Karen Marriner, Medicare Insurance Agent
Karen Marriner
CalHealthAgent.com
Medicare Agent Licensed in CA
Contact Details
-
Location
Walnut Creek, CA
-
Phone
-
Website
-
Schedule An Appointment
Karen Can Help With:
About Me
Hello, I'm Karen, your neighborhood Medicare insurance advisor. My expertise lies in the realm of Medicare, and my mission is to assist you in identifying the perfect plan tailored to your unique requirements and financial capacity. Allow me to navigate the array of plans available from both nationally and locally esteemed companies on your behalf. And don't worry, my services are provided free of charge! Contact me to discover your Medicare insurance alternatives and don't forget to mention that you discovered me on Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Karen Marriner
What benefits are there to working with a Medicare Agent near me vs remote/virtual?
Answer: The biggest advantage to working with a local agent is that agents keep up-to-date on the medical groups in your area and which plans the groups contract with. This is particularly important if you’re looking for a Medicare Advantage plan and you have specific medical providers you want to see.
For Medicare Part D, why would someone pick a plan with a high total cost?
Answer: I don't ever recommend selecting a Part D plan based on premium alone. The only rational way to identify the optimal Part D plan for a client is to base it on the meds they are talking regularly. Once I have the medication list, I enter it into my planning tool so I can see total cost, meaning premium + out of pocket costs. Sometimes, depending on the meds, the premium can be as low as 1.80/mo or it can be 115/mo. You must look at total spend and not premium alone!
I'm turning 65 soon, when can I enroll in Medicare?
Answer: Your Initial Enrollment Period begins three months before your Medicare eligibility date. For example, if your birthday is 11/25/60, your Medicare eligibility date is 11/1/2025 and you can submit your application anytime after 8/1/2025.
What’s an underrated benefit of Original Medicare that many people overlook?
Answer: The rehabilitation/skilled nursing benefit. On Original Medicare, you can choose your rehab center (which is highly preferable to being told by an Advantage Plan which facilities are in-network). Additionally, Original Medicare will pay all costs for the first 100 days, which is far better than Advantage plans which typically only pay for the first 20 days and then charge a copay of over $200/day.
Is Medicare Part A enough for hospital coverage?
Answer: In 2025, the Part A deductible is $1676, which means you'll pay the first $1676 of your hospital bill. Understand that without Part B none of the professional fees will be covered so I don't recommend just having Part A.