Frequently Asked Questions

With more than 80 hospitals and over 10,000 participating providers, it’s likely that you will be able to switch your plan to Viva Medicare AND keep your doctor(s). Use our Provider Search to find participating providers. Find your doctor here.

Our plans cover a number of prescription medications across all tiers. We offer $0 copays for many generic drugs that are filled at pharmacies offering preferred cost sharing. Use our Rx Search to see if your prescriptions are covered. Search here.

When you call us, you talk to a friendly representative right here in Alabama. Our Viva Medicare agents are all a part of your community. They can help you over the phone or meet you in person in a setting where you feel most comfortable – whether it’s at your home or at a local restaurant. Call us today!

You can also stop by any of our Viva Health Cafés across the state to get in-person answers to all your Medicare questions. Learn more about our cafés and view locations here.

Viva Medicare has received the highest star rating of any Medicare Advantage plan in Alabama for 2022⁴. The Star Rating gives Medicare beneficiaries a single summary score that makes it easy for them to compare plans. In addition, we have been rated highly by our members year after year. This is because the people who work for Viva Medicare are people in your community. We’re your neighbors and friends and we take great pride in serving you. It’s a big reason why over 50,000⁵ Alabama residents have chosen Viva Medicare.

The annual enrollment period is a short window of time between October 15 and December 7 when you can change your Medicare plan effective January 1 of the following year. The Annual Enrollment Period is a great opportunity for you to review your current plan information, compare Medicare Advantage plans, and make the changes necessary to find a plan that best fits your budget.

The Open Enrollment Period occurs between January 1 and March 31. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of January 1, you may make a one-time election to go to another Medicare Advantage plan or Original Medicare and make a coordinating change to add or drop Part D prescription drug coverage.

When you first become eligible for Medicare, you enter the Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (ICEP) You can join during the 7-month window that begins 3 months before you are eligible for Medicare, the month you are eligible for Medicare, and 3 months after. Your coverage will begin the month you are eligible for Medicare or the 1st of the month following the month you elect coverage during your ICEP, whichever is later.

There are special circumstances that allow changes to your Medicare plan at other times during the year. With an SEP, your coverage start date depends on the election period you are eligible for. The most common special enrollment periods happen when:

• You lose group health insurance coverage
• You move into an area with different plan options
• You qualify for Extra Help with prescription drug costs
• You have Medicaid or have a change in your Medicaid status

Our members love the fact that our plans don’t require them to get a referral to see contracted specialists.

That means you can speak to or visit a specialist such as an oncologist, cardiologist, orthopedist, endocrinologist, or other specialist without getting a referral from your doctor. Other Medicare plans may require you to go to your Primary Care Physician just to get a referral to see your specialist. That means you could end up paying TWO copays: one for your Primary Care Physician and one for the specialist you need to see.

Medicare Part D provides prescription drug coverage. Viva Medicare offers several Medicare Advantage plans that include Part D prescription drug coverage. Viva Medicare also offers 90-day fills on most drugs as well as a pharmacy mail-order service where most prescriptions can be automatically refilled and delivered right to your door. Each Part D plan has a formulary (or list of covered drugs). A cost sharing tier is assigned to each drug. The cost sharing tier determines your out-of-pocket cost for the drug.

Medicare uses the Star rating system¹ to show how well a plan performs. The higher the star rating, the better a plan does at serving its members and ensuring they get the best care possible.

Every spring, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) conducts surveys of people in Medicare health plans to learn more about the care and services they receive. The better a plan serves its members, the higher the satisfaction score.