Marie Terhune, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: The first thing you should do is apply for Original Medicare (part A & B) so that you receive your Medicare #. You can actually do this 3 months before your 65th birthday. (but your Medicare will not be effective until the first of your birth month)

As you are waiting for your Medicare #, please reach out to me so I can guide you regarding the additional coverage you will need. Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage or complete medical coverage, and there are different ways to obtain that. I will meet with you and work with you to understand your needs and guide you towards the policy that best meets those needs.

There is no cost for my services, and I am happy to help.

Answer: Paying for high end supplement is worth it, in certain situations and is over kill in others! Talk with an agent to do an analysis of what is best for you!

Answer: For my clients, I always invite them to call me directly with any questions and I will look up their policy and tell them what benefits they have available to them, including hearing benefits. Benefits vary from policy to policy and from one insurance carrier to another. You can also call the customer service of your insurance company directly, but as your local agent I would always try to go the extra mile to help with any questions.

Answer: Several Medicare Advantage plans have a zero monthly premium, but you should remember that you will still need to pay your Medicare Part B premium each month in order to be eligible for a Medicare Advantage Plan such as these.

Answer: Many people don’t realize that Original Medicare is not complete coverage - it only covers part of whatever medical bill you incur, not all of it, and Original Medicare does not include prescription drug coverage either. Medicare Advantage will give you the additional medical coverage needed, and many policies also include the prescription drug coverage as well as additional benefits like basic dental and vision and hearing.

Answer: The Medicare Annual Wellness visit does not have a cost or copayment, but it is important to note that the Annual Wellness visit is not the same as an Annual Physical. The Medicare Annual Wellness visit is a preventative exam.

A Medicare Annual Wellness Exam is meant to create or update your personalized health plan, it is not a Hands On Exam. It is typically a series of questions meant to assess your current health status. It does not include lab work, follow up on chronic conditions, etc. For that type of an exam (an Annual Physical) you would want to schedule a separate visit with your Primary Care Physician.

Answer: Medicare does not cover you out of the country except for limited coverage near the U.S. border. It is a good idea to get Travel Medical Insurance.

Answer: I enjoy meeting and helping seniors, and building relationships with them. Many of my clients have become friends and are with me year after year, and this is very gratifying.

Answer: Even with a PPO, you want to make sure your agent checks to confirm that your Primary Care Physician and regular specialists are in network because the copayments are higher when you go out of network. However, if you go out of network with an HMO you will be responsible for 100% of the cost!! Therefore a PPO does give you more flexibility and enable you to see out of network physicians without having the complete bill as an out of pocket expense.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans cover everything Original Medicare covers plus more - most will include Prescription Drug coverage at no additional cost (Original Medicare does NOT include part D/prescription coverage), and some will include basic dental, hearing and vision coverage and even free gym membership!

Answer: Medicare does not cover you while you are out of the country, except for limited coverage near the U.S. Border. It is recommended they you obtain travel medical insurance to cover you if you plan to travel outside the country.

Answer: For travel within the United States, you would want to choose a Medicare Advantage plan that is a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) not an HMO, as a PPO will allow you to go outside of network to access care which may be necessary depending on what state you are in. You would also want to choose a company that had a large network of doctors all over the country, as this gives you more access to the doctors that work with that plan, both in and out of network.

Regarding International travel - Medicare does not cover you while out of the country, except for limited coverage near the US border. It is best to obtain travel insurance for care outside the country.

Answer: A Medicare broker represents several different insurance carriers so they are able to find you the best plan available. A Medicare agent is only licensed with one carrier, so can only find you a plan available with that one specific carrier.

Answer: The best way to avoid surprise bills for lab tests is to choose the correct plan! There are several Medicare Advantage plans that cover lab tests with no copayment, and I always highlight these plans for my clients.