Randall Taylor, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: Medicare and Medicare type plans like Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage plans do not cover in-home caregivers. However, there are insurance policies available for purchase to cover that.

Answer: If you have a Medicare Supplement (like, plan G, plan, F, etc.) then you can purchase a Dental/Vision/Hearing plan. It's important to know that D/V/H plans have waiting periods. You must have (be premium-paying) for typically 12 months before you get complete coverage.

With a Medicare Advantage plan you need one that has a lot of dental benefits. A qualified Medicare Specialist can help with this. Many plans are cutting way back on dental benefits - or - they're charging more to have more dental benefits. And you want to make sure you use an In-Network dentist to keep your out-of-pocket expenses as low as possible.

Answer: The quick answer is No. Covered drugs are on a Part D plan or Medicare Advantage (that includes Part D) plan's formulary. However, your doctor can appeal to your insurance company. Your doctor probably has other resources available too. Best to consult with your doctor.

Answer: No. But you can lose Part B if the Medicare Part B premium is not paid. If you receive Social Security deposits, the Part B premium is automatically deducted. But if you don't receive any Social Security money, then you will be billed by Medicare and you must pay that bill or lose Part B. Most people have a $0 premium for Part A because that was paid by paycheck deductions in their working years. But if you are required to pay a Part A premium, and then you don't pay it, you will lose Part A also. But you won't lose either Part A or B due to health reasons.

Neither can a Medicare Advantage drop you for health reasons. A Medicare Supplement (Plans A, B, C, D, F, G K, L, M, N) cannot drop you for health reasons either. But be sure to always pay your Medicare Supplement premiums on time. If you don't, the law allows a 30 day grace period to get the delinquent and current premiums paid up. If not, the policy lapses and then if you want to get a Medicare Supplement again, you most likely will have to go through underwriting which means answering some strict questions about your fairly recent medical history. You may or may not quailify for a new Medicare Supplement. But, if you already have a Medicare Supplement, as long as the premiums are paid on time, you have a Medicare Supplement for the rest of your life.

Answer: The Social Security Administration issues Medicare cards. Contact them. There are 3 ways: 1. online at ssa.gov 2. Call your local Social Security Administration office. 3. Visit your local Social Security Administration office. It usually takes at least 4 weeks to get a new card delivered to your postal mail box.

Answer: I enjoy helping my clients understand Medicare; helping them find the best fit plan; and on-going customer service. I take very good care of my clients.

Answer: No.

*If you were born in the United States (or as an immigrant you have been here legally for 5 years in a row)

*If you or a spouse (even if now widowed or divorced) worked and paid the Medicare tax (FICA) for at least 40 quarters (10 years)

*If you are 65 years old (or underage 65 with Medicare Disability)

Then you are eligible for Medicare.

Being eligible for Medicare has nothing to do with your income.

Answer: I usually can resolve the situation sitting with the client or on the phone at the time that I'm made aware of the situation. Occasionally, it takes more time and research. But I ALWAYS find a way to take care of the situation. My years of experience and 'bull dog' tenacity is why I can.

Answer: There can be many variables to considers. Contact a qualified Medicare Specialist. I (and I think most) offer free consultations.

Answer: You need to consult with a qualified Medicare Specialist. I ( and I think most) do free consultations.

Answer: Helping people understand Medicare; helping them find the right plan; and providing customer service.

Answer: This depends on your age; what type of Medicare plan you are looking for; and if you are eligible for Medicare (or soon to be). Contact a qualified Medicare Specialist to help with this.

Answer: You will not accrue the Part B penalty if Medicare recognizes the BCBS plan as 'CREDITABLE'. That means Medicare recognizes your wife's plan to be as good or better than any Medicare plan such as Medicare Supplement Plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. Check with your wife's employer's Human Resources Department to make sure the insurance qualifies.

Answer: I highly recommend a Plan G. It covers hospital stays and more. You're only responsible for the first $257 of Medicare-approved medical care for the calendar year (2025). This Part B Deductible typically goes up a little bit every calendar year. A Hospital Indemnity Plan is really not necessary, if you have Plan G. If the other plans don't cover hospital stays, then yes, get the HIP.

Answer: Your out-of-pocket will only be any days 1 thru 7 that you are an inpatient at a hospital. You will be responsible for however many days times $350. It is strongly suggested to purchase a separate Hospital Indemnity Plan to cover those days and daily rates in the event you are in the hospital as a patient. After day 7, your plan will cover the costs. But also realize that the average stay in a hospital is about 5 days. Get the HIP - they're low cost and you'll be glad to get reimbursed when you have hospital stays.

Answer: Generally, a person (legal citizen of the United States) under age 65 who has received Social Security Disability income for 24 consecutive months, will automatically be enrolled with Medicare Disability. Social Security will send you a red, white, and blue Medicare card with a letter explainging everything. The 24 month waiting period can be waived by a judge, but this is not common.

Answer: You do not have to sign up for Medicare. But if you or a spouse (even if widowed/divorced) worked for 10 years (40 quarters) and therefore paid the Medicare tax, then you might as well sign up for at least Part A. That's because that entitles you to premium free Part A (you or the spouse already paid for it). Now Part B is different. Nearly everybody pays the Part B premium either by a Social Security deposit deduction or, if you don't receive any type of Social Security income, Medicare will bill you 3 months at a time for the Part B premium. So if you continue to work beyond age 65 and you like your company's insurance, then don't sign up for Part B. In most cases you are not required to have Part B when you keep insurance at work (although some companies are starting to require it). But later, when you leave that insurance plan, you will need to sign up for Part B within 8 months and show proof (your HR dept. can help with this) that you had creditable coverage, so that you are not assessed a penalty (10% for each year you do not have creditable coverage) and you will also have to have Parts A & B (you'll start paying the Part B premium) to get any type of Medicare insurance, such as a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan. You would most likely need to do the same with Part D (drugs), although the penalty assessment starts 63 days after leaving your current creditable coverage.

Answer: Only make a decision after you have consulted with a Medicare Specialist. Medicare is a bit tricky and is always evolving. A good Medicare Specialist will make Medicare easy to understand and show you the 'good, bad, and ugly' of Medicare and the plans available, so that you can make a wise decision.

Answer: Yes. Medicare generally covers nutrition counseling, specifically Medical Nutrition Therapy for individuals with diabetes. A doctor's referral is required for Medicare to cover these services.

Answer: A person under age 65 must have SSI disability (from Social Security) for 24 consecutive months and then will automatically qualify for Medicare Disability. Then, to have a Medicare Advantage plan, you must also have Medicare Parts A & B. This is usually automatic with receiving Medicare Disability. However, there is a monthly premium to be paid for Part B which is automatically deducted from Social Security income deposits.

Answer: You will pay more out-of-pocket if you choose an Out-of-Network provider: You will pay a higher copay initially. But the real down side is if you have a catastrophic health event (having used an Out-of-Network provider even just one time in the calendar year), your Maximum Out of Pocket (MOoP) will jump up thousands of dollars.

Answer: No. Medicare will not pay for dental implants. However, I suppose there's a chance they might if a person's mouth/teeth were severely damaged in an accident. But even then, I really think Medicare would look for any cheaper alternative. Implants are very expensive.

Answer: A discount card can be used even if you have a Prescription Drug Plan or with the drug component that is included with a Medicare Advantage plan. Just remember to tell the pharmacy to ring up separately the drugs you want to use to pay for those drugs with your discount card.

Answer: Dental coverages vary in Medicare Advantage plans. That's why you need a Medicare Specialist to help you sort through all the plans to find one with Dental coverage you need.

Answer: By federal law, you will pay no more than $2,000 for prescriptions drugs in 2025. This provision was included in the 'Inflation Reduction Act' passed by the US Congress. This provision is expected to continue each year.

Answer: It's possible you might need to change doctors. Not every doctor accepts every plan. This means, if they don't accept the plan then the doctor(s) is/are NOT IN NETWORK. With a PPO, you can go out-of network, but you will pay higher out-of-pocket costs (copays, deductibles). With an HMO, generally, the out-of-network option doesn't even exist. This means, in most cases, you would pay 100% for the medical service/appointment and your plan would pay nothing. And lastly, Medicare Advantage plans change every year. One of the consequences of this is that your current plan may not be accepted by your current doctor(s) for the following calendar year.

Answer: Seminars can be helpful - up to a point. But one of the problems is that because Medicare has many different parts and options, a person is best served with a one-on-one consultation.

Answer: You need a consultation with a qualified Medicare Specialist. There's a lot of information and can be confusing if you try to do this on your own.

Answer: Part D plans tend to change every year. You absolutely must review your Part D plan every Annual Election Period (AEP) which is always October 15 - December 7. After that, no changes can be made until the next AEP. Your Medicare Specialist can help you with reviewing your plan for the coming year. All Part D plans are in effect from January 1 - December 31.

Answer: You would pay 100% of the ambulance cost since Medicare does not cover that. But also know that Medicare supplements don't cover ambulance either. You need a separate policy. Some cities and/or municipalities offer reasonable plans.

Answer: The advice from a knowledgable Medicare Specialist is the best way to find out since everyone's situation is different and Medicare is changing all the time. I want my clients to have the most coverage for the least amount out-of-pocket.

Answer: Many companies offer discounts if have wearable health tech like an Apple Watch or Fitbit. If you allow the insurance company receive data from the device, the insurance company will give you a nice discount off your premium.

Answer: Remote agents tend to have many more clients than local. Most do a good job. Even so, it's just business for them. Being local, I take a keen interest in the well-being of my clients all the time. My clients can call/text me anytime and they know that I'm going to quickly answer and address their concerns because I truly do care.