Anthony Castelluccio, Medicare Insurance Agent
Anthony Castelluccio
Bankers Life
Medicare Agent Licensed in PA, DE, MD, NJ and VA
9+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Serving
Ephrata, PA
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Phone
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Website
Anthony Can Help With:
About Me
Hello, I'm Anthony, your neighborhood Medicare Resource. My specialty is with Medicare, and my goal is to help educate you on your Medicare Rights and Entitlements. It can be very confusing and overwhelming. I like to sit down face to face with you and fully explain all of the details and your options. I will be with you every step of the way. Many of my clients refer to me as their Human Resources during retirement! This process does not cost you anything but some time. Contact me to discuss your Medicare options and don't forget to mention that you discovered me on Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Anthony Castelluccio
What's the most important question I should be asking about Medicare that I probably haven't thought of yet?
Answer: There are so many great questions, it's hard to narrow it down to the most important question. Is your Agent sitting down face to face with you to review all of your questions either at your kitchen table or their office? I am a visual learner myself and I know I would prefer to sit down to review all of the many different options people have. This process can be overwhelming and I simplify the full process and walk through the timeline you need to be aware of!
Why do some people regret choosing a Medicare Advantage plan over Original Medicare?
Answer: There are a few different reasons why people regret going with a Medicare Advantage plan vs Original Medicare. They don't realize the full cost of what they could pay year after year on a Medicare Advantage plan. The Maximum Out Of Pocket (MOOP) on most plans are over $7000 and if you are dealing with some major health concerns you could pay that for multiple years. The other reason is on a Medicare Advantage plan, you have to make sure your Dr's are in network and the Dr's can drop in and out of network year after year.
I'm confused about the different tiers in Medicare Part D plans. How do they affect what I pay for my medications?
Answer: Normally there are 5 tiers with most prescription plans. Tier 1 is preferred generic, Tier 2 is generic, Tier 3 preferred Brand name prescriptions, Tier 4 Nonpreferred And Tier 5 is speciality drugs. Most cases. The lower the Tier, the lower your co-pay. But that's not true all the time, it depends on your prescriptions that you take, your zip code you live in, and what Pharmacy you like to use. I will show you how you can check to see which prescription plan is the best for you and it could change annually!
How can you create a comfortable environment for discussing Medicare with your parents?
Answer: Let them know there has many changes and updates to Medicare through the years. I meet with many people turning 65 and help them with the transition to Medicare and offer my services to help family members with the same service. We all know most people don't like change, and the 65 year old that i met with parents are probably 85-95 and I offer to sit with them all together to review they're parents situation. Sometimes they are in the best position they could be, but sometimes they could have similar or same coverage for much less money.
What's your go-to strategy for helping someone decide between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?
Answer: I really don't have a strategy to help someone decide Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare. I always explain all of the details about both options. The 2 big differences are Medicare Advantage you should stay in network and if you have some chronic conditions then you could pay a lot more out of pocket then Original Medicare plus a supplement. Also if you are on a Medicare Advantage for more than 12 months you may not be able to qualify to get into a Medicare Supplemental plan. Many people i meet don't know that and are stuck paying a lot for their health care.
Don't you think Medicare will eventually be privatized completely?
Answer: I don't think Medicare will go fully privatized. Over the past few years more and more people are moving to the Medicare Advantage plans, which are through private insurance companies. Every year the plans will change some and I feel the changes are related to how much the government will subsidize these plans.
I'm on Medigap Plan G, and I'm curious how my upcoming knee replacement surgery will be billed. Does the plan cover it all after my deductible?
Answer: Basically that is correct. Any Part B service which will include a knee replacement or PT afterwards should be covered by your G plan, but the big piece here is if Medicare approves the service. If it's done experimental knee replacement, Medicare most likely will not approve that service and your G plan will not cover it. But for the most part, you really should not see any bills after your deductible for a knee replacement.
My doctor recommended a bone density test. Is this considered preventive care under Medicare?
Answer: Most cases a bone density test is considered preventive care. Just be careful if you are on a Medicare Advantage, you should stay in network.
What should I do with my Medicare plan if I'm diagnosed with a rare disease requiring specialists?
Answer: If you are on a Medicare Supplemental plan like a G or an N plan, you shouldn't be to concerned about the out of pocket cost that you will pay. If you are on a Medicare Advantage plan, just make sure your Specialist is in network.
Why do doctors not like Medicare Advantage plans?
Answer: I am not a Doctor, so I can only assume that they might not like Medicare Advantage plans too much because they may not get paid as much for certain services. Medicare Advantage plans are considered managed care plans, so many time the Dr and patient have to get prior authorizations for certain procedures, this could delay the patients care and take administrators time and energy.
Why did I receive a Medicare Summary Notice, and what should I do with it?
Answer: Your Medicare Summary Notice usually is automatically generated and mailed to you quarterly. This notice is not a bill. It will show you all of the Medicare claims for the last quarter and weather the services are Medicare approved or not. This notice could also show other services that are fraudulent. Over the past few years, we have been seeing more and more services submitted under a Medicare beneficiaries number and it's really not from them, it's fraudulent.
Most people I work with will review and keep their Medicare Summary Notices on file.