Tyler Haskell, Medicare Insurance Broker
Tyler Haskell
Professional Insurance Solutions
Medicare Broker Licensed in UT
13+ Years of Experience
Contact Details
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Location
Payson, UT
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Phone
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Website
Tyler Can Help With:
About Me
Certified Financial Planner™ Tyler Haskell has been helping clients with their medicare needs for over a decade. He has a vast knowledge of all the medicare options in Utah. He makes it a priority that his clients understand all their options and helps them decide what options are the best for their unique circumstances. Tyler's main office is in Payson, UT, but can help anybody in the state.
Q&A with Tyler Haskell
What are the most overhyped benefits of Medicare Advantage plans that seniors should be wary of?
Answer: Medicare advantage plans have a lot of nice extra benefits but in my opinion, where seniors fall victim, is when they focus too much on their plans extra benefits instead of looking at the actual medical benefits and their out of pocket exposure. You want to make sure your plans medical benefits are in line with with your needs and the the extra benefits are what they are.
I just moved to a new state. Do I need to do anything with my Medicare coverage?
Answer: Yes, you will need to make sure your coverage works in the state you moved to. Medicare advantage plans and prescription drug plans are generally state specific, so you might need to change them to a plan that works in your new area.
Can I be denied for a Medicare Supplement plan?
Answer: If you want a medicare supplement plan and you are outside your open enrollment time, you could be denied a plan. Your Medicare supplement open enrollment will normally be 6 months from when your part B goes into effect. For example, if you turn 65 in January and your medicare part A and B start January 1st, you would have 6 months from Jan 1st to pick any medicare supplement plan available to you in your area without any kind of medicare underwriting.
What's one Medicare decision that too many people regret later?
Answer: Believe it or not, but I still run into far too many people not doing anything other than Medicare A and B when they first turn 65. That can be a costly mistake. If you don't do a Part D plan when you first become eligible, when you get one later, you will be penalized for all the time that you didn't have one. The penalty can be a life time penalty (ouch).
Also, if you are just on original medicare A and B, you are exposed to some very hefty out of pocket deductibles and you could be on the hook for 20% of unlimited health costs.
Even if you can't afford a medicare supplement, most people have access to medicare advantage plans for $0 extra cost that at least get you part D coverage and limit your risk of out of pocket expenses.
Why is regular Medicare better than an advantage plan?
Answer: "Original" Medicare in my opinion can be better than an advantage plan if you buy a medicare supplement to go with your original medicare to cover up the deductibles and co-insurance that original medicare has. The word "better" can mean something different for different people but here are a few reasons I think it would be "better" than an advantage plan:
-less out of pocket if you buy a medigap policy like Plan N or G to go with it.
-Go anywhere in the country medicare is accepted
-more lenient when it comes to authorizations and pre approvals.
Do I have to answer health questions when switching from one Supplemental/Medigap plan to another?
Answer: Most of the time, yes. There are some states that have whats called the "birthday rule" and allow you to change supplements on a guaranteed basis. Just google your state and medicare birthday rule and see if your state is one of them. If not, more than likely you will have to pass the company's underwriting guidelines to switch plans.
I signed up for a Medicare Advantage HMO, and I'm wondering if I can see a cardiologist out of network without paying everything myself.
Answer: Unfortunately, that is one of the down sides of an HMO plan. You must see providers that are in-network. You would have to pay the whole thing out of pocket. You could explain to the cardiologist's office your situation, and they might be able to give you a cash price discount. It's worth asking if you really want to see that specific one.
What should I look for in a Medicare plan if I travel frequently both domestically and internationally?
Answer: If you travel a lot, staying on Original medicare and getting a medicare supplement will give you the most flexibility as original medicare is accepted almost everywhere nationwide. This option will limit you on the international side to about $50k for emergencies only, so you would probably want to pick up some international supplemental coverage as well.
Does IRMAA go away automatically if my income drops, or do I need to report it to Social Security?
Answer: IRMAA is automatically re-calculated every year and is always based off your income 2 years prior. For example, in this year 2025, if you have an IRMAA surcharge it is because your income was over the limits in 2023. If you have IRMAA this year because your income in 2023 was too high but your income in 2024 was under the limit, IRMAA should automatically be taken off for year 2026. If you have a life qualifying event like retirement and you know your income will not be over the limits for the current year, you can appeal the surcharge by filing form SSA-44. Just google SSA-44 and it will pull up.