Kent Hoyle, Medicare Insurance Broker
Kent Hoyle
Kent Hoyle Insurance Agency
Medicare Broker Licensed in MO
47+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Serving
Missouri
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Phone
About Me
Hello! I'm Kent Hoyle, your trusted Medicare agent in the Joplin area with 46 years of experience. My specialty is Medicare Supplement Insurance, and I'm passionate about helping you select the ideal plan that caters to your individual needs and budget. I appreciate all of your questions. The more you know, the more you will be comfortable regarding the policies YOU select. Being a Broker, I'll efficiently sort through plans from reputable national companies and run quotes with about a dozen companies saving you time and effort. Best of all, my services are provided at no cost to you. Contact me anytime, my business hours are anytime you need me even weekends, to discuss your Medicare choices and don't forget to mention that you found me on Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Kent Hoyle
Who can help me figure out this Medicare "maze and alphabet soup" it's so confusing.
Answer: Great question, this is a Niche market in the insurance industry that is very different than other markets one has probably ever encountered. For sure a challenging market that requires a great deal of in-depth knowledge and research. A couple of documents coming from the Centers for Medicare (CMS) are a must read due to the fact that all dictates emanate from that source. They are MEDICARE & YOU and CHOOSING A MEDIGAP POLICY.
Obviously, a Broker, someone that is contracted with numerous companies, not an Agent, a person contractually tied down to only one company, would be in the consumers best interest to choose to work with.
It is in the best interest of the consumer to select a Broker that specializes in Health Insurance and is willing to give you ample amount of time to and encourages all questions to satisfy your understanding. If that has not been provided, then that may not be your best Broker of choice.
If a senior is turning 65 but still working, should they enroll in Medicare or delay it?
Answer: If a senior is still working at age 65 they should NOT sign up for Part B if they are going to retain the company group health insurance plan they are currently on. Part B should only be activated when that employee decides to come off of their group plan.
However, often times it is beneficial for that employee to come off of the group plan and switch to the combination of Original Medicare/Medicare Supplement/Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan than to stay with their group plan. Probably the main variables to consider would be to what extent is the employer assisting paying premiums for the employee and also comparing the RX benefits on the group plan verses the Stand-Alone Prescription Drug Plan.
Why would you not choose a medicare Advantage plan?
Answer: None of the Medicare Advantage plans are GUARANTEED RENEWABLE FOR LIFE; however, all of the MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT POLICIES ARE!!!
Medicare Advantage plans are either PPO's or HMO's, meaning the companies direct the beneficiary to which doctors and hospitals to go to; however, with Medicare Supplement policies you can select any doctor and hospital in the entire country as long as they accept Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans will not always be portable from state to state or even from county to county. Your Medicare Supplement policies just like Medicare go with you.
Medicare Advantage plans will have co-insurance and co-payments each year often as high as $10,000. The most common Medicare Supplement plan, Plan G, has a maximum out of pocket for doctors and hospitals of $255 in 2025 or $283 in 2026.
Probably one of the most important differences between the Medicare Advantage plans and the Medicare Supplement plans, in my professional estimation, is who adjudicates the claims.
With the Medicare Supplement plans the Center for Medicare, a very neutral party, starts the adjudication process and the insurance company MUST accept the decision of CMS and pay the balance of the claims less the deductible. With the Medicare Advantage plans CMS, the neutral party, does not adjudicate the claims but instead the decision is left up to the insurance company, and they do have a vested interest in making a profit.
My friend got her cataract surgery covered by Medicare, but they didn't cover the lens she wanted. How does that work?
Answer: There will be three different lens options for consideration regarding cataract surgery. The most basic will be coverable by Medicare if deemed medically necessary; however, the other two options will have a higher cost and the beneficiary will need to pay for the upgrade.
Is it ok to work with a younger Medicare Advisor?
Answer: Let me answer this question with a question. If you were going on an expensive foreign trip and were hiring a trip chaperone, would you hire one that has never been to that location before or would you prefer to hire someone that not only has been there but also lives there?
True understanding and empathy only comes from someone that has or is walking in those same shoes.
As a senior, what should I know about the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage before I choose?
Answer: In my professional opinion as a Broker and beneficiary, if you wish to give the insurance companies the advantage, write a Medicare Advantage Policy. Why do I say that, because it is the insurance company and only the insurance company that will adjudicate your claim. To prove my point, during the Annual Election Period, 10/15 - 12/7 each year, watch the very expensive TV commercials. Almost all of the advertisements are encouraging beneficiaries to write Medicare Advantage Policy policies. Do you think for a minute the companies are going to encourage you to write policies that will cost them money or those that are most lucrative for them? Whereas with Original Medicare the claims are adjudicated by the Center for Medicare.
Reasons to select Original Medicare and a Medicare Supplement policy.
Only Medicare Supplement policies are Guaranteed renewable for Life. None of the Medicare Advantage policies are written as such.
Only with Medicare Supplement policies can you alone select all your Healthcare providers whenever and wherever you choose throughout the entire United States. No PPO’s or HMO’s.
If you move to another part of the country, your Medicare Supplement policies goes with you. This may not be true of the Medicare Advantage policies which can sometimes even be accepted only in certain countries.
Granted there are many other positive as well as negative features with both choices. Do your own do diligence and follow your own gut feeling.
Is it ok to meet with multiple Medicare Brokers and Agents as I start looking for help?
Answer: First let’s start off with the difference between an agent and a Broker. An agent most often contractually will only be able to offer you policies with only one company and maybe not even a company they would desire to work with themselves. This would be what we call in our industry, a captive agent. Usually this would likely be an agent that also writes property and casualty policies.
Where as, a Broker will have contracts with numerous companies; therefore, being able to afford the prospective insured the opportunity to select among the best options available in the entire market.
It would be prudent to make sure your representative allows you all the time you need to ask and answer all of your questions. Also ask them for their cell phone number in case you may need them outside of the normal business hours. If that is not acceptable, you may find that to be a red flag.
Yes it is entirely ok to visit with more than one Medicare professional before making your final decision.
I'm interested in nutrition counseling to help manage my diabetes. Will Medicare cover this as preventive care?
Answer: This is a very good question. Any time a person has a question that is not specifically addressed in the Medicare and You Handbook, it is always in a persons best interest to pick up your phone and merely call 1-800-MEDICARE.
Hearing your answer from the main source that adjudicates the claims is always comforting. This answer is true if the beneficiary has Original Medicare and a Medicare Supplement policy.
However, if the beneficiary has a Medicare Advantage policy, the Center for Medicare is not the source to make that determination but instead your specific insurance company.
What are the reasons why I should work with a Medicare agent?
Answer: The Medicare insurance world is very different than any previous health insurance one would have previous experienced.
It is a niche market in which you would only want to have a trusted and experienced professional broker to assist you. This market has many Federal Guidelines as well as State Statutes that must be strictly adhered to in order to achieve success.
I have heard of some people's providers dropping their Medicare Advantage plans. Should I be worried about this?
Answer: If you are concerned about your Medicare Advantage policy being canceled from one year to the next, that would be a legitimate concern because that is exactly what the insurance companies can do. The companies have that prerogative; however, Medicare Supplement policies are Guaranteed for Life.