Christopher Boyd, Medicare Insurance Agent
Christopher Boyd
Bankers Life
Medicare Agent Licensed in IN, KY, MI, OH, PA and TN
Contact Details
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Location
Evansville, IN
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Phone
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Website
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LinkedIn
Christopher Can Help With:
About Me
Greetings! I'm Christopher, a Medicare insurance agent dedicated to serving your local area. Medicare is my area of expertise, and I'm committed to helping you pinpoint the most suitable plan for your individual needs and budget. I'll handle the research and comparison of plans from top national and local companies, so you can relax. Plus, my assistance comes at absolutely no cost to you. Reach out to me at 812-549-7323 today to discuss your Medicare insurance possibilities, and remember to mention you found me through Medicare Agents Hub!
Directions to My Office
Q&A with Christopher Boyd
What's one piece of advice you wish every senior knew before picking a Medicare plan?
Answer: Over 90% of seniors I have met over the past 13 years, wrongly assume Medicare will financially cover their long term care needs. Thankfully, we offer protection for those needs as seniors become more frail and require care their families are often unable to adequately provide.
Additionally, for those seniors who do not receive federal, state, or VA assistance with their healthcare, Medicare Advantage plans come sometimes become difficult to navigate. Especially relating to network and pharmacy network pricing guidelines. I stand ready to assist anyone with Medicare or retirement planning challenges.
Can you describe a time when you helped a client navigate a complex Medicare issue?
Answer: A recent retiree transitioned from Group health insurance to Medicare Supplement coverage. They have called me a few times with claim or coding problems from the hospital billing their prior coverage after they joined Medicare. After calls to Medicare and the hospital, we were able to correct the billing dispute.
How do Social Security and Medicare work together for people with disabilities?
Answer: Those Americans receiving SSDI will automatically be enrolled into Medicare Parts A & B not later than their 25 month after their SSDI started. If an American citizen is receiving SS benefits other than SSDI (at age 62), they will automatically be enrolled into Parts A&B when they turn 65.
How can you create a comfortable environment for discussing Medicare with your parents?
Answer: The best discussion tool is the most recent version of the Medicare and You Handbook. If you are enrolled in Medicare and do not receive the Handbook in the mail, simply download it from the www.Medicare.gov website.
Is Medicare Part A enough for hospital coverage?
Answer: If the senior does not receive federal or state financial assistance, the senior maybe responsible for hospital inpatient deductibles or copays. Medicare Supplements may cover this cost at 100% depending on the supplement chosen. Medicare Advantage or Part C may have daily hospital copays for a limited number of inpatient admission days.
I'm retiring next year - do I need to do anything with my Medicare?
Answer: You need to inquire about Long Term Care planning, as you cannot rely on Medicare funding or the Medicaid Spend Down provisions to be pleasant for you or your family. If you are eligible for credible healthcare coverage from your employer, you will most likely not need to inquire into Medicare enrollment until 90 days before you plan to lose group coverage and enroll into Medicare, assuming you are going to be 65 or older or are not under the SSDI provision of automatic Medicare enrollment.
What shift has been observed in Medicare spending, particularly regarding Medicare Advantage plans?
Answer: Some plans which were in place in 2023 and 2024 have had their Maximum Out Of Pocket (MOOP) increase in 2025.
What are some ways to ensure your parents feel supported during the Medicare decision-making process?
Answer: Be with your parents when they meet with an insurance agent to discuss Medicare plans/supplements and their various options. Be sure to ask if their desire to travel out of state or out of country (if applicable) will impact or be impacted by their choice of Medicare plan/supplement.
How does life insurance contribute to financial planning?
Answer: Life insurance is often an important element of financial and estate planning. In most cases, the death benefit proceeds from a life insurance policy are tax free when paying out to a naturalized citizen. This is very important when discussing the lost income of a spouse.
Will I be penalized if I do not enroll in Medicare when I turn 65?
Answer: You may be penalized in you don't meet certain criteria such a active credible coverage in your state, which may exempt you from enrolling into Medicare while employed and receiving group insurance. Never assume one way or the other. If in doubt, call 1(800)MEDICARE.
What imbalance exists in prescription drug spending, and how has it impacted overall costs?
Answer: In 2025, Medicare eliminated the Part D Coverage Gap (a.k.a. Donut Hole). This now limits the consumer from spending over $2000 on all covered prescription drugs. However, not all plans may cover all of your medications, so ensure you verify Part D plan options in your zip code at www.Medicare.Gov.
How do discount cards and resources affect my Medicare Prescription Drug plan?
Answer: In most cases, discount cards or pharmaceutical company assistance is not available once a senior enrolls into Medicare Part D or Part C (with drug coverage). There are exceptions to this, but Medicare Part D/Part C can provide significant coverage support for most commonly prescribed medications.
What is the biggest disadvantage of Medicare Advantage?
Answer: Two common complaints raised by seniors: 1) the insurance agent (over the phone or in person) did not explain the Maximum Out Of Pocket (MOOP) costs per year and 2) network restrictions or provisions and their implied costs of the Medicare Advantage plan. Will those network restrictions impact my travel across the USA or outside the country?
Another complaint, not as often, but is financially significant, is the senior was unaware that in most cases, after the senior has been enrolled in the MA/MAPD for more than 12 consecutive months, they may not health qualify (Cancer, Stroke, Heart Attack, Dementia, COPD, etc) to go back to a Medicare Supplement and may be limited to MA/MAPD coverage for several years.
Can I switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Supplemental/Medigap plan during the Annual Enrollment Period without answering health questions?
Answer: State regulations vary and State Insurance Commissioners are discussing this very issue currently in 2025. In some cases, due to illnesses or medications, a senior may never be able to return to a Medicare Supplement which requires Underwriting and some companies may require a physical exam at time of application. In most cases, the "Turning 65" or "leaving an MAPD/MA after 12 months of enrollment" may be the only time a senior with chronic illness or prescriptions will have guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement enrollment entitlement.
Am I eligible for a Special Enrollment Period if I lose employer coverage?
Answer: Current Medicare rules allow a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) when someone loses creditable group coverage and is 65 or over in most states. This entitles the retiree to enroll into Parts A, B, C, and/or D. In most cases, the senior will be required to the pay the entire Part B and/or Part D monthly premiums at that time and for the rest of their retirement.
Why is the new $2,000 out-of-pocket maximum for drug costs important?
Answer: From 2006 to 2024, Medicare Part D had various costs sequences throughout the year for a senior, where their out of pocket costs would vary but not have a final stoppage point, until the year ended. In 2025, if their Part D or Part C plan covers all of their prescriptions, the senior is now limited to $2000 out of pocket for all covered medications. For example, they could reach the $2000 limit in August 2025 and they would no longer have any out of pocket costs.
Also, in 2025, Medicare allows seniors to request their share of certain medications to be broken down monthly versus one large deductible in January. This option must be requested by the senior to their respective Part D or Part C plan.
Does Medicare cover eye exams, or are seniors left paying too much?
Answer: Cataract surgery and other intraocular eye treatments or eye surgeries are covered standard to plan deductibles and copays and varies between Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage. In 2025, Original Medicare will not pay for routine optometry with the exception of one set of glasses following cataract surgery. Medicare Advantage plans can offer some optometry coverage but that coverage and limits are set each year by the private insurance company. Although some MAPD/MA plans cover some glasses coverage, there are limits. Thus, the senior could still pay $200 to $400 or more for higher costs options on their glasses after the MAPD pays some of the costs.
How can I get dental and vision coverage with Medicare?
Answer: In most cases, Original Medicare (in 2025) will provide very little or zero coverage for routine dental and vision costs. Most MA/MAPD plans offer some limited dental/vision coverage. Some dentist will recommend a senior purchase a stand alone dental insurance policy accepted by their dental practice. All dental coverage plans (private and MA/MAPD) will have plan limitations and some plans have waiting periods for some treatments/procedures.
Which Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap) offers the best value for most seniors, and why?
Answer: This is not a cookie counter answer for all seniors based on their health and desired premiums, co-pays, deductibles and future rate increases. As of Jan 1, 2020, Medicare Supplements Plan C and Plan F were no longer available to new to Medicare seniors (a.k.a. Turning 65). There are still many others supplements available in most states. Some retirees will opt for Plan G, while others may opt for Plan N or Plan High Deductible G.
What role do you think technology will play in the future of Medicare?
Answer: Enhanced coding and billing.
Better diagnostic opportunities to diagnose cancers and other illness sooner, allowing potential lower costs treatments and better survivability.
Less Medicare Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
Better communication from primary care to specialists to ensure unnecessary tests or procedures are not conducted.
Do I have to answer health questions when switching from one Supplemental/Medigap plan to another?
Answer: In 2025, some states allow a "Birthday Rule" allowing seniors to change plan to plan at or around their birth month. For example, the senior may be able to change from Medicare Supplement Plan G with company A to Plan G with company B with no health questions during their birth month.
In other states where this provision does not exist, in most cases, a senior with chronic illnesses cannot switch to another Medicare Supplement plan or company without Underwriting (a.k.a. health questions) and some health conditions and/or prescriptions may prohibit the senior from changing plans.
In what situations will Medicare pay for medical services in a foreign hospital?
Answer: Some Medicare Supplements have a Foreign Emergency Travel provision which has an 80% coverage after a $250 deductible and a lifetime coverage of up to $50,000 for emergency care if the illness/injury occurred within the first 60 days outside of the USA.
Is Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage better? Why do you recommend one over the other?
Answer: This is not a cookie answer for either option and if you talk to an agent who pushes one option over the other, go somewhere else.
For some citizens who receive Federal, State, or VA financial assistance, Medicare Advantage may be their only option. For Military Retirees who have TriCare for Life as an example, they currently would not need to pay for a Medicare Supplement.
Know Your Customer, is an Insurance saying which means the agent/broker should explain all options available to the senior.
In most states and zip codes, there are several Medicare Supplements such as Plan G, Plan N, High Deductible G, etc as well as several Medicare Advantage Plans. The senior should spend some time with the agent and gain a thorough understanding of all options available to them based on their unique circumstances.
What role do annuities play in retirement planning?
Answer: Annuities can provide a safe, secure, and guaranteed investment option for retirees. But there are limitations and Best Interest criteria which must be met to protect the senior from financial harm. Insurance companies and regulators are working to ensure all annuity sales are conducted in an ethical, Best Interest process which benefits the senior, their family, and the insurance company.
Does Medicare fully cover nursing home care, and are there alternatives?
Answer: In 2025, Medicare Part A is Limited to only 20 days of full Skilled Care and partial co-pay of up to 100 days total, per benefit period, when the senior leaves the inpatient 3-day minimum hospital admission stay. This is limited to Skilled Care Only. Not residential nursing home/long term care stay.
Medicare provides zero Long Term Nursing Home Care funding. Per the 2025 Medicare and You Handbook, there are only TWO Nursing Home coverage options: Medicaid or private Long Term Care Insurance. Further, the Medicare Book recommends seniors plan for their long-term care NOW to ensure they can get the care they want, in the setting they want, in the future. Medicaid Spend Down laws can vary state by state and change each year.
Long Term Care Insurance policies written in 2025 and beyond can provide coverage at home, adult day care, assisted living, hospice, nursing home care, etc, without having to spend down ones assets and keep help control of their money and indepence.