Dorothy Verrier of Warwick on Medicare plan options. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO
ONE ON ONE: Dr. John Luo, founder of Doctor's Choice, counsels Dorothy Verrier of Warwick on Medicare plan options. / PBN PHOTO/ MICHAEL SALERNO

Dr. John Luo hates not having answers for people.

When doing his clinical training at a North Smithfield practice, he tried to help patients navigate through the health-insurance process, particularly the elderly who had many questions about Medicare. When he realized he didn’t have enough information, he set about finding out as much as he could – and started educating people at the Brown University medical school, from which the Seekonk native graduated.

“I got a great response,” said Luo, 29, “and started doing retirement seminars for professors and staff.”

From that sprang a new business in 2012: Doctor’s Choice in Warwick. Its mission is to offer competitive Medicare health plan options and guidance to clients to help them pick the option that best suits them.

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It is free; the company makes its money on fees from enrollments with insurance companies it works with.

The business is doing well, Luo says. In the most recent Medicare open-enrollment period Oct. 15-Dec. 7, Doctor’s Choice saw more than 300 people. Since it began, more than 1,500 came for help, he says.

“It’s expanding. We see people from not just Rhode Island, but Massachusetts and Connecticut,” Luo said. “And we hope to expand nationally.”

The consultation lasts 40-50 minutes, he says, during which time he or someone from his 10-person staff goes over the details of what the client needs, not unlike a doctor making a medical diagnosis.

“Medicare is very complicated; even the head of the IRS said he can’t understand all the tax codes,” Luo said. “So you come in and we boil it down, make a diagnosis and a plan. We go step by step, keeping it simple, and explaining all the options relative to each client’s individual needs.”

He said the big three questions asked are “the three P’s”: Will the price of the plan change? Will the physicians change? Will the cost of prescriptions increase?

“It’s different for everyone, so we make sure everyone’s needs are covered,” he explained. “Every year, we follow up with clients to advise them on changes, at no cost to them.”

Doctor’s Choice works with major insurance providers in the state, including Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, UnitedHealthcare, Harvard Pilgrim, Humana and CVS Health SilverScript.

“We examine each person’s situation, how healthy they are, what drugs they take, do they need national and international coverage, where they live over the course of the year, since many seniors move to Florida for [the] winter, and narrow it to one or two choices out of 80 or so,” Luo said. “We don’t have a stake in which you enroll in; we just help you make the best choice.”

Since people are healthier and living longer, many are choosing to stay employed past age 65, he said, “when companies can save a lot of money and offer many benefits if the employee opts for Medicare.”

He says someone on a group health plan, paying themselves or in combination with their employer, can average $1,000-$1,500 a month for insurance. By finding the best Medicare plan for each, he says, the savings can be up to 75 percent.

The number of people retiring in the state is ever increasing, he says.

“There are about 180,000 Rhode Islanders eligible for Medicare,” he added, “with 15,000 more entering every year – and it’s growing.”

On average, he says, clients can save $300-$500 a year on a prescription drug plan alone.

The business gets referrals from doctors, state agencies and other clients, he says. Most are surprised how easy the seemingly daunting task of tackling Medicare coverage can be.

“They’ll hug us, thanking us for making it understandable,” he said.

The feedback from insurance companies has been good, he says.

“They really like it. In fact, we’ve become a preferred partner of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island,” he added. “And we’re a sponsor of the Rhode Island Medical Society. That’s helped a lot.”

There are competitors, he says, mostly national companies that charge $750-$2,000 “for exactly what we do. There’s a big demand for it but I can’t see us charging, not that it’s not worth it, but people who really need it can’t afford that.”

Doctor’s Choice is open year-round, not just during enrollment periods, he says, adding that the company does outreach for companies and nonprofits, as well as training for insurance companies.

“Medicare is complicated, but once you’re passionate about something, nothing’s hard,” Luo said. “Everything complex can be understood by building on one simple step at a time.”

For more information, visit www.doctorschoiceusa.com. •

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