Medicare
Turning 65?
We understand that being new to Medicare can be very confusing and overwhelming. For a whole year you’ve been receiving calls from telemarketers, and as you get closer to turning 65, your mailbox gets flooded with Medicarerelated products from health plans, social security and even scammers. This makes it very difficult for you to know choose who to trust when it comes to choosing a plan on your own. This is the reason why we have become licensed health insurance brokers; to educate you on what you need to know about Medicare, in the simplest form so that you can then make an informed decision in selecting your Medicare health plan. You can first sign up for Part A and/or Part B during the 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65. If you sign up for Part A and/or Part B during the first 3 months of your Initial Enrollment Period, in most cases, your coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. However, if your birthday is on the first day of the month, your coverage will start the first day of the prior month. If you enroll in Part A and/or Part B the month you turn 65 or during the last 3 months of your Initial Enrollment Period, the start date for your Medicare coverage will be delayed.
Did You Lose Coverage With Your Employer?
If you recently lost coverage through your Employer Group Plan, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to join a Medicare Health Plan. Before choosing a plan we want to be sure you know the difference between your many options; In particular how Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage Plans differ. Many people sign up for Advantage Plans thinking they are Supplements, they are not.
Medicare Supplements
A Medicare Supplement is used with original Medicare. Any caregiver that accepts Medicare will take a Supplement because they only need to bill Medicare. Medicare pays their part (generally 80% of Medicare covered benefits) and sends the remainder of the bill to the Supplement which pays their part (generally 20%). It is important to note that Supplements do NOT include Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D, PDP) and for those that do not get a PDP when first eligible there will be a penalty when they do get a PDP. (there are exceptions to this) A Medicare Supplement does not change year to year (although the cost does generally go up the coverage does not change).
Medicare Advantage Plans (Medicare Part C)
A Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan (Part C) is a type of Medicare health plan offered by a private company that contracts with Medicare to provide you with all your Part A,Part B and Part D benefits, and mayincluded added benefits such as vision, dental, transportation, gym membership, and more. There are different types of Medicare Advantage Plans such as HMO and PPO. These plans work differently than a MedicareSupplement. Contact us for more information. We can assist you with the whole process from applying for Medicare to getting signed up with a health plan that is right for you.