Sandra Bailey, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: To change your Medicare plan during Open Enrollment, you can contact your current agent or broker or contact us.

If you call the company direct, they will enroll you in one of their plans.

If you call an agent who works for a company, they will enroll you in their specific company’s plan.

However, if you contact a Medicare Broker, we will shop the carriers to find the best plan for you.

Thanks for asking

Answer: What a great question! Many think Medicare will pay for LTC cost but it will not.

There are only 3 ways to pay & plan for LTC custodial care:

1. Cash - money saved. Could be retirement savings, money in the bank, investments etc. Any funds that you have saved.

2. Medicaid: Government plan for those who have limited funds. Right now, one cannot have more than $2,000 monthly in your bank account to qualify for Medicaid.

3. LTC Insurance (long-Term Care). There are many options to purchasing LTC insurance.

Traditional plans & hybrid plans.

You could purchase a traditional LTC insurance plan & pay for it monthly.

You could take some of your savings & double or triple it for LTC with insurance.

You could purchase a life insurance policy that includes chronic illness or LTC. If you need LTC custodial care, you can access a percentage of your death benefit while you’re living. Most carriers require a minimum of $50k face amount.

Some LTC policies allow you to pay the premium off in 10years. No more payments after that plus your plan benefits will increase each year based on an inflation percentage rate until you use it. If you don’t ever need it, there’s a death benefit that goes to your beneficiary.

Check your options based on your affordability. Use a broker like us so we can shop all the optional plans.

Answer: Original Medicare with a Part D plan may be better than a Medicare Advantage plan for frequent travelers because original Medicare will cover 80% with a small, set deductible, add a Supplement/Medigap plan to cover the other 20%, no deductible and a drug plan will. There will be no unexpected costs or co-payments.

As far as traveling- with original Medicare you can go to any Doctor, well 98% of the doctors who accept Medicare. You do not have to worry about if a Dr is in network while traveling. Medicare Advantage requires using in network doctors. Original Medicare covers some foreign travel also.

Answer: An agent normally works for or represent one Medicare company. They may even be employed by that specific company. They are called captive agents.

A Medicare broker represents several carriers/companies. Most are independent & will shop companies to find the best one for the consumer.

Brokers have more access to multiple carriers while agents will have access to one

Answer: Once you’re on a Medicare plan, you will never be cancelled no matter what happens with your health.

No one is ever declined for a Medicare Advantage Plan & you can apply at several times during the year. SEP (Special Enrollment Periods) OEP (Open Enrollment Period) & AEP (Annual Enrollment Period). Regardless of your health.

Medicare Supplement plans only have one Open Enrollment Period when you can enroll regardless of your health conditions, it’s when you’re Turning 65. There is a 7 month window: 3 months before your birth month, your birth month & 3 months after your birth month. If you enroll after this OEP, you must qualify based on your health. Enroll within the 7 months, you don’t have to qualify.

If you want & can afford a Medicare supplement/Medi-gap plan, get it during Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment period. If it gets to a point where you can’t afford it, you can always switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan.

You will always be able to have Medicare health coverage regardless of your health changes.

Hope this helps

Answer: No, you do not have to apply for Medicare if you're 65 and still working. As long as you work for a company that offers credible medical insurance. Credible insurance, meaning you work for a company with 20 or more employees. You can remain on your group plan.

Once you leave the company, you'll obtain a letter from HR stating you had coverage and when it ended. Then you can enroll in Medicare Part B.

You can enroll in Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) even if you're still working. This can be additional hospital coverage to go along with your work plan.

Answer: You can enroll in Medicare as early as 3 months before your birth month, your birth month and three months after your birth month. You have 7 months for your initial open enrollment. If you do not enroll within this time frame, you may suffer penalties.

Here's some added information:

You can enroll in Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) even if you're working. This can be additional hospital coverage to go along with your work plan.

However, you cannot enroll in Medicare Part B (medical insurance) if you are still working and have credible medical insurance coverage. You cannot have both. Credible insurance, meaning you work for a company with 20 or more employees. You can either keep your employer insurance or opt out for Medicare.

Once you leave the company, you'll obtain a letter from HR stating you had coverage and when it ended. Then you can enroll in Medicare Part B.

Answer: No. You will not owe a penalty as long as she’s working for a company that offers credible health insurance. Meaning her employer must employ a minimum of 20 employees. When she retires, you’ll need to show that you had coverage through her employer. HR will help with a letter. All will be fine. No penalty. Glad you got Part A.

Answer: If you’re a veteran & happy with your VA benefits, you could enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, Part C. Some are zero dollars plus will include dental coverage.

Answer: If you have original Medicare: you have a $1,676 deductible for days 1-60. After you pay your deductible, you pay nothing else.

However, if you purchase a Medicare Supplement/Gap plan: Original Medicare will pay 80%, the Supplement/Gap plan pays 20% after you meet a small deductible around $245 annually.

If you have Medicare Advantage, Part C, you’ll have max out of pocket costs plus daily hospital costs depending on your plan. For days 61-90 your coinsurance is $419 per day & even higher for days 91 & longer. People who purchase a Medicare Advantage plan should also purchase a hospital indemnity plan to help cover their out of pocket costs.

Answer: No Medicare cannot drop you for health reasons.

However, if you have a Medicare Supplement Plan and for whatever reason, switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan, then decide you want to go back to a supplement, you may not qualify if you have health issues. You have one open enrollment for Medicare Supplement, but you can enroll in Medicare Advantage without having to qualify.

Answer: I am sorry to hear that.

If you have original Medicare, it pays 80% and Medicare Supplement/Gap pays 20%. There is a $257 deductible in 2025. However, if you have cancer, there may be some out-of-pocket cost. Medicare pays for chemo but longer treatments may result in out-of-pocket costs.

If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, some doctors and hospitals may come and go out of the network, which will cause you to shop each year. Medicare Advantage plans also have deductibles, co-payments, coinsurance and maximum out-of-pocket expenses. Before changing Medicare Advantage plans, please check your specific plan for these out-of-pocket costs. Be sure you understand them so there won't be any surprises. Ask your agent or broker to review your plan in detail with you. You may also want to purchase a hospital indemnity plan to cover the hospital costs that Medicare Advantage doesn't pay.

Hope this helps.

Answer: The disadvantage is making sure your doctors are in network. All physicians are not & some may start out in network & pull out of network later. There will be co-pays that you’ll need to pay & there is a max out of pocket.

Answer: All Medicare Supplement plans pay the same 20% that original Medicare doesn’t pay. They all have the same annual deductible.

The only difference in plans is one may offer an additional benefit or gym membership etc that another plan may not offer. Find out if anything unique is included in the high-end plan before purchasing.

Answer: If you have Medicare Advantage, you’ll want to get with an agent to get a plan for your new state. You can change now because you have a SEP(Special Enrollment Period). Which means you don’t have to wait until open enrollment. Change now to get a plan in your new state.

Answer: Life insurance contributes to financial planning in many ways. You're transferring your financial risk to the life insurance carrier.

1. We all know we will leave this earth one day. Life insurance is used for final expenses like burial expenses.

2. 70% of people who live to age 65 will need some form of long-term care (LTC). Some life insurance policies include living benefits for chronic, critical and terminal illness. Living benefits are benefits you can use while you're living that's included in some life insurance policies. Yes!

Chronic Illness is when you cannot perform 2 of your 6 activities of daily living. They are continence, transferring, toileting, bathing, dressing and eating.

Critical Illness includes, stroke, certain types of cancers, heart attack, kidney failure plus many other illnesses

Terminal Illness is if a medical physician say you have 12 to 24 months to live.

3. Some life insurance plans build cash value that people use to supplement their retirement.

4. If you want to leave a legacy to a loved one or charity, life insurance is perfect as the death benefit goes to your beneficiary income tax free!

Answer: Medicare Advantage plans include routine checkups & cleaning plus some will include extra benefits. You must use in network dentist. Please compare your original plan & services before switching

Answer: Yes there should be! I know Medicare beneficiaries are tired of everyone calling & texting them. Please do not give everyone your Medicare #. Guard it like your Social Security # & only give it to people you know & trust.

Answer: There are too many people in America depending on Medicare for it to run out. Yes, the US has a lot of debt and it's said by 2036 that Medicare will cover about 89% of the cost. Even with that being said, there still will be funds available.

Answer: Medicare Part B covers medical insurance including, Doctor’s services, outpatient care, many preventive services. It covers 80% & you’ll pay 20%

Answer: Medicare does not fully cover nursing home care. The alternative is long term care coverage. We can offer quotes if you’re interested. Thank you