MedicareBob

Application fees are simply a specified amount of money required to even enter the underwriting process. Most insurance carriers charge an application fee, not all of them, but most of them do. They run anywhere from $7.00 to $25.00. You would only have to pay the application fee if you are approved of the policy. If you are not approved of the policy, you will not have to pay the application fee. If you are just starting Medicare, you will be automatically approved for a Medicare Supplement policy so you would have to pay the application fee. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages:   

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You do not have to medically qualify for Original Medicare. Everyone who is 65 or older is entitled to Medicare Parts A and B without having to medically qualify. If you are under 65 and have been on disability for two years or more, you are also eligible for Medicare. 

In order to purchase a Medicare Advantage Plan, there is only one medical question that you must answer to qualify which is “Do you have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)?” If you do have ESRD do not be discouraged; there are special plans that Medicare offers to seniors who have ESRD, however you will not have access to the open market Medicare Advantage Plans available to others. 

As far as a Medicare Supplement (Medigap), everyone has the opportunity to get a Medicare Supplement when they first turn 65, or when they first start Medicare Part B, without having to medically qualify. This is called your Open Enrollment Period and it begins 6 months before and ends 6 months after your 65th birthday or your Medicare Part B start date. After that timeframe, everyone is subject to medical underwriting. The Medicare Supplement medical underwriting only consists of around 20 medical questions, there is no physical or lab work. There are around 30 different carriers that offer Medicare Supplements and they all have different guidelines. In general, most carriers want at least a two-year stable bill of health. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

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This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G for a female, ages 65 through 71, in Richland County, South Carolina (zip code 29044). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

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There is no such thing as a “zero premium” Medicare Supplement plan. If you see any plans advertised as being “zero premium” those are not Medicare Supplements but Medicare Advantage plans, and they are not “zero premium”. The way a Medicare Advantage plan works is the premium you would pay to Medicare Part B, is now paid to a private insurance carrier instead of Medicare. You are still paying for those plans. It is important when choosing between these two plans that you know the differences.

Summary of a Medicare Advantage Plan: 

· A Private Company provides a health plan that you will use instead of using your traditional Medicare.

· Low monthly premium

· Requires you to pay some bills when you use the Plan. You will have copays, co-insurance and sometimes a deductible.

· You have to go to certain Doctors, Hospitals and other Providers. (HMO / PPO)

· Has a max out of pocket for your protection. Once you have paid a certain amount, the plan will pay the rest of your healthcare cost. For 2019, most HMO’s are around $4,000.00 and the PPO Plans are around $6,700.00.

Summary of a Medicare Supplement Plan: 

· Medicare (A and B) are your primary insurance and the Supplement Plan pays the bills that Medicare would normally make you pay.

· You can go to any Doctor, Hospital, or Provider in the Country that accepts Medicare.

· You will very rarely have a healthcare cost other than your monthly premium. (My favorite Supplement Plan is the Plan G, once you pay the first $185.00 of your medical bills, you are done for the rest of the year)

· Does have a higher monthly premium than a Medicare Advantage Plan. A Supplement is usually between $80.00 and $120.00 per month.

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

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Medigap Insurance, also known as Medicare Supplement, is an insurance plan that can assist you in paying for some of costs that Medicare Parts A and B doesn’t pay. Original Medicare doesn’t cover all of your medical costs, it only pays 80%. You are required to cover the remaining 20% but there is no cap or max-out-of-pocket for that 20%. Without Medigap Insurance (Medicare Supplement) you are left fully exposed to that 20%. 

The way that a Medicare Supplement works is you would stay with Original Medicare and keep it as your primary coverage. You keep your right to go to any doctor or any hospital in the country that accepts Medicare. You would continue to pay Medicare’s Part B premium ($135 for 2019). The Medicare Supplement would charge an additional premium; the premiums vary and can run from $80 to $150 depending on the plan and its coverage. In return, that Medigap plan (Medicare Supplement) will fill the holes to Medicare or fill in the gaps. It will pay the bills that Medicare doesn’t pay. 

Example: you get a knee replacement and you have the Medigap Plan G. The only out of pocket expense with the Medicare Supplement Plan G is Medicare’s Part B annual deductible of $185. So, with Original Medicare and a Medicare Supplement Plan G, your knee replacement including all the physical therapy and treatments will only cost you $185 out of pocket. The remainder of the bills will be covered by Medicare and your Medigap plan (Medicare Supplement). 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

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This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 through 75 in Charleston, South Carolina (zip code 29426). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

#Medicare #MedicareSupplement #PlanG #RateWatchWednesday #SouthCarolina #Charleston #MedicareBob #SeniorHealthcareDirect #shopyourplan #saveonpremiums

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers cardiovascular screening blood tests, such as tests for cholesterol, lipid, and triglyceride levels, once every 5 years. You pay nothing for the tests if your doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts Medicare assignment.

Your doctor or other health care provider may recommend that you get services more often than Medicare covers. If this happens, you may have to pay some or all of the costs. However, if you have a Medicare Supplement, it will cover the cost of the screening depending on what plan you have. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://anchor.fm/MedicareBob

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This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 through 70 in Spartanburg, South Carolina (zip code 29301). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that. 

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy_avKva4VN0DBEgjP7I43w?view_as=subscriber

Medicare does not cover Dental therefore, none of the Medicare Supplement Plans cover them either. However, the Medicare Supplement carriers (such as Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Central United Life etc.) have heard the cry for dental care and are now offering separate dental plans and dental discount plans to fill this need for coverage. 

Our office can help you find a dental plan that works for you. Please visit this link: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/faq-friday-dental-vision-and-hearing-plans/ 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

Website - https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/MedicareBob

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In order to qualify for Medicare while on disability, you must be on disability for at least two years before you can qualify. Once you have been on disability for two years, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and B, even if you’re under 65 years old, and you will receive your Medicare card in the mail. 

Another more common circumstance is people being awarded disability but they get it awarded backdated and they will receive a large disability check and they will be enrolled in Medicare and have their Medicare start date backdated as well to when they first applied for disability. 

In some states you can purchase a Medicare Supplement plan while on disability under the age of 65 however, it is going to be more expensive than someone that is 65 and on Medicare. Most people will start with a Medicare Advantage Plan and then after they turn 65, when they get their second Open Enrollment period, they will be approved to upgrade to a Medicare Supplement. 

If you have any questions regarding Medicare, please give our office a call at 1-855-368-4717 or visit one of our pages: 

https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MedicareBob/

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