Janet Cruz, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: 1. Safeguard your Medicare Card

• Treat it like a credit card number.

• Never share it with anyone who contacts you unsolicited—even if they claim to be from Medicare.

2. Know Medicare Will Never Call or Visit You Unsolicited

• Medicare will not call to offer products, services, or to issue a new card.

• Hang up on calls claiming otherwise.

3. Don’t Trust Caller ID

• Scammers can “spoof” numbers to make it look like they’re calling from Medicare or your local area.

4. Watch for Red Flags

Be suspicious if someone:

• Offers free medical equipment or services in exchange for your Medicare number.

• Asks for payment over the phone or through gift cards.

• Claims you need to “verify your identity” or that your benefits will be canceled.

5. Check Your Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs)

• Review them monthly or quarterly for unfamiliar charges.

• If something seems off, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Answer: There are state programs that can help you with Medicare expenses. You can contact the Medicaid office in your area.

Here are some types of help

QMB Qualified Medicare Beneficiary, if your income is less than $1,275 for 2025 you can get assistance with Part A and B Premiums, deductibles and co-pays.

SLMB Specified low income Medicare Beneficiary, if your income is less than $1,526 for 2025, it helps with Part B Premium.

QI Qualifying individual, if your income is less than $1,715 for 2025, it helps with Part B premium, first come, first served.

You can visit Medicaid.gov to find out more.

Answer: Yes, Medicare part B would cover it. An ambulance ride costs between $200-$2000 an average cost of an ambulance ride is $1,200.

You would pay the following:

Medicare deductible for 2025 Part B is $257

20% coinsurance on $1,200 is $240

Total for an ambulance ride is $497.

Answer: The catastrophic coverage phase worked this way, in previous years you would have to pay 5% of the cost of each drug or a small copay whichever is greater. After you reached the catastrophic ( troop). The plan and Medicare pays the rest.

Starting in 2025 once you hit the annual out of pocket max there will be no more catastrophic cost phase sharing.

The maximum (troop) limit for 2025 is $2,000 one you reached the $2,000 limit for out of pocket drugs, you pay nothing for your medications.

Answer: The biggest disadvantage about having an advantage plan is the limited provider networks and higher out of pocket costs when you go out of networks. It’s also a disadvantage if you live in múltiple states. Your limited to care based on your location, sometimes, it doesn’t travel with you.

Answer: A common Medicare myth—even some agents still believe is that Medicare covers long term custodial care. This is not true. Medicare does not cover long term care services. Such long term care services like nursing homes or asisted living care.

The only service that Medicare covers under care, is short term skilled nursing facility care after a qualifying hospital stay and only under specific conditions and up to 100 days. This is considered as helping with daily tasks, such as bathing, dressing, or eating.

Answer: Medicare does not cover assisted living—it actually falls short when it comes to help with high costs of assisted living. If assisted living might be needed planning ahead through Medicaid or other insurance is crucial. Medicare it’s primarily designed for medical care, not daily living support, like assisted living.

Answer: You can use concierge medicine with Medicare but :

Your experience will vary depending on whether your doctors take Medicare or not.

You’ll pay out of pocket for the membership fee.

You’ll still use Medicare for other medical services.

How it works with Medicare:

Your concierge doctor may bill Medicare for office visit or labs or they may opt out of Medicare all together. It all depends.

Answer: Medicare Parts A and B do not cover dental implants or other routine dental care. Such as:

Cleanings

Tooth extractions

Fillings

Dentures

The only way Medicare would cover dental work, is if it’s medically necessary, for example:

Jaw reconstruction, after an injury or tumor removal.

Infections or complications, where delaying the dental work, would impact another medicare covered treatment, like heart surgery.

Some Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C)

Offer dental implant coverage,coverage, copays and limits may vary by plan. Some may offer $1,000-$2,000, which will leave you paying the rest out of pocket.

Answer: Medicare advantage plans cover medically necessary eye surgeries, such as glaucoma or cataracts procedures.

Each Medicare advantage plan has its own cost sharing structure. You’ll need to review your plan’s summary of benefits.

Furthermore you may be responsible for out of pocket costs depending on the plan you have.

Answer: Marijuana is classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law indicating it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. So, no, it is not covered by Medicare. Medicare cannot cover substances that are illegal at the federal level even though state laws permit its use.

Answer: One piece of advice I wish every senior knew before picking a plan is not to choose it based on the monthly premium. Look closely at total annual costs and whether your prescriptions, doctors and hospitals are covered.

Many people look at Medicare Advantage plans with a $0 premium, but in the long run for serious issues they can come with a higher out of pocket costs later. This remains true especially if you need specialists, travel frequently or have chronic conditions.

Always check for maximum out of pocket limits to avoid unexpected expenses and make sure to always check the formulary for medications and network for your preferred providers.

Answer: Many people choose Medicare Advantage (MA) plans based on low or $0 premiums, only to find out later that copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket costs can add up, especially if you need frequent care.

Here’s a breakdown of a Medicare Advantage Plan, in my opinion

1. Low premium = higher cost-sharing: Plans with $0 or low monthly premiums often have higher copays for services like specialist visits, hospital stays, or physical therapy.

2. If you’re generally healthy and rarely need care, these plans can save you money. But if your health needs increase, the out-of-pocket costs can spike.

3. Networks can be limited: Some MA plans also have narrow provider networks or require prior authorizations, which can affect access and costs.

Whenever you have a Medicare Advantage plan, pay attention to the maximum out of pocket costs, which is usually $4,000-$9,000 annually depending on the plan. Compare it to what you’re spending and see if it makes sense.

This wasn’t a mistake it was a tradeoff based on what you knew and expected.

I hope this helps.

Answer: Medicare parts A and B is portable in all 50 states which means it doesn’t change.

If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, a Medicare Supplements or a Part D they are all state specific. You may have to change your plan based on the state you move to if you have any of these.

Otherwise, just update Social Security with your address.

Answer: It depends Medicare and Life Insurance are two separate entities.

Medicare covers:

Hospital Stays Part A

Medical Services Part B

Prescription Drugs Part D

Some preventive and outpatient care.

It does not provide Life Insurance.

Life Insurance provides a death benefit to your beneficiaries after you die.

Funeral/ Burial Expenses

Debts

Final Medical Bills

Estate Taxes

Bottom Line, Medicare doesn’t replace life insurance. You might want to have a small policy if you don’t want your loved ones burdened with final expenses or if you want to leave something behind.