Joe Graves, Medicare Insurance Agent
Joe Graves
HealthMarkets
Medicare Agent Licensed in AR, FL, IN, KY, MO, NE, OK, SD, TN and TX
39+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Serving
Oklahoma
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Phone
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Website
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Facebook
About Me
Greetings! I'm Joe, a Medicare insurance agent dedicated to serving your local area. Medicare is my area of expertise, and I'm committed to helping you pinpoint the most suitable plan for your individual needs and budget. I'll handle the research and comparison of plans from top national and local companies, so you can relax. Plus, my assistance comes at absolutely no cost to you. Reach out to me today to discuss your Medicare insurance possibilities, and remember to mention you found me through Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Joe Graves
What's the biggest mistake seniors make when choosing a Medicare Part D plan?
Answer: There are 2 important points in choosing a Part D plan: 1) use Medicare.gov to see how each plan works with your prescriptions, and 2) understand that almost all of the plans have a deductible either on all tiers or on tiers 3/4/5.
Can you help me understand Maximum Out-of-Pocket (MOOP) limits in Medicare plans, from your experience as an agent?
Answer: On Medicare Advantage plans, you pay copays as you use the plan. If you go into the hospital, your hospital copay is typically around $375-$400/day, so you could pay around $2000 in hospital copays. The biggest copays for most people that do push them to the out of pocket maximum is the Chemotherapy copay of 20%, or possibly around $4000/month. A good cancer plan can help pay the Chemotherapy copays. Once you have paid the Maximum in copays, then you pay $0 for covered medical events for the rest of the year.
Is telehealth still covered under Medicare in 2026?
Answer: Yes, it has been extended through December 31st, 2027. Here is the link to the source of the information
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/telehealth
My mom is considering switching to a Medicare Advantage plan because her friends say it's better. She's scared of losing her current doctors. How can we check?
Answer: Each plan has a provider directory where you can check to see if the doctors are in network.
"better" depends on your needs. Possible costs savings with nice extras? Yes, possibly better. On Medicare Advantage, you can easily save around half over a 5-year period over a Plan G/F supplement. However, some people believe the Plan G/F is "better" because of the freedom away from insurance networks and insurance hoops.
The "better" depends on which one lets you sleep better at night: 1) the cost savings/extras of Medicare Advantage, or 2) the freedom away from insurance hoops/networks of the supplement.
I'm on a fixed income and struggling to afford my medications. What's this Extra Help program I've heard about for Medicare Part D?
Answer: Extra Help is a program from Social Security that does several things if you qualify: 1) it may help pay your Part D premium, 2) it may lower/eliminate your Part D penalty if you have one, and 3) it may set your prescription copays at low amounts.
In general, a single person must have around $1500 or less in income with very limited asses such as savings or retirement funds. If you think you qualify, the Social Security department can help you apply for Extra Help.
I've been on my employer's health plan but am retiring soon. What should I consider when moving to Medicare?
Answer: There will be 2 answers to this depending on your age. Under 65 -- you could go on your Employer's COBRA plan for a while, or you would get a plan on heatlhcare.gov which will give a subsidy based on income. The higher the income, the more expensive healthcare.gov will be to you, and the affordable plans have VERY high deductibles. Or you could purchase a short-term health plan, which doesn't cover pre-existing conditions but are about one-third the cost of other plans. Or, if you attend worship services at least twice per week, you could explore Christian Sharing plans such as Medi-share or Samaritan Ministries.
Over 65, you could get another job that offers insurance, or you could possibly go on COBRA for a while, but your best option may be to go on Medicare where you could choose a Supplement or a Medicare Advantage. If you decide to go on Medicare ask your employer to send you a CMS-L564E form. They will know what it is. Once you have this form, I can help you apply for Medicare online, and if I'm contracted in your state, I can help you explore your Medicare plan options. Get a prescription plan or you will be assessed a late penalty when you get one later. I can help with this, too.