Esther Miller, Medicare Insurance Agent

Answer: I have 10 years experience and also know the local hospitals, clinics and providers in Washington State. I'm also here locally to answer your questions about your policy throughout the year.

Answer: I first listen and ask questions to understand their Medicare needs. The next step is to match them with more than just one option, so they have choices and the plan fits within their budget and health needs.

Answer: The most common misunderstanding is that Medicare pays 100% of your medical costs. While there are many free preventative tests and services available, there are deductibles and Medicare in general, only pays 80% of allowed services, which is why most people choose to have a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage Plan to get additional coverage.

Answer: Medicare is funded through the workforce for future generations which is why it is very important that every person working is contributing to this program. We have many workers in the US who are either self-employed or undocumented who are not contributing, that gap needs to be fixed by having a legal path to citizenship for those workers who will also benefit from Medicare when they retire.

Answer: Nor asking enough questions! Never assume what works for a friend or neighbor will work for you. While you may get a good idea if your friends are satisfied with their healthcare plan, by working with an agent, you'll be able to compare all your options and find the plan that is best suited to your needs and budget.

Answer: Your primary care physician may need to make the referral before its approved by your plan, especially if you have a HMO plan vs a PPO or HMO-POS plan where you can select specialists on your own instead of through your primary care provider. The other situation is the specialist you selected may not be in network. Again with HMO plans you always need to stay in network. With a PPO plan, you can choose a specialist who is not in network, but you will pay significantly more if you do. Check either with your agent or the customer service to find out what your options are to resolve this issue.

Answer: Yes, it's a good idea to get in touch h with a local licensed agent.

You may have questions whether you need to make any changes to your existing Supplement or prescription drug plan and if you have an an Advantage plan you have a SEP special enrollment period to change to a new state plan or even a Medigap supplement under guaranteed issue.

Your local agent can help you find providers, and knows the local doctors and hospitals near your new home.

Answer: It depends. If you have credible health insurance through your employer, the answer is no as long as you keep your healthcare coverage and you are also entitled to Medicare Part A hospital coverage in addition to your work insurance. If you currently don't have any employer sponsored insurance or only catastrophic insurance, then yes you will want to sign as soon you are eligible for both A and B coverage and talk to a Medicare Health Insurance agent.

Answer: If you are all ready collecting SSI benefits, you can get Medicare benefits as soon as 24 months after you have started to collect SSI benefits, you do not have to be 65 years old. Just go to SSA.gov to sign up for Medicare or call 1 800 Medicare to help guide you through the process. Note: Your local licensed Medicare insurance agent can also help guide you through these steps.

Answer: Yes and no. You have to stop contributing to these plans when you reach 65 and you can't use them for Medicare Supplement (Medigap) premiums, however you use the tax-free distributions for Medicare Part B premiums, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage premiums or Medicare Advantage premiums or the co-pays you may have to pay for your insurance costs.

Answer: You will not get in any trouble for reported suspected fraud or billing errors to Medicare.

If you believe this is an honest billing error, contact the billing agent first to try and get it corrected. You can also contact your agent for assistance in determining if an actual billing error occurred.

If you do suspect either fraud or wastefulness, you can contact Medicare directly at 1 800 Medicare. Your complaint is completely confidential.

Answer: There are many Medicare Advantage plans that have a zero premium, but you'll want to compare the benefits you are getting as some have a lower maximum out of pocket costs, while others have more ancillary benefits like dental, vision or additional chiropractor care. Other plans will cover your medications better. Medicare Supplements, while they cost more money than most Advantage Plans, will cover your medical costs more comprehensively and if you have chronic health conditions and need healthcare frequently, this actually might be your best option. You need to compare all these factors to find the plan that will truly be the best value, rather than just the cheapest.

Answer: I am a Medicare Insurance agent specialist, not a financial advisor. Your best advise would come from speaking directly to Social Security or your own licensed financial advisor who can tell you the pros and cons of when to start collecting your Social Security.