Deborah Webster, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: I enjoy helping seniors navigate the Medicare space. I offer after-sales customer service to assist them as they use their Medicare plans and also offer ancillary products to improve their coverage.

Answer: They are not "free" plans, these plans are a pay-as-you-go plan. They do offer benefits that original Medicare does not offer, such as coverage for Dental, Vision, and hearing.

Answer: Medicare coverage is set up by CMS (center for Medicare and Medicaid services) If regulations are changed in the future, that we cannot predict but an illness such as heat stroke are covered by Medicare.

Answer: Contact an Elderly Care Attorney to help with full Power of Attorney. They assist with setting up a Medical or full power of attorney status. This way, you can have full control of what is happening with your loved one. Typically, not a very expensive investment to have the authority to make decisions on behalf of a family member who can no longer make those decisions on their own.

Answer: Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplements are the only two options available to lower the gap left with traditional Medicare. We are currently seeing a strong trend toward Medicare Advantage plans with our seniors. Neither option is wrong, it's about making sure that the coverage you choose fits your situation. The system is designed the way it is; we can only maneuver within what systems we have to work with.

Answer: Traditional Medicare does not cover eyewear. I cannot really answer this question in detail because I do not have enough information about what plan she was enrolled in. I would need more details about the circumstances in this situation.

Answer: Most of the Medicare Advantage plans will cover diabetic counseling. This counseling is covered at no cost to the member. Diabetic testing supplies are also covered on these plans at no cost to the member.

Answer: this is concerning that you don't have your preferred hospital in the network. Are you on a Medicare Advantage PPO plan? This would still allow you to go to that hospital (although you may pay a higher co pay), If it is an emergency situation, your plan would still cover an out-of-network hospital.

Answer: Either way insulin are now capped at 35 per month you do need to make sure the insulin you are taking is on the formulary of the plan. That is where an agent like myself can help guide you through the plans.

Answer: Original Medicare is the same regardless of what state you reside in. Your supplemental plans will have to change to what is offered in the state you reside in. You will want to contact your agent or your plan to find out what is provided in the state you are relocating to.

Answer: Your plan may offer smoking cessation coverage. Typically, the Medicare Advantage or Part C plans offer smoking cessation. You can look it up in the insurance company's evidence of coverage or call customer service, or your agent if you are unable to find the information in the evidence of coverage.

Answer: Drug plans do cover many weight loss drugs such as Ozempic. Be sure to look at your drug formulary to determine which medications they cover as well as any deductibles or co-pays that may apply to this medication, to determine what your out-of-pocket costs may be.

Answer: We would need to look at what plan your on and compare. I am independent and work with lots of carriers and plan options

Answer: You can call your drug carrier and have them apply for a payment plan to spread the cost of your medications over the whole year.

Answer: Medicare seminars are designed to educate people turning 65 about how Medicare works. Compliance does not allow agents to talk about any specific carriers or any benefits at those seminars. So no these are not " sales pitches".

Answer: PPO's allow you to go to out-of-network doctors. (at a higher cost sharing) PPO's however, can still require a referral to see a specialist. To find out whether your company requires this, you should check this information in your evidence of coverage document.

Answer: You may be eligible for a federal retirement group retiree plan. This will not affect your Medicare eligibility but may offer you better plan options than someone who is only eligible for individual Medicare plans.

Answer: You are eligible for A& B when you turn 65. You can call Social Security about any of your benefits questions. You may also access everything online through the social security website ssa.gov

Answer: Most generally, there are already apps in place with Medicare Advantage plans. If you did not receive the information on how to sign up by mail or email, you can call the customer service number on your Advantage plan card.

Answer: Medicare does not cover any of the above. Whether or not they should is irrelevant because it's not covered. Sending feedback to your congressmen or to Medicare would be a way to let them know what the public wants or needs. Medical costs are increasing, so the expense to consumers will continue to rise regardless of whether they cover any extras.

Answer: Contact the carrier you have for your Medical coverage, or refer to your evidence of coverage on your policy. If all you have is original Medicare, you may call 1-800-Medicare for more information.

Answer: You may purchase stand-alone plans available in your state. Medicare Advantage plans often have some Dental and Vision coverage as well.

Answer: No, you should be able to access the dentist who are participating by calling member services or go on your member website to look up the dentist who are participating with your Medicare advantage carrier.

Answer: Medigap plans are a supplement to Medicare A and B ( Original Medicare). Medical plans do have health underwriting. The only time you do not have to pass underwriting is when you are first eligible for B outside of that you must be able to pass underwriting. Medigap companies do not all have the same health questions. It's important to work with an agent who has multiple options to look at underwriting and find a carrier who may take your current pre-existing conditions.

Answer: You can contact your insurance agent to help you file an appeal if you like. If you don't have an agent, you can contact customer service on your health plan and they can help you with the appeal process.

Answer: I personally think they are trying to give seniors access to choices.

As an agent, I think they are more hindering than helpful.

Medicare.gov shows seniors all choices online, and they offer a ship office

for those who don't have access to the internet.

Medicare also welcomes feedback from seniors on Medicare.

Answer: Yes, you can pay part A& B, and D premiums are eligible. Medicare Advantage premiums would

also qualify. Medicare supplement or Medigap policy premiums do not qualify for pretax HSA.

Note: Contribution to your HSA account must cease at this time.

Answer: Specified disease plans such as heart attack, Cancer and Stroke are additional policies one can buy that will give extra help to pay for costs for treatment; additionally can be set up to cover travel expenses as well.

Answer: People may leave a Medicare Advantage plan to go to another one during open enrollment.

Some people may try a Medicare Advantage plan and then decide to go back to a Medicare Supplement plan. As far as how many are on Medicare Advantage vs supplement, there are now more Medicare beneficiaries on Medicare Advantage than supplement plans across the US.

Answer: Medicare is a straight 80/20 plan with deductibles on A & B. Medigap plans lower that potential out-of-pocket and eliminate the A deductible. If you're eligible for a plan F medigap, you also eliminate the part B deductible.

Answer: Yes, the max in 2025 is 2,000 while the max in 2024 was 8,000. There may be deductibles on your plan if you are on brand-name medications. Work with your agent to determine whether the deductible will apply on your medications.

Answer: This information is in your evidence of coverage. If you worked with a broker to sign up for your part D plan, the agent should have covered that when you signed up. This information is also available on Medicare.gov