Pam Johnson, Medicare Insurance Agent
Pam Johnson
TrueNorth Medicare Solutions
Medicare Agent Licensed in FL and GA
34+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Location
DeBary, FL
About Me
Hello, my name is Pam, and I am your local Medicare advisor and agent. I specialize in Medicare and I am devoted to helping you find the best plan that matches your specific needs and financial situation. I will take care of the daunting task of comparing plans from well-known national and local companies for you. Even better, my services are completely free! Contact me today to explore your Medicare options, and be sure to mention that you found me on Medicare Agents Hub!
Q&A with Pam Johnson
Is Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage better? Why do you recommend one over the other?
Answer: It all depends on the person, it is hard to know without having more specific details about your situation. Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement plan typically gives you more flexibility of doctors and if you travel, more options out of state. You would also have to purchase your prescription drug, dental, vision and hearing separately. Medicare Supplements also charge a premium in addition to your Medicare Part B.
With Medicare Advantage, plans can be more affordable, can include dental, vision & hearing along with prescription drug plans. With Advantage plans you are more limited on a network of doctors, but they also come with little to no cost.
There are other differences, but this gives you some of the basic differences. I hope this helps.
Can I switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Supplemental/Medigap plan during the Annual Enrollment Period without answering health questions?
Answer: Unfortunately, you would need to answer the questions, unless you have a qualifying event that makes you guaranteed issue. Some of these are if you went with an Advantage plan in your first year of being eligible for Medicare, you may possibly be able to switch to a Supplement in the first 12 months. If your Advantage plan is no longer offered and you receive a letter that advises you that you have a special enrollment period. Otherwise, you would need to answer the questions in order to qualify. You would want to talk with an Agent to see if you may qualify, not all plans underwriting are the same. Thank you and I hope that helps.
How do you explain to clients that "zero-premium" doesn't mean "zero-cost" with Medicare Advantage?
Answer: A couple of different ways I use to explain this, is you may not pay any additional premiums for this plan, but you are responsible for your Medicare Part B. Unfortunately, it does not mean the healthcare is free.
Another way to explain that is there may not be any cost for your plan, but you are responsible for copays and deductibles. This is typically why we avoid free, because there are other costs associated with these plans.
Hope this helps.
Every year I stress over picking a plan and still end up surprised by the bills. Is there any way to just get peace of mind with Medicare?
Answer: If you work with an Agent to secure your plan each year, usually that can eliminate some of the problem. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely remove that stress, other than maybe talking about products that would remain more level each year. There are so many options and everyone's needs are different, but if you speak with an Agent that specializes in Medicare, they should be able to come up with a good fit.
Great question and please let me know if I can help. Have a great day!
Should I worry about my income effecting my Medicare eligibility?
Answer: Income does not impact Medicare eligibility. Most people qualify for Medicare at age 65 based on Citizenship, residency and having worked enough years to qualify for premium free Part A. Hope this helps. It could impact Part B premiums, higher income = higher premiums.
What are the reasons why I should work with a Medicare agent?
Answer: The Value and agent adds is to help you go through each plan and determine plans benefit you most. There is no cost to you and there maybe some programs or additional supplemental plans that you might not be aware of unless you are working with an agent. I hope this helps. Thank you!
Would expanding Medicare to younger Americans improve or hurt the program?
Answer: In my opinion this would hurt the Medicare system. Although younger Americans typically have less health expenses, medical costs are always increasing no matter the age and the weight of adding an additional class of Americans would ultimately increase seniors expenses. And part of the younger generation working is that they are paying into not only Social Security but also Medicare. You couldn't pay in and then collect too. I hope this answer helps.