Michael Murray, Medicare Insurance Agent

Answer: They should not be sales pitches, they are to provide information about a very confusing subject, it up to each individual to decide what is a priority for them and if need be then act on what was provided.

Anything beyond that is of no interest to you.

Answer: There is no penalty, you just need to be aware of the costs that will change for your coverages, such as going to the doctor's office will know be a charge of 20% of the cost per the visit, Original Medicare is set up differently than private insurance, know the changes before you make that decision to go back to Original Medicare.

Answer: The very first sign is if your Primary Care doctor is not in the network anymore, and then are their other doctor's that you are seeing that have dropped out also, like specialists. Next, the costs that were explained to you when you first started this plan have changed, and they are more than what you had planned for.

You should look at all the plans that are available on a yearly basis, which is the Annual Enrollment period, nothing changes unless the beneficiary approves that move.

Answer: The most common misconception about Medicare is that it is complete inclusive coverage for all of your health care needs!, that is not true, there are many programs out there that will compliment Medicare and give you complete coverage, contact an agent or broker for all of your solutions to your needs.

Answer: Yes, for non payment, but if you received it when it was guaranteed issue and it covers all pre-existing issues then no!, just for non-payment.

Answer: Discount cards come in handy when the prescription that a doctor has recommended is in the high brand category, usually Tier 3-5 and the co-pay is very high, with those discount cards you can sometimes get it less expensive. And that won't affect your prescription plan if you don't get it through that way.

Answer: It should have given you the basics on how to file for Medicare benefits through Social Security, and then provide you with the differences in the insurance plans that you can get once turning 65 if needed!, if you left without a clear understanding then you are correct it must have seemed like a timeshare pitch.

Answer: Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans will cover the shot that you referenced. Medicare insurance by itself will not cover that shot, but if you have a Prescription Drug Plan check with them for the answer on that coverage. Always check with your insurance carrier for the coverages on shots.

Answer: There are Chronic illness plans for Medicare recipients that will offer special benefits for anyone with a cardiovascular events, if you don't already have that type of a plan speak to an agent or broker in your area to find out what is available.

Answer: Plan G is a complete, inclusive coverage of all of the medical things that can happen to you. There are no co-pays. It raises your monthly premium that you do pay for the insurance, but of course it does not have any other costs associated with it for your major medical or anything that should happen to you.

Plan N has co-pays. And then there's also a difference in the deductibles, so you need to look at that when you're looking at the difference between Plan G and N. It's all about the cost and the coverage.

Answer: With every Medicare Advantage program their is a maximum out of pocket, those costs need to be met for hospitalization and extenuating circumstance costs that can be brought on by a sudden illness or accident. Although the Medicare Advantage plan in most cases doesn't have a premium their are additional co-pays for specialists, emergency room visits and other services that require additional payments, make sure you go over these thoroughly with your agent or broker before applying for these plans.

Answer: Humana has a Medicare Advantage program that will manage medications through their mail order pharmacy, with your Smartphone you can add the Humana app that can help monitor the medications.

Answer: Helping people is a fine art, asking the proper questions to help someone find the right coverage, and then enrolling them into that coverage is what I like most about being a Medicare agent.

Answer: They are using the Part B premium to support the the Advantage Plans, the Part B premium varies depending on the Medicare beneficiaries earnings in their working quarters to qualify.

Answer: Yes they do, and that can change from year to year so always check your Medicare booklet when it comes out every year.

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans for the most part are paid for with your Part B premium, which comes directly out of your Social Security check. The plans that have a premium have other benefits that need to be assessed by the agent with the person that is needing coverage.

Answer: First find a person, "Agent or Broker" that can guide you to the right coverage. Medicare Advantage has some really great options, make sure that whoever you choose to help in selection understands the health needs that need to offer coverage in those programs. You will have to wait until the AEP period which is 10/15-12/7 or if you have a special election period then you may be able to make a change sooner, call me and we can talk about how it all works.

Answer: All medical decisions should be made by you or the people in your life who matter most, that can be your Power of Attorney, your children and your spouse. Only you know what is best for you and by disclosing that to your Medicare agent they can help guide you to the right coverage!

Answer: There are additional charges depending on what type of Medicare coverage that you select, their are deductibles and co-pays with many programs and then their are those that don't have them but may have a monthly premium for that coverage.

Answer: Medicare agents are appointed by many carriers, and after assessing your needs can help you select the best Medicare plan that will help cover those needs.