How To Pick The Right Local Medicare Insurance Agent
Many of those who are eligible for Medicare aren’t aware that Local Medicare insurance agents exist to help guide them through the Medicare process and with Medicare insurance.
Some of the most common questions we get asked are:
“What is a Medicare …
Medicare Supplement Insurance Agents (Medigap)
Although most people here in the Central Valley call all forms of Medicare insurance a Medicare Supplement, there is a specific kind of coverage called this. More formally they are known as a Medigap plan, and many medical offices here in Fresno will call …
Avoiding Medicare Scams
October brings out trick-or-treaters for Halloween, but also for Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. While finding the right healthcare plan can be a bit of a treat, you need to be on the lookout during this season for those hoping to trick you. Here …
How Do Medicare Agents Get Paid?
A Medicare insurance broker is an independent agent who should give you an unbiased opinion based on your Medicare plan options. Because they are appointed with many different insurance companies, they are able to find the right fit for your specific needs …
What does Original Medicare cover?
Original Medicare is the red, white, and blue card that has Part A and Part B. Original Medicare is managed by the federal government and provides Medicare eligible individuals with coverage for and access to doctors, hospitals, or other health care providers …
What is a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap)?
Medicare Supplements – also known as Medigap – have been around for about as long as Medicare has. You probably have asked yourself, What is a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap)? Since you have shares of cost with Original Medicare like 20% for most medical …
What is Medicare Part D?
Signing up for Medicare Part D coverage is optional, but if you don’t sign up when first eligible or if you don’t already have “creditable” coverage, you may have to pay a permanent late enrollment penalty.
Part D plans are the part of Medicare that …
Enrolling Into Medicare
If you don’t sign up yourself, enrolling into Medicare might just come automatically.
Depending on your circumstances, you can either be automatically enrolled into Medicare, or you’ll have to sign up yourself. Much of it will be determined by: your work …
Medicare and COBRA Health Insurance
COBRA is a very cool name for health insurance. Much cooler than the Plan F’s or the those named after gems and metals, like Ruby and Platinum. If we were to pick a health insurance plan based solely on its name, COBRA would be my first choice! But what is it …
Medicare Part C & Part D Enrollment Periods
There are specific times when you can sign up for a Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD), a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP), or make changes to coverage you already have. It’s important to know the Medicare enrollment periods for many reasons. We’ve provided …
Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties
There won’t be a commercial for it. You won’t get a notice in the mail. At best, it’ll be found in the middle of the big Medicare booklet they mailed you. Medicare penalties exist for not enrolling when first eligible, regardless of need.
Medicare is a …
When can I Enroll Into a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plan?
Medicare Supplement plans have a unique set of rules compared to the rest of Medicare. Every other aspect of Medicare has very rigid times when you can enroll, disenroll, or change plans. With Supplements you can make changes any time of the year. This is …
What are Medical Groups?
If you have been on an HMO insurance plan, you may have heard the term medical group. Medical groups are arguably the most important aspect of your HMO insurance, but like most you may be unaware of who they are.
Important Note: Medical groups are …
What are Special Needs Plans?
Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are private companies that the federal government pays to administer Medicare benefits. Like all Medicare Advantage Plans, SNPs must provide you with the same benefits, rights, and protections as Original …
Medicare Part D Coverage Gap (aka “Donut Hole”)
All Medicare drug coverage has a coverage gap (also known as the “Donut Hole”). This is when your drug plan will temporarily lower what it will pay once you drug costs reach a certain limit.
Not everyone will enter the coverage gap. The …
Medicare vs Medicaid
While both Medicare and Medicaid provide medical coverage, their functions and operations are very different. Here we will break down “Medicare vs Medicaid” – what each of them are, how you qualify for each, and how they work …
Medicare Plan F is Going Away!
Many questions have come in wondering why Medicare Plan F is going away. Questions like, who does it affect, and why? The answer to all of these is it depends on your circumstances.
Medicare Plan F
The Medicare Plan F is the health insurance …
Have You Have Been Enrolled Into A Medicare Savings Program (QMB)?
You may have received a letter saying that you have been enrolled into a Medicare Savings Program. These are low-income support programs administered through your state Medicaid program. Here in California it is administered through Medi-Cal. To be clear, …
Medicaid Improper Billing
Many of those who have both Medicare and full Medi-Cal are often subject to Medicaid improper billing practices by their doctors. Medicare is aware of this issue and did a full research study HERE that highlighted the billing issues faced by those enrolled in …
How To Apply For Medicare Online In Only 10 Minutes
With Social Security offices mostly closed and hold times well over an hour, it can be frustrating to apply for Medicare. Here we will show you some of the ways to apply for Medicare online and avoid the hassle of Social Security.
Apply for Medicare …
Three Ways To Save On Medigap (aka Medicare Supplement)
Just like most other insurances, the rates on your Medigap Policy (aka Medicare Supplement) will inevitably go up almost every year. If you are New to Medicare, you will usually see a bigger increase on your first-rate renewal. This is because the “New to …
Medicare Dental Coverage & What Dental Services Are Covered By Medicare?
Is there dental insurance for Medicare? Many of you may be surprised that the short answer is no; Original Medicare does not cover dental in the traditional sense. During our working years, we often get dental as part of our employer coverage or as an add-on …
Medicare and Medi-Cal
If you have both Medicare and Medi-Cal, then it’s vital you know what’s covered, what’s not and what is available to you. This page is meant for those with full Medi-Cal with no share-of-cost. If you have a share-of-cost, then you will need to search through …
What Medicare Does Not Cover
Medicare is pretty black and white about what they do and do not cover. Many will find it surprising that services like long-term care, dental, and prescription drugs are services that Medicare does not cover. These can often be substantial expenses that one …
Original Medicare And Prescription Drug Plan
With original Medicare, Parts A and B, and a Prescription Drug Plan, your are getting three things:
Ensuring you won’t encounter any penalties.
Moderate copays for medical services.
No network restrictions.
With this setup you will have all only …
Medicare Supplement And Drug Plan
With a Medicare Supplement – and a Prescription Drug Plan – you are getting three things:
Low to no copays and coinsurances for Medicare services.
High Monthly Premium.
No network restrictions.
Upfront the biggest barrier to …
What is Medicare Advantage Part C
A Medicare Advantage Part C plan is simply a Medicare approved private insurance company managing your Medicare benefits in addition to providing extra benefits. In other words, you are buying an all-inclusive deal with it.
Table of …
Medicare Advantage with Medi-Cal
With a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), your are getting three things:
Coordination of your Medicare and Medi-Cal services
Coverage for services not covered by Medicare or Medi-Cal
Drug Coverage included
A Medicare Advantage Plan is simply a …
How to Choose a Medicare Drug Plan
Many people come to us looking for support on how to choose a drug plan that works for them. There can easily be 20-30 drug plans available in a given county. You have important questions like:
How will I know all of my medications are covered?
Is my …
Important Part D Terms
Medicare Part D, for the most part, is pretty straight forward. It covers your medications for a stated copay or coinsurance amount. There are some terms that you may encounter with certain prescriptions and with drug plans in general. Below I outline some …
HMO vs. PPO
When it comes to healthcare terms, HMO and PPO are terms most people will recognize but few will know what they mean or stand for. It’s important to know the difference between these two. Your health insurance plan will often be classified as one of these …
What is Telemedicine?
Telemedicine has been around for years. What we recognize as telemedicine today started in the 1950’s when a few hospital systems and university medical centers started to try to find ways to share information and images via telephone. since then, its primary …
Independent Medicare Agents | Medicare Advantage (Part C)
With a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), You Are Getting Four Things:
Low to no co-pays for many Medicare Services.Network restrictions.Low or no monthly PremiumsCoverage for services excluded under original Medicare
A Medicare Advantage Plan is simply …
Medicare Agents In My Area
Many in the central valley have lots of questions and confusion about Medicare, how it works and are always looking for “Medicare agents in my area.” Here we will understand the basics about Original Medicare: how you qualify, what it actually …
Local Specialty Pharmacy In The Central Valley
When it comes to local specialty pharmacies, service is beating out big business.
Many seniors who are tired of the long lines and feeling ignored by the staff have found confidence in their local specialty pharmacy.
Too often we saw during COVID …
Free Prescription Delivery Services
It’s still surprising that free prescription delivery services haven’t caught on everywhere yet. Especially post COVID, we see how valuable it has become for seniors. Those in senior apartments and 55+ living facilities have been locked down and greatly …
Medication Blister Packs
Pill organizers are now officially old news. The new thing beginning to emerge is blister packaging for medications. This is when pharmacies essentially bubble pack medications by dose. They can package each medication individually in a blister pack or …
Portable Oxygen Concentrators: Does Medicare Cover Them?
Medicare covers many medical equipment items that are used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. These include blood pressure cuffs, wheelchairs, hospital beds, and even surgical tools. However, there are also some items that aren’t always covered by …
Are Incontinence Supplies For Seniors Covered by Medicare?
Let’s just get to it…no, Original Medicare does not cover incontinence supplies for seniors.
There are still ways to get it incontinence supplies covered by Medicare through certain Medicare insurance options such as Medicare Advantage plans or …
Choosing a Medicare Plan
Choosing a Medicare plan can be really complicated. Understanding Medicare and all of the options can feel like an immense undertaking. Beyond understanding how all of it works, you then have to weigh how each option will affect you.
Today we will break …
How to Choose Between Medicare Advantage & Medicare Supplement Plans
People new to Medicare might be surprised to know that Medicare does not cover every medical expense that you incur. In order to cover those things that Medicare doesn’t, you will need to buy a Medicare Supplement Plan (sometimes called Medigap) or a Medicare …
Can I Appeal Medicare Decisions?
Have you ever wondered what to do when Medicare denies your claim? If Medicare denies your coverage or if Medicare refuses to pay your claim there is a process that you can follow to appeal Medicare decisions.
If you want to know more about how to do this, …
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment
When you first become eligible for Medicare Part B, your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period begins. You have exactly six months from this date to choose any Medicare supplement plan that you want and they must accept you with no questions …
Medicare Fall Open Enrollment
Medicare Fall Open Enrollment can be a very confusing time and you may feel a lot of pressure to do something about your current Medicare plan or even revisit your current Medicare options. Even if you are happy and feel like everything is working out well, …
Choosing Between Medigap Plan F, Plan G and Plan N
medigap plan↗
Tens of millions of people are covered by Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Almost one quarter of those people choose a medigap plan for additional coverage. In 2023, three of the top Medigap plans are: Medicare Plan F, Medicare Plan G …
Get the Most From Your Medicare Annual Notice of Change Letter
One of the most important things you can do when you have Medicare is make sure that you thoroughly read your Medicare Annual Notice of Change (ANoC) letter. This letter will tell you about all of the changes that will happen concerning your healthcare …
Choose the Medicare Plan for You
If you are new to the world of Medicare and are trying to choose the right Medicare plan for you, it is normal to feel some confusion and frustration.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]Creditable Employer CoverageMedicare Part D: What are my options?
Your …
What Do I Have to Do to Change Doctors?
Having a positive relationship and rapport with your doctor is one of the most important aspects of your medical care. If you are not happy with your doctor or with your medical team and you want to make changes, you might be unsure of how to do …
Can I Appeal a Higher Medicare Part B Premium?
Whether we agree or not, people who have higher incomes have to pay more for Medicare Part B premiums and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. In this blog, we will help you understand how this all works, the Medicare appeals process, and what you can …
What is the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP)?
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15th-Dec 7th) can feel like a chaotic time for many of those on Medicare. Many worry that they may enroll into the wrong plan or not realize the changes happening to their current plan. It’s all too easy to …