Katie Wik, Medicare Insurance Broker
Katie Wik
Wik Benefit Advisors Corp
Medicare Broker Licensed in MN
Contact Details
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Location
Fergus Falls, MN
About Me
Bringing 10 years of Medicare experience (formerly on the provider side) directly to many parts of the country. I founded Wik Benefit Advisors in 2025 to offer clear, confusion-free guidance, ensuring you get the care you deserve. As a MN native, I'm passionate about protecting the people I serve. Let's simplify Medicare together!
Directions to My Office
Q&A with Katie Wik
My neighbor says I'm crazy for paying for a Medigap plan when Medicare Advantage is "free." What should I tell him?
Answer: You aren't crazy first of all, and it's a great question which most people have. There are different variables to Advantage vs. Medigap. 1.) Cost, what can you afford for a premium every month? 2.) what are your health costs currently, or possibly in the future? 3.) ONE A LOT DON'T KNOW ABOUT... do you like having the freedom of choosing your providers?? If you use some/ most (depending on your area) Advantage plans, you don't have the luxury of picking and choosing who you see, even specialists. Your primary is the "gatekeeper" to your health, and you can't pick and choose. this could be huge to some people to not have a choice of providers, networks, hospitals, ect...4.) Dental and vision aren't typically included in Medigap as it's more of an "a la' carte' type of situation. Sometimes dental and vision can be included with Medicare Advantage policies, but it SEVERLY depends on the area that you live in, not to mention, a lot of Medicare Advantage plans you have to set up your care through a third party to even get covered. 5.) Those are the major 4, I can think about, but there are more deciding factors as well.
Is Medicare Part A enough for hospital coverage?
Answer: It varies depending on one's Health, and budget. If they regularly are in the hospital or not, or are expecting to be. Also, cost is a major factor. There are extra policies that can be purchased, (i.e., Medigap or supplemental insurance, or a hospital indemnity plan) that can cover some items that original Medicare doesn't cover. I would suggest looking here: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/inpatient-hospital-care. They go over more of the things that are covered by Part A, and at the bottom they also discuss some of the costs associated with it. I know that is a vague answer, but it really does depend on one's own specific situation.
I'm turning 65 soon, when can I enroll in Medicare?
Answer: That is considered your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). You get the 3 months before your birthday month, the month of your birthday, and the 3 months after your birthday. This totals 7 months. So for example, If your birthday is July 5th, you would have all of April 1st - October 31st.
Can Medicare drop me for health reasons?
Answer: There are some reasons why Medicare can drop you, such as, you are no longer eligible for a specific type of plan, if you don't pay your premiums, or they stop offering your plan. But the short answer would be No, they wouldn't drop you because of your current, or future health status.
What do you like most about being a Medicare agent?
Answer: Providing great customer service, and being there for my clients. Medicare is extremely complex and changes regularly which can make someone who doesn't know a lot about it vulnerable. It's a full time job for us, and it shouldn't have to be for beneficiaries. Being helpful, and making sure that they are in the right plan for their health, and their budget is extremely important. Everyone has their own life story, and being able to accommodate to all different unique set of needs is a great feeling. I also like educating beneficiaries of their rights, and making them feel empowered and more confident in their Medicare healthcare decisions. I also love that I get to meet new people all the time!
What are the reasons why I should work with a Medicare agent?
Answer: Agents are a great resource for information. They take the guesswork out of Medicare, so that you can be assured that you are being enrolled correctly, and in the right policy or plan that works for you. There is no extra cost to you as a beneficiary. Agents and brokers need to go through annual testing and trainings to also keep up with Medicare changes that frequently happen, so you don't have to.
They are a "one stop shop" resource for all of your questions and enrollments each year, and throughout.
I'm caring for my spouse with dementia and experiencing caregiver burnout. Will Medicare cover any mental health support for me?
Answer: While Medicare typically aims at the beneficiary for coverage, there might be some options if you are not enrolled in Medicare yourself. There is something called "the GUIDE model" that CMS is testing that started in 2024. You can do some more research on it. There is an application process and criteria to meet in order to participate. If you, yourself is enrolled in Medicare, you can look in your summary of benefits of your specific plan to see what they might cover. Medicare Part B does cover some mental health services (i.e., depression, anxiety, some counseling services, etc. Medicare does cover some education and training services for caregivers as well.