Shahnaz Razvi, Medicare Insurance Broker

Answer: You can get help from your state to minimize your Medicare costs. Depending on your situation & income, the State can help pay for your Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) premium through the Medicare Savings Program. If you qualify MSA could also pay your Part A & Part B deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.

You need to call your state Medicaid office for more info on how to apply or contact your trusted Medicare agent.

Answer: Medicare does not cover any drugs. Unless they are administered at the doctors office as part of Part B program.

Part D can cover it if a doctor prescribes it other than weight loss.

Answer: Beneficiary can go to any doctor who accepts medicare anywhere in all the 50 states without a referral and whether they are in network or not.

Answer: There are certain states like New York where you Medicare Supplement plan is guaranteed issue throughout the year.

So, in New York a resident can change plans and apply for a Medicare Supplement plan any time as long as they have Part A and Part B without any evident of insurability.

Answer: If you move to a rural area you might want to ensure you have a hospital and

or clinic nearby to access services in case of an emergency.

You also need to consider that you have access to a primary care physician &/or

specialist that you may need to see.

Answer: Concierge medicine is where you pay out of pocket for medical services.

It can supplement the Medicare coverage but you should know the rules

so you are not overpaying or paying for services you already have coverage for.

Answer: Medicare Part B covers a welcome to medicare preventative visit one time only,

a yearly wellness visit once every 12 months.

Medicare is limited on what preventative tests and screenings they cover and you must follow their frequency schedule.

Medicare does not cover an annual physical unless you have a supplement plan that will cover it.

Answer: With your healthcare needs, an agent will be able to advise you the best choice for your

specific situation.

A Medicare Advantage plan often has low or no premium plans but out of pocket costs for various services you use.

A Medicare Supplement plan has higher premiums but lower to no out of pocket costs for using various services.

Answer: This has required providers and hospitals to be more transparent about disclosing their prices so beneficiaries can make informed decisions with informed consent.

When you go the medicare.gov site and lookup the Procedure Price Lookup you can find out with the procedure code, exactly what medicare will pay for both ambulatory and outpatients centers. you will see how much the patient pays with Original Medicare without any supplement (medigap) policy.

Answer: With a Medicare Supplement plan Medicare is the primary payor and pays the 80% of the cost covered by Medicare if you have Part A and Part B.

If someone has two different forms of coverage, the primary payer covers most costs, and the secondary payer then steps in to cover some or all remaining expenses.

Answer: I would have them review the Medicare and you guide that is available to most seniors and refer them to the page numbers and charts to answer specific questions.

I usually give them an overview of the different options they have available to them and that they should review their needs and choose accordingly.

Answer: There are many different ways & plans to save money based on your healthcare needs.

Please consult a broker agent to get more customized advise suitable for you in your case.

Answer: Yes there are annual changes in the Part A Inpatient deductible, the Part B Annual deductible,

the Part B Premium and the Part D drug deductible each calendar year.

It is a good idea to review the Medicare and You 2026 guide to keep up to date.

Answer: You can request a new Medicare Card by calling the Medicare official number.

Or by going to the Medicaregov website to request a new one.

You can go to your nearest Social Security Administration office to request a new one.

However, most of these offices now request that you make an appointment to come and see them.

Answer: Most Part D plans have 5 or 6 tiers. The first 2 tiers are for generic drugs.

The tiers 3,4 and 5 are not generic and are usually branded drugs that tend to be more expensive than the lower tiers.

Answer: This is an individual choice based on the needs of the beneficiary. The Part D usually goes along with the Medigap plan. alternatively you can select a Medicare advantage plan (Part C)

Based on your needs, you need to consult with a broker agent to guide you.

Answer: Most HMO's have a requirement to see a Primary care provider and get a referral to see a specialist. You can see network specialists in the plans network.

If you want to see an out of network specialist this is sometimes available within a PPO plan at a higher cost. But will not be customarily covered under an HMO.

Answer: If you are retiring or moving from Employer group health plans (including the Federal Employees Health Benets(FEHB) program, retiree, or COBRA coverage), or union plans you have no more than 63 days after you retire to find a creditable coverage from medicare or from another creditable source.

When you join Part B, you'll get a 6 month Medigap open enrollment Period after you turn 65 and retire from the employer.

Answer: If you premium is affordable, and all your drugs are covered at a reasonable cost. And if you have an in network preferred pharmacy that is working for you.

It is usually advisable to stay with your current plan rather than change. Finding out which plan will fit you and which tiers your Part D will fall under with the new plan and company.

Answer: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a government law to improve drug cost affordability. It has had impacts on the Part D program and will continue to have impacts for the next several years.

If the medication is covered by your plan, the annual out of pocket threshold for Part D drugs will be $2100. Customers will not pay anything for Part D drugs after reaching the annual amount in 2026.

Answer: Medicare can be unnecessarily complicated and confusing to some seniors. So it is always a good idea to consult with a good unbiased broker agent to guide you through the many pitfalls of making a wrong decision. These are some of the most important decisions of a beneficiary's life and a mistake or misinformation or disinformation could affect their health or health coverage and the choices they make with their health plans.

Answer: If you do not have a (SEP) Special Enrollment Period reason, or if you are not in the (OEP) Open Enrollment Period. That is new to medicare or new to Part B, You can change your Medicare Supplement plan anytime of the year, however you will need to answer health questions to qualify with the new plan or new company.