Gary Haft, Medicare Insurance Agent

Answer: HSA SAVINGS ARE PERMITRED TO BE USED AFTER RETIREMENT FOR MEDICAL EXPENSES AND I BELIEVE CAN BE USE TO PAY FOR MEDICARE PLAN PREMIUMS - BEING PAID FOR A MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PREMIUM. I DON’T THINK YOU CAN PAY YOUR MEDICARE PART B PREMIUMS (IRMAA FEES) WITH HSA MONIES.

Answer: It is actually true. The $2,000 drug cap is actually based on the total retail cost of the drugs. All drugs must be on the plans formulary list in order to count towards that $2,000 cap

Answer: Since I am in the business, I read all the articles on Medicare, which you too can do, but I get much of my information directly from the Insurance Carriers and some information directly from Medicare. I find that 98% of Medicare Supplement clients never change their policies. As for Medicare Advantage Plans, they seem to change each year to some degree and that means clients/policyholders need to really talk to their agent or a new agent about comparing their current Medicare Advantage Plan to a new plan during the Annual Enrollment Period between October 15th and December 7th each year. There are usually some changes in the Medical Benefits and many times there could be changes to their Drug Formulary and that means you need to check to see if your current prescriptions are still covered on their formulary list. You also wish to make sure your doctors/providers are still on your plan as well as they are permitted to leave the plan any month of the year with 30 days notice to the carrier, but you cannot do that. -- Gary Haft

Answer: You must tell the doctor when you make the appointment for the annual physical that this appointment should be submitted as your Free annual physical. You see doctors don't get paid the same as if it was a regular visit.

Answer: Simple - if you enrolled in Medicare late meaning after your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), which would be within the 7-month enrollment when you are approaching age 65. The 7-month period is the three months before your month you turn 65, the month you turn 65 and the 3 months after you turn 65. If you miss this 7-month period when enrolling in Medicare, then you will be penalized for the rest of your life.

Answer: Medicare does not cover any medical expenses outside the USA. When you are on a cruise ship you are technically outside the USA. If you have a Medicare Supplement, it covers benefits outside the USA up to $50,000 lifetime benefits after you meet a $250 deductible. This deductible is separate from your Medicare Part B deductible of $257 (for 2025). Once you use up that $50,000, it is gone forever. Keep in mind that all claims outsider the USA must come to the insurance carrier in ENGLISH and you will be submitting the claim directly to your carrier.

Answer: I ask prospects to come to my office if they are within a reasonable proximity to my office and sometimes if I am able - I can meet them at their home and I show them all their options and explain how these options work and we can then be able to choose the right plan to fit their needs and budget. It gets a little complicated at the start, but when I am finished, you will be able to understand it all.

Answer: AI is so new that I am not totally sure what Medicare will cover, but if Medicare approves of the claim submitted by your provider, then obviously Medicare will cover their portion and if you have a Medicare Supplement, then your supplement will pay its portion of the claim. Medicare pays 80% of what they approve and your supplement would pay 20% of the Medicare approved amount.

Answer: To ask what are all the plans available to them and the cost of the monthly premium for each plan so they can choose an affordable plan. There are many carriers that offer the plans and the question is really, "Which Carrier is the right one?" The right carrier is not always the least expensive one. But the question is how long has the carrier been in the Medicare Supplemental market to know how experienced they are.

Answer: IRMAA is the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amount and this changes each year and is based on your Modified Adjusted Gross Income for the last filed tax return which in many cases is the tax return from two years prior. Therefore for 2025, the tax return used is the 2023 tax return or if you have already filed your 2024 tax return, that may be used. Your income may be more than your friends and therefore you will pay more.

Answer: I am not sure of your question - but Medicare is looking for the lowest possible cost and therefore looking at the Medicare Advantage Plans overall - it seems the costs have increased substantially, and they are finding that there are more claims that are possibly not medically necessary causing the Medicare Advantage Plan to possibly cost Medicare more on their side than the Medicare Supplement and Original Medicare. Understand that Medicare pays a flat amount of money to each carrier for each enrolled member to a Medicare Advantage Plan and if your expenses exceed that amount, the carrier loses money and therefore many times looks for another way to charge Medicare for that excess. The amount Medicare pays to the carrier for that enrolled member depends on the health of that member.

Answer: Medicare DOES NOT cover hearing aids. If you are on a Medicare Advantage Plan, many of these plans cover a portion of the cost of a hearing aid. therefore if you want a good set of hearing aids, you will likely need to pay out of pocket. If you are a Veteran, the VA does provide a free paid of hearing aids but it may be determined by your disability.

Answer: Your Medicare Supplement will work anywhere in the world, but it us usually for an emergency situation. If you are just not feeling well and it is not life threatening, you are likely not going to get the claim paid. Remember that you have a $250 deductible to meet before your Supplement would pay, therefore if you are not feeling well and you go see a doctor, and your cost is less than $250, then it is all out of your pocket. It is always recommended that when traveling outside the USA - to consider taking out international insurance that covers your health and medical expenses. Just be aware that these plans do have limitations and restrictions.

Answer: No one can avoid IRMAA, unless your MAGI is on or below the basic income. For 2025, if your household income is below $212,000 for a married couple or $106,000 for a single person, then you pay the standard base rate of $185/mo. Any income above these figures, you will pay a higher amount.

Answer: Medigap or Medicare Supplements do not have provider networks and therefore you can see any provider of your choice. Medicare Advantage Plans all have provider networks. HMO Plans you must use only "In-Network" providers and PPO's allow you to go out of network, but you must ask that provider if they will accept the "terms, Conditions & Fees" associated with your Medicare Advantage Plan. Out of network providers are not mandated to care for you and could ask you to pay out of pocket.. Most of the time if they are not on the plans network, they will not necessarily work with you.

Answer: Medicare agents go through certifications each year or two to be able to learn the products available so they can help you choose a plan to meet your needs. The only thing I find in the 41 years I have been working with seniors on Medicare Plans is that many agents are out to sell you a plan that makes them the most money. Most younger agents starting out in the business might do that so they can build up their business. If you speak with an experienced agent who has been in the business a long time, will tend to be more straight with you and really show you plans to fit you and your budget and not concerned as much at the commission they will receive as long as they get paid from the carrier. --Gary Haft,

Answer: Medicare itself does not cover, Dental, Vision or Hearing. BUT, Medicare Advantage Plans - many of them cover some of these extra benefits, but you must use their facilities, meaning you must use their dental facilities and their hearing vendors as well as their vision vendors. If you have a dentist that you wish to maintain and he or she is not on the dental provider list of the Medicare Advantage Plan, then you have to decide if you are willing to change dentists. If Medicare Supplements were to add these benefits to their plans, they would have to increase their premiums to cover some of those benefits or make them an option to add them otherwise if they are included at a higher premium, many that don't need or wish to have those benefits would end up paying for them for everyone else.

Answer: I do not believe that Medicare will ever be privatized. If that were to happen, then we would have to go to National Health Care like Canada or England and other countries, but something like that really can't happen in the USA because it would mean that everyone on America would have to be on the same plan and that includes the U.S. government employees including the President and Vice-President and all those in the Congress and the House and the Senate and you know that they have the best insurance in the world and we Americans are paying for their insurance, so why would they agree to lowering their benefits?

Answer: Sorry to say - NO, as far as I know. Why would there be any tax benefits for paying Medicare premiums, whether you are a retiree or if under 65 on disability.

Answer: Normally you are automatically on Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) as of the first day of the month of your 65th birthday, even though you have not applied for it. Do you have to apply for Medicare Part B? No - not while you are still working, whether you are on your employers group health plan or an individual health plan. If your group has 20 or less employees on the group plan, then Medicare is Primary and you may be required to enroll in Medicare in order to have coverage. If the group is larger than 20 employees (21 or more) then Medicare is secondary to your group plan and your plan pays first and Medicare pays second. I don't recommend that anyone enroll in Medicare if they are still working unless they are required to. Besides, if you are on the group plan and NOT enrolled in Medicare, you do not have to pay the Medicare Part B fee.

Answer: It all depends on your working status. If you are still working, even in a tight budget, if you take your Social Security early at age 62, you will get approximately 25%-30% less and for the rest of your life with the lower amount AND you will have to pay back money if you earn over the threshold working prior to your full retirement age (FRA). Once you make it to your FRA, then you can earn as much as you want. If you delay to age 70, for each full year above your FRA (Let's assume your FRA is 67), then you will get an additional 8% per year for three years, that's 24% more income. It is up to you. I personally waited to age 70 to get 32% more as my FRA was age 66.

Answer: No - If you are on Medicare Disability prior to age 65, then you have another chance at a guaranteed issue of a Medicare Supplement at age 65. Those on Medicare Disability realize the cost of a Medicare Supplement is very expensive and most people will take out a Medicare Advantage Plan (as long as you have both Medicare Parts A & B) where it is more affordable but not necessarily the best choice for insurance.

Answer: Usually Medicare Part A covers you very well. If you enter a hospital for an overnight stay and you do not have a Medicare Supplement, you would have to pay a deductible of $1,676 whether you are in for one overnight stay or up to 60 days. If you have a Medicare Supplement, then between Medicare and your supplement you are fully covered and that deductible would be paid by your Medicare Supplemental plan. You are covered up to 150 hospital days thru Medicare and your supplement, but your supplement covers you for an additional 365 days.

Answer: The only way you can do that is if you have been on a Medicare Advantage Plan for 12 months or less and this includes all Medicare Advantage Plans combined for those twelve (12) months. Once you hit the 13th month, you can no longer move from a Medicare Advantage Plan to a Medicare Supplement without answering the Medical Questions.

Answer: You can see your current doctors on a Medicare Advantage Plan if they are listed in their Provider directory and obviously must be currently on their provider network. Otherwise you will need to look for new doctors/providers within the Provider Network of that Medicare Advantage Plan. Each Advantage Plan has a different directory.

Answer: IRMAA Never does away. There will always be IRMAA. If your income is less than $106,000 (for 2025) as a single person or $212,000 for a married couple (filing jointly) then you would pay the base rate of $185.00/mo. It is suggested to notify Social Security if it drops below the above figures.

Answer: Your contract with your Medicare Advantage Plan is set up for a "Calendar Year" and therefore you cannot leave that plan until the next enrollment period effective date (January).

Simply speaking - When you sign up for a calendar year plan, you are basically stuck with the plan for that calendar year.

The Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) October 15th thru December 7th each year with a start date of January 1st of the following year.

Answer: A Medicare broker is on who represents several insurance companies that sell Medicare Plans.

A Medicare Agent is someone who works for Medicare directly.

Answer: In order to prevent fraud - make sure you check all your claims and bills against the Medicare Summary Notices you receive and make sure the doctor or provider has not entered any additional services that you did not receive.

Answer: Working with a Medicare Agent near you just makes the relationship a little stronger as you now know the agent and it is a little more personal. But working with an agent remotely is not a bad thing if it is a referral from another client. That client has already worked with the agent and has a trust in that agent. I prefer to meet with clients locally if at all possible as it builds a better relationship between client and agent.

Answer: If you are retiring next year - are you turning 65 or are you already 65+. What you need to do will determine whether you are already on Medicare Part A & B and whether your current insurance is better than what is offered by a Medicare Supplement or is a Medicare Supplement better.