George Ibanez, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: The biggest disadvantages are that you have to go to doctors and hospitals that are in the network of the company that you sign up with and then you have copays for virtually everything that you need done, and in addition to this you have to get pre approvals for different procedures which you may or may not get.

This plans limit your doctors and hospitals that you can go and you may or may not be able to keep all your doctors and hospitals that you like.

Answer: Medicare supplement plan G and plan N have the same deductible, however, on plan G after the deductible is satisfied, you do not have to pay anything for doctor visits or emergency room visits and on plan N you have to pay $20 for doctor visits and $50 for emergency room visits.

Answer: Medicare part B covers the following tests at no charge:

1-Welcome to Medicare during your first 12 months of having Medicare B

2-An Annual Wellness visit.

3-an Annual mammogram for women age 40 and older.

4-Cervical cancer screenings every 24 months.

5-Colorectal cancer screenings.

6-Lung cancer screenings.

7-Prostate cancer screenings.

8-Diabetic screenings.

9-Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screenings.

10-Depression screenings.

Answer: The biggest mistake that seniors make when choosing a part D plan is to choose a plan strictly for the price of the plan , rather than taking in consideration the cost of the drugs, and the premium.

The right thing to do in order to get the best fit for you, is to contact your insurance agent, let them know what drugs you take including the strength and let them figure out which plan is the best plan for you after analyzing all the information.

Answer: Unfortunately Medicare does not cover assisted living and will not pay room and board or custodial care.

In order to get those services you will need either a long term care policy, or a separate policy that will help you pay for those services.

Answer: Medicare part A (Hospital coverage) covers the initial hospital stays, hospice stays and skill nursing facilities.

Medicare part B covers Doctors visits, preventive services, and Medical equipment

Medicare part C are the are the Medicare advantage plans. and Medicare part D are the drug plans.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans make doctors jobs much more difficult than Medicare supplements and doctors can come in and out of networks as they pleased if they are not happy with the advantage plan, so none of the networks are carved in stone and doctors can exit the networks.

One of the main factors for doctors leaving the networks is procedures pre approvals ans slow pay for the Medicare Advantage plans

Answer: Medicare save seniors premium money, however they have many copays for most services, so Medicare advantage plans may cost you a little more , but most of them do not have any copays and seniors are much happier with them.

Answer: Yes, unfortunately, this is highly common and normal. While the vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans advertise "dental coverage," these supplemental benefits are often very restrictive and leave seniors paying heavy out-of-pocket costs.

Answer: You can switch back to Original Medicare by disenrolling from your Medicare Advantage plan during designated federal enrollment windows. While you will not face financial penalties for switching back, you may experience significant gaps in supplemental coverage (Medigap) or face a Medicare Part D late-enrollment penalty if you do not orchestrate the transition correctly.

Answer: When you have Medicare and another type of insurance, a set of rules called the Coordination of Benefits determines which insurance pays your medical bills first. The primary payer covers its share of the bill first, and the secondary payer covers remaining costs only if the service is covered under their plan.

Answer: I honestly have never heard anything like this before and if your doctor asks for that you should tell your doctor to teach you how to do it.

Answer: Medicare advisors will work with people who have dementia as long as the client has a representative who has the power of attorney for the client.

For Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage quotes, contact George.

Answer: Yes, you can get Medicare, but you will have to pay for Medicare Part A and Medicare part B out of your own pocket

Answer: In 2025, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) significantly enhances Medicare Part D by capping annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,100 for beneficiaries, eliminating the "donut hole" coverage gap, and introducing a monthly payment plan option.

For more information or for a Medicare supplement plan contact George.

Answer: Both tests are covered for Medicare supplement plans and Medicare advantage plans, with the Medicare Supplement plans they will be $0, and with the Medicare advantage plans they will be between $350 and $475, depending on which Medicare Advantage plan you have.

For information, contact George.

Answer: The best Medicare supplement company would be the ones that have the lowest rate increases, since all Medicare supplements of the same letter are 100% identical and they are all Federally regulated.

For information on the best Medicare supplement rates contact George.

Answer: Insurance agents are not allowed to discuss the new products for the AEP till October 15th, so generally speaking you should call your agent between October 15th and December 7th if you want to make changes to your plan.

Answer: Medicare generally falls short supporting seniors who need assisted living and does not cover long term care costs such as custodial care.

Answer: Medicare generally does not cover home modifications like stairlifts, ramps or widened hallways, even for safety reasons.

Answer: It is only available but only during specific life qualifying events such as losing employer coverage, moving out of your service area, or your Medicare plan withdrawing for the area or losing it's contract with Medicare.

For more information or a quote contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Things changed a lot for 2026, however, that does not necessarily means for the best depending upon which plan you currently have, but right now it is not possibly to change your plan till the next annual enrollment period which is between October 15th and December 7th of this year.

For more information contact and ask for George.

Answer: Annual notices of change are mandatory for insurance companies to send, so you should get an ANOC every year with your Medicare Advantage plan and your Medicare drug plan.

Answer: The first thing that you need to decide is if you prefer to go on a traditional Medicare Supplement plan or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Both plans are very different, and Medicare supplements are much more flexible. They cost a little more than Medicare Advantage plans, but they give you access to all doctors and hospitals because they have no networks, which means that you can go to any hospital or any doctor that you wish to go to, and there are no referrals needed or copays.

For more information, contact. George Ibanez.

Answer: After the end of the open enrollment you cannot change plans again till the following AEP which is October 15th through December 7th.

Answer: The strategy is very simple, and if the person can afford a Medicare supplement plan and they don't want to deal with networks, copays, and pre-authorizations, we always recommend to go with a Medicare supplement plan G and they will have a much more pleasant experience.

Answer: Hospitals are increasingly dropping Medicare Advantage plans due to excessive administrative burdens, prior authorization denials, and slow payments to the hospitals by the Medicare Advantage insurance companies.

For information on switching to a Medicare supplement plan, contact George.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans are required to cover all home health care services offered by original Medicare, including home health care, skilled nursing, and home healthcare aids.

You must be under the care of a doctor, and you must be homebound, but unlike Medicare supplement plans, they may require you to use specific in-network home health services.

For more information, contact George.

Answer: Most Medicare part D plans have the medications classified in Tier 1,2,3,4,and 5 and the rule of thumb is very simple, and the lower the tier of the medication the lowest the price, and the higher the tier, the higher the price.

Answer: If your parents have a Medicare supplement plan, they can go to any hospital that they want in or out of state; however, if they have an Advantage plan, unless it is for emergencies, they will have to go to hospitals that are in network with their plan.

For help, contact George Ibanez

Answer: All advantage plans require pre-authorizations for procedures, and the only way to avoid that is to switch to a Medicare supplement plan.

For hel,p contact George Ibanez.

Answer: The first mistake is to go into a Medicare Advantage plan without doing the proper research and not looking at what doctors you can go with your plan and the drugs that are available with your plan. The second mistake and probably the biggest mistake is not realizing that when you first go on Medicare you have open enrollment for 6 months, so you can go on any Medicare supplement plan without going through underwriting, without realizing that once you go in a Medicare advantage plan and you are in it for 1 year, you cannot switch back to a supplement without medical underwriting, and if your health takes a toll for the worst and you have any kind of serious illness, you will not be able to pass underwriting and switch to a Medicare supplement plan and you will be stuck with the Medicare advantage plan forever.

For more information on Medicare supplement plans, contact George.

Answer: The first thing that I would do is to make sure that you are dealing with a broker, and not with a call center with hundreds of unlicensed agents that will never service your account.

I normally recommend that you check and that you are dealing with a brick-and-mortar agency that is established and has been in the business for at least a decade with a good track record.

Contact George for help.

Answer: Medicare does not coordinate between both of your doctors, they only look at the bills and if its a Medicare approved expense and you have satisfied the deductible THEY WILL PAY THEIR 80% PORTION OF THE BILL AND THE REST IS UP TO YOUR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT COMPANY TO PAY.

Answer: If you have an HMO, you can only see doctors that are in the network, and they will not pay anything if you go to your cardiologist or any other doctor out of the network.

If you want the flexibility to go to doctors out of the network, you will have to switch to a PPO or to a Medicare supplement plan.

For more information contact George.

Answer: Medicare covers cancer screenings and they cover Breast, Cervical, Vaginal, Lung, and Prostate cancer screenings.

They are covered in different frequencies, and often annually, or every 2 years for average risk like annual mammograms for women 40 plus.

Answer: The only way to avoid IRMA charges is to max out your 401K contributions, convert a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, or avoid high turn over mutual funds that create taxable gains.

If your income drops due to a life event, you can appeal the charge with the social security administration using a form SSA-44.

Answer: If you have a Medicare supplement plan or Medigap, any hospital will accept your plan, and you will never have a hospital that is considered out of network; however, if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, there is no guarantee that a hospital will accept your plan unless they are in network with your Medicare Advantage company.

Also be aware that if you have a Medicare Advantage plan and you go to a hospital that is out of network, you risk paying a much higher daily copay, or that they will simply not accept your insurance at all.

For more information about Medicare supplement plans, contact George.

Answer: If you are working and your employer provides creditable coverage you do not need to apply for Medicare part B, however, if you don't have creditable carrier from your employer and you do not apply for Medicare B then you will be paying an extra fee for your Medicare when you need your part B coverage and the penalty never goes away.

Answer: There is no Medigap plan, including BCBS and all Medigap plans will raise your premium a minimum of once per year , and some of them like Mutual of Omaha even twice per year in certain states.

Answer: You can still get CT scans at age 78 since there is no cutoff for CT scans and your doctor is the one that will determine if you need a scan based on your personal risk factors or comorbidities such as kidney or heart disease.

Some doctors are also concerned about doing multiple scans since the scans expose the body to radiation which can increase the risk of cancer.

Answer: Discount cards do not affect the way your prescription drug plan works at all; however, whatever you buy outside of your prescription drug plan with your discount plan will not go towards your maximum out-of-pocket expense.

The discount cards are normally great for inexpensive drugs, but they will not help you pay for expensive drugs.

For more information on Medicare supplement plans, contact George.

Answer: Plans with higher star ratings receive bonus payments from Medicare, and they must use the funds for extra benefits, which incentivizes consumers to use the plans due to their higher ratings and the extra benefits.

For more information, Contact George.

Answer: Medicare cuts will mainly affect people that have Medicare advantage plans or that are on Medicaid.

If you have a Medicare supplement plan or Medigap plan, you shouldn't be affected by it and you will only be affected by the rate increases that your current insurance company implements based on their annual increases.

If you have a Medicare supplement plan and you get a rate increase, you should shop your rate and see if there is an insurance carrier that may have a better rate.

For more information contact George.

Answer: People are unhappy with Medicare Advantage plans because they have networks of doctors and hospitals which most doctors and hospitals don't participate so you may not be able to go to your doctor that you like and you will also require pre approvals for surgeries , and procedures such as MRI's and other ones.

Answer: Guaranteed issue means that you have the right to enroll in a Medicare supplement plan without any underwriting whatsoever, and you can enroll in any Medicare supplement plan of your choice without answering any medical questions.

Contact George Ibanez for more information.

Answer: The maximum out of pocket expense for drugs that are covered in your formulary for 2026 is $2100 and once you spend that amount the rest of the drugs should be $0 for the rest of the year and that level of coverage is called catastrophic drug coverage.

For more information contact George.

Answer: Nursing homes have nothing to dop with Medicare Advantage plans, since Medicare Advantage plans cover only skilled nursing facilities but they do not cover long term nursing homes, so there should be no effect whatsoever.

Answer: Medicare A is free of charge when you turn 65 as long as you have contributed to Medicare through your employer, however Medicare B is not free and it has a monthly premium of $206.50 for 2026.

In order to sign for ANY Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage plan you will have to have both Medicare A and Medicare B or you will not be able to sign up for any Medicare insurance whatsoever.

For help with your Medicare needs contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement is a much better plan than any Medicare Advantage plan but they do not include Dental or vision, however you can purchase a Dental and Vision plan and keep your Medicare Supplement plan, and it would be a far better solution.

For more information contact George Ibanez.

Answer: If you select a Medicare Advantage plan and you regret going into that type of plan, you can move back to original Medicare and a Medicare supplement plan, and you will not have any penalties.

For more information contact George Ibanez.

Answer: There are many options available depending upon the community that you move in and the type of plan that you want to have such as a Medicare supplement or a Medicare advantage plan.

Some Medicare supplement plans will not approve a policy for people living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, however all Medicare Advantage plans will accommodate your needs.

For more information contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Local agents are more in tune with your plans in the community and are normally more familiar with the plans and benefits.

Remote Agents that work in call centers are normally very poorly trained, and you will never talk to them again, nor will they service your accoun,t and all they want is to make a sale and run.

For more information, contact George Ibanez.

Answer: The worst decision that people regret is to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and get sick, and not being able to enroll in a Medicare supplement plan and being stuck in a Medicare Advantage plan with all sorts of copays and restrictions on doctors and hospitals.

For information on getting a Medicare Supplement plan, contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Tell your neighbor that your plan is far better than his, and you have no copays and no networks and that his plan was a terrible choice, but he will find out when he get sick and needs to go to a hospital or require any type of services.

It sounds like you are the smart neighbor lol!

Answer: In order to switch Medicare Advantage plans have to be switched during the Annual enrollment period between October 15th and December 7th.

You can call our office and we will be able to help you, compare and review all the plan,s and find you the one that works best for you.

Contact me.

Answer: Nobody knows when Medicare will run out of money, and these are all speculations and assumptions which nobody really knows and it is all background noise that is all created to get people concerned for no reason.

Answer: The out-of-pocket costs after a surgery will depend upon which kind of Medicare plan you have, so if you have a Medicare supplement plan, you should not have any out-of-pocket costs, but if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you will have many expenses and copays associated with your surgery.

For more information, contact George Ibanez.

Answer: All Medicare plans offer support for arthritis and for chronic pain management, and the level of support will vary depending upon which Medicare plan you currently have.

For more information, contact George.

Answer: Most Medicare plans include Medical nutrition therapy, obesity screening and therapy and additional preventive services, and mental health.

For more information, contact George.

Answer: I would recommend that you hire an elder care lawyer and they deal with it professionally since this is a very delicate subject and I am not an attorney and I cannot give you legal advice, however, there are lawyers that specialize in this type of situations.

Answer: Medicare supplements give you the flexibility to go to any doctor you want or any hospital you want, without pre-authorizations and they do not have copays unlike Medicare Advantage plans.

They are just a formidable option and much better than Medicare Advantage plans, however, they are not free and you will have a monthly premium.

George Ibanez

Answer: You can get a letter from his doctor and get a power of attorney form signed and notarized and that should be enough to present to any agent for you to be able to help and sign for your parent.

Answer: The best sign is to look at rate increases that are over 5% and have a professional broker with access to every Medigap plan compare all the rate of the plans of the same letter than you have and see if your price is out of line compared to other carriers.

For more information contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Medicare part D only covers prescription drugs, and Medicare Advantage plans cover the Medical portion of Medicare plus also the drug plan part.

They are completely different products and they do not interact with each other, and a Medicare part D is normally used when you have a Medicare supplement plan in order to cover the drugs.

Answer: Special approvals will depend upon what type of Medicare plan that you have, but will require a prescription from your doctor to get a wheel chair paid by Medicare.

Answer: Providers are dropping Medicare Advantage plans by the thousands since they are not getting paid enough by the insurance carriers providing Medicare Advantage plans.

I would advise anyone who can afford a traditional Medicare supplement plan to switch immediately to avoid the risk of losing their doctor and their hospital.

George Ibanez

Contact me.

Answer: Concierge Medicine is paid directly to the doctors and probably your doctor will not bill medicare since he is a concierge doctor and the whole idea of being a concierge doctor is that they do not have to bill medicare or an insurance company.

Answer: The 2026 maximum out of pocket expense for part D plans is $2100 so it does not matter how much the prescription cost as long as it is in the formulary of your drug plan provider your maximum out of pocket should be $2100 per year.

Answer: Not finding a dentist with a Medicare Advantage plan is a very common issue, which is now becoming a common issue with not finding a specialist as well.

My recommendation would be to call an agent who can help you identify all your doctors before you enroll in a plan, or you can change plans between October 15th and December 7th, and make sure that all your doctors are in the plan.

For help looking for your doctors, contact me. George Ibanez.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans may be premium-free, but far from being free, since you will have copays for virtually EVERYTHING that you need, from hospitalizations to procedures and doctor's visits.

They are clever marketing and nothing else!

If you need good coverage, just pay a small premium and get a Medicare supplement plan!

For more information, contact George Ibanez.

Answer: Every senior should know the difference between a Medigap plan and a Medicare Advantage plan, and how they both operate, and the restrictions that Medicare Advantage have versus Medicare supplement plans.

If the senior wants to go to any doctor or any hospital without any restrictions, they should go with a Medicare supplement plan, and they would be able to go anywhere that they want to go without restrictions of any kind or pre-authorizations.

For more information, contact me. George

Answer: Medigap plans are FAR SUPERIOR compared to Medicare Advantage plans because they have NO networks and there are NO referrals or Pre-authorizations required.

Additionally, Medicare Advantage plans have copays for virtually EVERYTHING, and Medicare supplements have no copay, except for plan N, which only has a $20 copay for doctor visits and a $50 copay for ER visits.

Contact George Ibanez for additional questions or pricing.

Answer: Medicare costs are based upon income and it takes in consideration both spouses income regardless of when you got married.

There is a chart called IRMA chart which will show you the minimum amount charged by Medicare as well as the brackets showing you the increases on your Medicare premium depending upon your combined income with your spouse.

You can google the word Medicare IRMA 2025 chart and it will show you the current Medicare charges.

Regards

George

Answer: Medicare Part A covers hospitalizations, however Medicare B covers the Outpatient surgeries and the claim for outpatient surgery will be submitted under Medicare part B.

Answer: First let me start by saying that your mom's friend is wrong and if your mom has a Medicare supplement, it is a far superior product with no networks, and no pre-authorizations so she does not need to check if a doctor is in network or not, and she does not need pre-authorizations from an insurance company to get any procedures done.

The only advantage of a Medicare Advantage plan is price and if you want your mom to have the best care available make sure that you DO NOT switch her to a Medicare advantage plan or she will be sadly disappointed.

If you need good advice on Medicare insurance plans you should consult with a professional agent .

Regards

Answer: The easiest way to find out would be for you to look at your Summary of Benefits from the plan that you have, and it should tell you exactly what services you are covered for and the amount that you are covered for your hearing aids; however, not all Medicare Advantage plans have coverage for hearing aids.

For help, Contact George Ibanez.

Answer: When selecting a Medicare supplement or a Medicare advantage plan, there are no financial questions, and the BK will have no impact on your coverage or options.

For additional information, contact George.

Answer: This is a complex answer that will require much more detailed information from you, and I cannot answer without the additional information.

If you need an accurate answer, contact George Ibanez.

Answer: An agent works directly for an insurance company or they represent only one company unlike the Broker who represents many insurance carriers and is able to recommend whatever plan works best for the consumer and they are neutral when it comes to recommendations.

Answer: Well, there are a number of reasons why you should, but the most important is that if you make your plan decision on your own, you could make a mistake that you may never be able to fix for the rest of your life.

Medicare insurance brokers also represent multiple insurance companies and will be able to show you which companies will work better for you, also which ones are the most conservative when it comes to rate increases and who gives the best customer service, as well as staying on top of your premiums and help you change carriers if an out of line increase would occur and guide you through the process.

Finally, Medicare insurance agents DO NOT cost you or charge you ANYTHING for their services, so why would you take the chances of making the biggest mistake of your life by making a decision on your own or calling an insurance company directly and getting only 1 rate, rather than the best rate that you can get?

For a professional opinion, contact George, and I will personally help you.

Answer: When you move to another state, it creates a Special election period with Medicare called SEP MOV, and you can switch to a new plan at that time.

Contact me if you need additional help!

George

Answer: The biggest misconception is to explain people why Medicare supplements are far better than Medicare Advantage plans due to misleading statements on TV commercials and making them understand that the reason that Medicare supplements are so much better is because they can go to any doctor or hospital and they don't have to worry about networks as they do with Medicare advantage plans, and they also do not have to deal with copays as they do with Medicare Advantage plans.

There is no such thing as free rides with Medicare plans, so when you are getting a $0 premium Medicare advantage plan, you will 100% pay copays for many important services, such as hospitalizations, MRI's, and other services, and with an advantage plan, you will also need referrals to go to most specialists, if not all of them.

For professional and honest 100% answers, contact George.

Answer: I have never seen one of those seminars to be anything but a waste of people's time, and if you want good information about the Medicare supplement or Medicare advantage plans, you should speak to a broker that represents multiple companies for you to choose from , look at all your options, and decide which one works best for you.

We are brokers, and we represent multiple companies that we can help you choose from and analyze all your needs.

Contact me.

George

Answer: The coverage will not change, however, you will need to call your broker or a new broker and look at the rates in the state that you are moving to see if it will benefit you to get a rate reduction.

Considering that CA has high rates, you will most likely enjoy a rate reduction.

For a great rate, contact George.

Answer: Without a doubt in my mind, original Medicare with a Medicare supplement plan is a superior option that doesn't even compare to ANY Medicare advantage plan. Part of the reason is that there are no networks for Medicare supplement plans and you can go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare and there are no pre- authorizations on Medicare supplement plans either.

For more information, contact George.

Answer: All Medicare supplement plans are federally regulated and should be the same in your state, no matter what carrier you select; however, the pricing is not the same from company to company, and your plan letter selection is also very important, and the timing is also important.

If you need help finding the best plan for you, call me

George.

Contact me.

Answer: Approval or denial of Medicare supplement plans depends on various factors, including age, state, and medical conditions, and these requirements differ from state to state.

If you want a specific answer about your own circumstances, I will need you to provide more details about your situation, and I should be able to let you know once I have the specifics.

This is George, contact me and I will help you

Answer: You should have a professional agent that can explain the bills to you and have recommendations for you to put your Dad in the right prescription drug plan so you don't keep drowning in paperwork and keep paying bills that you don't understand and maybe that you shouldn't even have to pay.

Feel free to call me on Monday, and I will be glad to point you in the right direction.

Contact me.

George

Answer: Your income will not affect your Medicare eligibility; however, it will affect your Medicare premium due to IRMA, which adjusts your cost of Medicare in a grading scale depending on your income.

We will be happy to tell you what your Medicare monthly payment is if you contact us, so you can plan accordingly.

You can contact me.

George Ibanez

Answer: Medicare only covers the cataracts single vision lenses, and if you want the bifocal lens implants you will have to pay for the difference.

Some people don't tolerate the bifocal lenses, so if you get the bifocals and you cannot get use to them , it will require a second surgery.

Answer: If you want to make sure that it goes away, you should call the social security to make them aware of your changes and that your income has been reduced since sometimes they miss it and you wouldn't want to pay more than what you have to pay.

Answer: Your doctor probably coded the test as a Physical instead of coding it as a wellness check and that is why you got a bill from the doctor.

The AWV is a yearly check-in with your primary care provider to create or update a personalized prevention plan, while a physical exam is a more comprehensive evaluation that includes a hands-on examination and may involve diagnostic tests

Answer: The only way to verify the benefits is to call an independent broker and never call a TV commercial since they are all call centers and they are not going to offer you the plan that is best for you since most of them only sell one plan and the call center agents are generally very poorly trained.

Best place to call is Medigap Agency Group with all season agents that represent multiple companies. Please contact me.

Answer: The reason that they can afford it is because although you will have a $0 monthly premium payment is because Medicare reimburses the insurance companies for your treatment, however, keep in mind that all Medicare Advantage plans have copays for many of the services that you will receive and you will be personally responsible for the copays which in some cases may be very large.

Answer: Medicare A and B are great, however, they have large deductibles, and you would be responsible for 20% of the bill with no cap which will potentially bankrupt you if you have a major medical expense.

I have seen medical bills over 500K and you definitely do not want to be responsible for 20% of a large bill, so my recommendation would be to get a Medicare supplement to take care of the 20% that Medicare will not cover for you.

Answer: Maximum out of pocket expense is a term used for Medicare Advantage plans as it relates to your share of responsibility for the services provided, and once you reach the maximum out of pocket expense the plan pays 100% of covered medical services.

Your premium and prescription drug costs don't count towards the MOOP.

Answer: Yes, you can change your Medigap plan at any time during the year, and go with whoever you like. There are no special election periods, you just simply need to qualify from an underwriting stand point and you can go to any insurance carrier that you like.

Answer: Medicare planning is a very complex subject that should be discussed with a professional broker that has access to Medicare supplement plans as well as Medicare advantage plans since everyone's needs are very different.

I would advise that you select an independent broker rather than going to an insurance company direct since the insurance company will not give you multiple options with other companies other than themselves and they may not have the plan that suits you best.

Always check with a broker!

Answer: This is a very specific question, which you should consult with your agent since there are so many plans and your agent should be able to look at the Evidence of coverage from your plan in order to give you an accurate answer.

Answer: Medicare covers medically necessary blood tests which include diagnostic tests ordered by a doctor to help diagnose illnesses, as well as preventive screenings, however routine or annual blood work may not be covered.

Answer: You need a traditional Medicare supplement with Medicare being your primary and your supplement being your secondary coverage.

Contact me if you have additional questions or if you need a supplement.

George

Answer: Going directly to a carrier is a big mistake since carriers can only offer you their own products and you would be limiting yourself to only one quote, many rate increases over time, and no solution to lower your rate when you have a rate increase.

Also the rates will be the same as going through a broker , but you will not get any of the personalized service and you will not be able to have someone dedicated to you that understands what you need.

Answer: Networks, limited doctors and pre-approvals seem to be the biggest issues with Medicare Advantage plans.

Answer: Medicare has gone up very little over the last 10 years, however Medicare supplements have been going up in price at a rapid pace and it seems like insurance companies are losing money due to unsustainable claims from Covid and unfortunately I don't see the prices coming down.

Answer: In my opinion Plan N is the best overall option for Medicare supplement plans and although you have a $20 copay for doctor visits, it offers overall the best value compared to plan G or plan N unless you are going to the doctor multiple times per month.

Answer: The answer is not so simple, but basically if your employer is providing and you are enrolled on your employers plan, it will depend on 2 things.

1-Are you happy with your employers plan?

2-Is your employers plan good?

3-Is your employers plan expensive?

If you are happy with your employers plan, and you don't want to leave the plan till you stop working, then you do not have to do anything, however, in most cases Medicare with a supplement offers much better coverage and cheaper than most employer plans and it has lower deductibles and lower copays and in some cases no copays at all.

Answer: It will help you relief the sting of having to pay for expensive medicines all at once and it will help you breakdown the expense into monthly payments rather than paying all upfront.

Answer: The new $2000 MOP expense limits your exposure and the maximum amount that you will pay for your drugs for the year.

Answer: If you go in an advantage plan and you get sick , you may not be able to go into a Medicare supplement at a later time and you may be stuck with an advantage plan that you may not like.

Answer: Backdating is not allowed, and you would have to speak to Medicare if you missed the enrollment and enroll in the next enrollment date available or apply for a special enrollment period.

Answer: Medicare supplements are not regionalized when it comes to benefits, and the benefits are the s same no matter where you go in the USA, but Advantage plans differ from region to region.

Answer: You will need to call your insurance company and find out what specific benefits they offer for durable medical equipment since they are all different.

Answer: Medicare supplements include international coverage, however, it is limited and I would recommend to purchase travel insurance to be on the safe side.

Answer: If you move to a new state and you have a Medicare supplement plan, you must notify your agent so that they can adjust your rates to the proper rates to the state that you moved to, however if you have a Medicare Advantage plan you will have to call your agent to enroll you in a new plan for the state that you move to since Medicare Advantage plan are different in every state and every county.

Answer: Medicare covers very limited amount of home health care, and this could include some help for limited periods of time after hospitalizations, but it is not a permanent solution.

Answer: You will automatically get Medicare , but you need to make sure that you get Medicare A and Medicare B activated.

Answer: Medicare advantage plans are very restrictive when it comes to the doctors that you can use as well as the hospitals that you can use and pre-approvals for procedures and I do not think that they will ever replace traditional Medicare with a Medicare supplement or Medigap plan since Medicare supplement plans are far superior in every way.

Answer: Scope of appointments are required by Medicare in order to discuss Medicare plans and this is a normal procedure and nobody is exempt from doing this form.

Call centers are required to do the same as anyone else.

Answer: Technology works well however there are so many factors that technology will not address that there is no replacement for an experienced agent.

There is no substitute for a well trained, and experienced Medicare insurance advisor.

Answer: Picking the wrong plan could be a long term bad decision, so going into Medicare knowing the difference in the plans could be a game changer for some people.

Answer: I like to help people that go into Medicare without knowing their option and help them navigate through the complexities of Medicare.

Answer: It all depends on what type of plans that you have and what type of plan your friend has, since not all plans offer silver sneakers.

I will be glad to look into it if I know a little more about the plan that you have, and I can even suggest which plans will pay for silver sneakers for you.

Please contact me.