Lauren Hebert, Medicare Insurance Agent

Answer: The best time to choose a Medicare Supplement is always during your "guaranteed issue" period that ends 6 months after your Medicare Part B effective date. Which one to choose depends a lot on your insurance attitudes and comfort with "out-of-pocket" costs. Many of my clients choose "High Deductible" Medicare Supplements understanding that the tradeoff for lower premiums is some out-of-pocket risk... Others choose more expensive options because they don't want out-of-pocket costs. The lifetime cost of each of these options is likely similar, so it depends more on attitude than money.

Answer: You will not for *covered* medical services. You may have some costs for other services and cost-sharing for Rx.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans have never offered "gift cards" in the states I work in (Minnesota. Wisconsin, N & S Dakota. They have offered debit cards with benefits such as dental and eyewear loaded on them.

Answer: This answer might surprise you... Maybe not. Bear in mind that 80% plus of your coverage is coming from Medicare itself, but, since Medicare has no annual out-of-pocket limit, your costs could be high in some cases. No matter what you do, you will be paying either premium or cost-sharing. I would also pay attention to other advantages/disadvantages of the types of plan available in your area as well as the numbers.

Hope this helps!

Answer: Like many systems, they are. However, they are also resilient and consistent. Working with an independent broker will help you get through it... I counsel humor & patience.

Answer: The term "gaps" might cause some anxiety, but I try to help my clients develop a realistic understanding of "the gaps" so they can make appropriate decisions for their secondary coverages.

To start with, there are no huge omissions in the medical care that Medicare covers... Medicare covers medically necessary care and protects beneficiaries by limiting how much providers may charge. "The gaps" are simply your share of the cost. For example, under Part A, Medicare will cover hospital costs in most cases except for a deductible per admission of $1736 (in 2026). And Medicare Part B generally covers 80% of charges for things like physician services, labs etc.

The big issues are that Medicare has no "Annual Out-of-Pocket Limit" and it does not cover pharmacy drugs... Your goal is to choose added coverage that covers your drugs and limits your out-of-pocket risk.

Hope this helps!

Answer: Your options to change plans will depend entirely on what type of plan you're enrolled in. If you have a more traditional Medicare Supplement (Medigap), you typically will not have the option to change plans. If you are currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may change plans during the "Annual Election Period" Oct 15- Dec 7 each year, you also may make one more change between Jan 1 and Mar 31 during the "Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Cost Plan, you might have a monthly option to change plans.

Answer: While Social Security provides a $255 death benefit to survivors & dependents, Medicare has no such benefit. Many people of Medicare age choose a life insurance plan called "Final Expense" life insurance if they don't already have life insurance.

Answer: Many of my clients are referred to me by their financial advisor or P&C agent... But the majority are referred to me by current clients. Maybe a good place to start, besides a page like this, is with other professionals you already work with or asking people you know who they work with.

Answer: A Medicare Summary Notice is not a bill; it's more like an Explanation of Benefits. It will show all of the services and supplies that have been billed for you, how much Medicare paid and how much you *might* have to pay. If you have a Medigap plan (AKA "Medicare Supplement"), your plan will pay all or some of your share, depending on the type of plan you have.

All you need to do with it is check to make sure all of the charges are for services you received.

Hope this helps!

Answer: Reasons to work with a broker vary from person to person, depending on what they need & want. Some are perfectly capable of managing their own insurance but want an expert to make sure they don't miss anything... Others really need guidance. A big part of my job is to assess what each client wants & needs so I can meet them where they are. Other good reasons to choose a broker are to avoid mistakes that lead to delays, late enrollment penalties, network issues and problems with coverage.