Mark Walker, Medicare Insurance Agent

Answer: Guaranteed issue is available when you first sign up for Medicare turning 65 or it is available. Should your current plan terminate you are given a termination letter and guaranteed insurability to choose another plan without any health questions

Answer: As a long time agent, I am not a big fan of Medicare advantage. It is made not to be used and that’s just wrong. Better to have original Medicare and the supplement of some sort to give you freedom of choice to see any doctor or go to any hospital.

You have to know that healthcare has a cost and you realistically need to account for that. If you just turned 65 or just went onto Medicare for the first time you can switch within the first year of a Medicare advantage policy, it is called a trial period.

Answer: You are certainly welcome to call an insurance company directly, but you’d be missing out on an agents years and years of experience, working with customers, one on one.

Answer: Medicare seminars for the public should always be educational first in foremost.

If someone attends a seminar, they should request a one-to-one meeting at a later date to learn about the different products for their personal needs after.

Answer: It is most important to understand the benefits of Medicare. What Medicare Part A & Medicare Part B provide for you.

That way you can select the proper Medigap Plan to protect yourself from unexpected charges. You should consult with the Medicare expert, who can help you understand completely.

Answer: It is a combination of people leaving Medicare Advantage plans because their doctors are leaving plans, but more importantly the plans have abandoned their subscribers. Medicare Advantage plans are only one year contracts. They are 12 month obligations. That is not very stable for people to make plans about.

Answer: I would recommend a high deductible plan G for a healthy 65 year old. A particular company allows the client to maintain the policy and offers the policy holder after 23 months an opportunity to convert to a Plan G policy without any health questions. That is a great way to go.

Answer: Freedom of choice to see any doctor who accepts Medicare. The best hospitals don’t accept Medicare Advantage in many cases so if you want to have access to the best doctors you need Original Medicare.

Answer: 20% of all expenses Medicare doesn’t pay to an unlimited figure. That seems like a tremendous risk in my book.

Good luck with that.

Answer: Medicare Part B does cover chiropractics. It covers manual manipulation of the spine by a chiropractor to correct a vertebral subluxation. That is when the spinal joints fail to move but the joints are remain intact. So Yes it is covered.

Answer: No - I don’t think it is backward to focus on treatment rather than prevention since all the preventative measures don’t always work to keep people healthy. To have a focus on cures or treatment to become cured of an illness is equally or actually more important.

Thanks

Answer: Medicare.gov has a rehab and assisted living comparison tool built-in the site.

Medicare does not provide assisted living services. You have to either pay out-of-pocket or you have planned in advance with a long-term care policy of some sort.

Answer: You want to consult medicare.gov for those answers. Medicare does cover chiropractic, but if you use the question circle, it will give you the exact information that you want to know.

Answer: You wanna go to ssa.gov. Apply for benefits. The process takes 4 to 6 weeks so be patient. I would recommend a call between us next week because I am traveling in Europe right now. Will be back in the office on Tuesday 10/07. To discuss your options.

Answer: The mail you’re receiving is not for me so you can throw it all away if you choose to do business with me. It’s my job to help you navigate the Medicare maze and find the right plan to fit your needs.

Answer: If you didn’t take Medicare when you turn 65 then the process is a little bit more complicated and has a couple of documents that need to be completed to show that you’ve had credible coverage during the time between turning 65 and today.

Answer: You can switch from a Medicare advantage plan into a Medicare supplement without having to answer questions if you are in the first 12 months of a Medicare advantage plan. It is called a trial period & you are allowed to move to a Medicare supplement with no health questions.

Answer: One of the largest misconception about Medicare is that it is free. Medicare advantage plans not having a premium doesn’t mean that it is free. It has co-pays and deductibles. Should you go out of Network. The same can be said for original Medicare that it is not free.

Answer: No Medicare advantage does not have home healthcare and neither does original Medicare. It is not a part of Medicare.

Answer: Someone on disability needs to qualify through Social Security to obtain Medicare prior to age 65. That is the process and once approved you can obtain during the open enrollment process either part C Medicare advantage or a Medicare supplement policy to supplement original Medicare.

Answer: In some states, Medicare plan K is a viable option opposed to plan G. But in most states Plan G is the best option. And because it has the largest enrollment, the prices remain relatively stable.

Answer: Medicare will not pay for medical services in a foreign hospital. However, there are a few situations where Medicare will pay for emergency services. You need to have a Medicare supplement to cover foreign travel up to a $50,000 maximum lifetime benefit.

Answer: For questions just like this this is why you wanna have an agent. To go over the specifics of the person’s individual plan and the cost factors to see if it benefits the individual to stay in his company plan or to move over to Medicare.

Answer: I am not a huge advocate of Medicare advantage plans. The out-of-pocket when you start to use the plan and should you have hospital stays or far more expensive than Medicare supplement plans. However, should someone want to be in a Medicare advantage plan the use of a hospital indemnity policy in conjunction with the advantage plan would be advantageous.

Answer: Ideally, you would wanna be in a Medicare supplement utilizing original Medicare A & B, which allows you freedom of choice to see any doctor or go to any hospital that accepts Medicare in the nation.

Answer: All the answers for Medicare part D can be found on medicare.gov. Most of the prescription companies have taken away the rights of agents to guide our clients with part D plans. So I assist my clients pro bono to help them. Find the right plan for themselves.

Answer: There are a number of rules here and the answers can be found in medicare.gov. Whether you paid Medicare taxes for 10 years or 40 quarters. So there are a lot of hoops to jump through to find the benefits that you either deserve or not.

Answer: Yes, quitting smoking is a covered service through Medicare part B and party, which includes up to eight counseling sessions in a 12 month period and coverage for FDA approved sensation medication’s like Chantix and Wellbutrin if prescribed by a doctor.

Answer: The $2000 maximum is extremely beneficial for Medicare patients who use brand name medication on a daily basis. The reduction of of course sharing from a maximum of $8000 down to a maximum of $2000 is a drastic reduction extremely good for the policyholder.

Answer: That is a great question. A lot depends on your age. There iis a discount on premiums for younger people to switch from a NY community rated plan into a Florida age rated plan. Florida is an insurance age state. Meaning if you stay with the same insurer, you benefit from maintaining the age you were when you first applied. In the long term that is extremely beneficial.

Answer: Life insurance and Medicare are

Not correlated that way. It’s like saying I need my bowling ball to play Tennis. One has nothing to do with the other. Other than budget. If you can only afford one financial instrument - that is a delicate balance.

Answer: Having a Medicare Agent is like having any other professional in your corner when you have questions that need a response. It’s having a trusted individual who can make your life easier dealing with the Maze of Medicare.

Answer: Every financial plan is different. Life Insurance can be an important consideration to completing a financial plan where funds would be needed to fulfill the needs of dependents should the breadwinner die prematurely. Some financial plans don’t require Life Insurance, but most do, it provides immediate liquidity upon death, which can help relieve stress.