Tony Merwin, Medicare Insurance Agent
Tony Merwin
Go Avila Insurance Brokers
Hablo Español
Medicare Agent Licensed in TX, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WA and WV
21+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Location
Cedar Park, TX
Tony Can Help With:
About Me
Hello! I'm Tony, your trusted Medicare agent in the area. My specialty is Medicare, and I'm passionate about helping you select the ideal plan that caters to your individual needs and budget. I'll efficiently sort through plans from reputable national and local companies, saving you time and effort. Best of all, my services are provided at no cost to you. Contact me to discuss your Medicare choices and don't forget to mention that you found me on Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Tony Merwin
I picked a Medicare Advantage plan because of the dental and now I found out it only covers cleanings. Why didn't anyone tell me this upfront?
Answer: Hard to truly explain why someone would fail to explain that, but ultimately it falls on the agent who helped you with the enrollment. Currently we're not within an eligible enrollment period to make a change to something more appropriate but you could easily add a low cost dental plan to help you through the remainder of the year until you can review your plan options for next year.
Why not just call the insurance carrier directly?
Answer: Ultimately depends on the carrier. Not all insurance carriers deal directly with consumers. But even when they do, you'll be receiving biased advise for that one insurance carrier versus say an independent agent who can compare your situation across multiple carriers. Regardless if you enroll in something directly with the carrier or through an agent, the cost and benefits are identical. So if it were me, I'd rather work with someone who can offer me unbiased advice across a myriad of options.
A Medicare supplement broker told me something about "extra lifetime reserve hospital days". What are those and how do they work?
Answer: These are reserve days available to you in the event you go beyond 90 days consecutively in a hospital stay benefit period. These reserve days are only used when you spend more than 90 days straight in a hospital.
Can you explain what "creditable coverage" means and when it applies?
Answer: It means that the coverage offers benefits comparable to or better than what Medicare offers. This primarily applies when choosing whether or not you should delay your coverage for Parts B & D of Medicare to maintain Group insurance coverage.
If a senior is turning 65 but still working, should they enroll in Medicare or delay it?
Answer: Ultimately it depends on a few variables which come down to cost, benefits and experience.
How much are you contributing to your employer group plan each month? How good is the coverage? Have you had a good experience.
I tell most clients that if you're spending more than $350-400 per month on your group plan then you should at least investigate what going full Medicare would look like and compare. Costs will vary by state but in most cases I've been able to provide much better coverage for roughly that same cost (including your Part B Premium).
I was already scheduled for total knee replacement when I took out my policy, will my supplemental plan G still pay?
Answer: Most likely, yes. However it may depend on how or when you enrolled in your Plan G. If you took the policy out during your Open Enrollment period with Guaranteed Acceptance then, yes. If otherwise then it's possible they could enforce a 6 month wait period for pre-existing conditions, but still unlikely. Generally a Medicare supplement carrier would not even issue the policy if they know you have a pending surgery verfiied by health underwriting.
Can I show my Original Medicare Card instead of my Medicare Advantage card, if my provider doesn't take my advantage insurance?
Answer: No. When you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, original Medicare is no longer handling your claims. The provider you visit must be in network or you will be responsible for possibly the total cost depending if you have an HMO or PPO plan. With an HMO you must always be in network except for emergencies. With a PPO plan you can visit our ot newwork providers under 3 conditions: #1 that provider accepts Medicare. #2 that provider is willing to accept the terms and conditions of your PPO. And #3 that provider is accepting new patients.