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Medicare Supplement Insurance Underwriting     Medicare Supplement plans require medical underwriting in order to switch plans. So whether you are shopping for another Medicare Supplement plan with a lower premium or wanting to switch from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medicare Supplement, you will have to answer medical questions after your first initial Open Enrollment period.      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 time frame, everyone is subject to medical underwriting.      The Medicare Supplement medical underwriting process only consists of around 20 medical questions, there is no physical or lab work. There are around 30 different carriers that offer Medicare Su

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/   The following article was taken from our website at www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/medicare-supplement-insurance-underwriting/  Medicare Supplement Insurance Underwriting February 20, 2020/in Medicare Supplements (Medigap) /by Brian Kondas   Medicare Supplement insurance underwriting is NEVER required when you are first eligible and Apply for Medicare during your initial Open Enrollment Period (OEP). This is a 7-month period: 3 months before you turn 65, the month you turn 65, and 3 months after you turn 65. As a result, you can NEVER be disqualified for coverage based on your health condition during this period. In other words, you can have health conditions and your coverage will NOT be denied. Moreover, the plan can NEVER charge more if you have health issues during OEP. When you apply for Medicare during this period your acceptance into a Medigap Plan is guaranteed. According to Medicare.gov the best t

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/   This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on the Medicare Supplement Plan G for a male and female, ages 65 through 75, in Ocean County, New Jersey (zip code 08701). Medicare Supplement Plan G is the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan and it offers the greatest value. It allows you to keep your doctor and hospital, so you can go anywhere in the country that accepts Medicare. The only out of pocket with the Medicare Supplement Plan G, after the premium, is Medicare’s very small Part B annual deductible of $198.    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 c

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ There seems to be a lot of confusion with the Plan F now that it’s 2020. In this video, Robert Bache “MedicareBob” will be breaking down what is going on with the Medicare Supplement Plan F for 2020. First topic is “Can you keep your Plan F?” The answer is Yes, if you have the Plan F or Plan C before January 1st, 2020 you will be grandfathered into those plans. Medicare’s website states: “Starting January 1, 2020, Medigap plans sold to new people with Medicare won’t be allowed to cover the Part B deductible. Because of this, Plans C and F will no longer be available to people new to Medicare starting on January 1, 2020. If you already have either of these 2 plans (or the high deductible version of Plan F) or are covered by one of these plans before January 1, 2020, you’ll be able to keep your plan. If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but not yet enrolled, you may be able to buy one of these plans.” ht

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/    Plan F and Plan G are Medicare Supplements. They are designed to work with your Medicare, so Medicare pays 80% of your medical bills and the supplement would come in and pay the rest. The Plan F is the "Full Coverage" plan. It covers the 20% completely. You have no bills except for your monthly premium. The Plan G is almost exactly the same and the Plan F, the only difference is that the Plan G doesn't pay Medicare's Part B annual deductible of $198.00. After you meet that deductible, you have no medical bills, everything is covered just like Plan F. There are three main reasons Plan G is a better choice than Plan F:   Simple Math: Plan F costs $600 more per year in premium than Plan G, so why pay plan F $600 more when the only difference in benefits is that Plan G has a small $198 deductible? That is just giving more money to these big insurance Carriers for no reason.   Rate Stability:

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/   Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period   This description is taken directly from Medicare's Website:  https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/joining-a-health-or-drug-plan   What can I do?   If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage), you can switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage).  You can drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare. You'll also be able to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.   What can't I do?   Switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan if you're in Original Medicare.  Switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another if you're in Original Medicare.   When?   January 1–March 31   Note: If you enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan during your Initial E

A huge Medicare Part D Update for 2020. This is very important for anyone that used Medicare’s Part D Plan Finder when shopping for their Medicare Part D plan for 2020. In October, Medicare decided to roll out a new and “improved” Part D Plan Finder on their website on October 1st, 2019 only two weeks before the Annual Enrollment period. Unfortunately, the information in the Plan Finder was found to be conflicting with the information from the Part D carriers. Zip codes were incorrect, pharmacies, the premiums but most importantly the costs of the medications. There were numerous errors with their system. Unfortunately, anyone that was shopping for their Part D plan without the assistance of an agent or broker wouldn’t know if there were errors in the system and took their information as gospel. This has resulted in many seniors with the wrong Part D plan. Luckily, Medicare has admitted the mistake and has allowed a Special Election Period under this specific circumstance. On Medicare’s website it reads: “If

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.co...  This Rate Watch Wednesday is focused on the Medicare Supplement Plan G for a male and female, ages 65 through 75, in Charlotte, North Carolina (zip code 28269). Medicare Supplement Plan G is the second most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan and it offers the greatest value. It allows you to keep your doctor and hospital, so you can go anywhere in the country that accepts Medicare. The only out of pocket with the Medicare Supplement Plan G, after the premium, is Medicare’s very small Part B annual deductible of $198.   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 coverag

Compare Medicare Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/   Medicare Advantage Plan: A Private Company provides a health plan that you will use instead of using your traditional Medicare.  Medicare Advantage has a lower monthly premium. However, it requires you to pay some bills when you use the Plan. You will have co-pays, co-insurance and sometimes a deductible. Furthermore, you have to go to certain Doctors, Hospitals and other Providers (HMO / PPO). Most importantly, it has a max out of pocket for your protection. Therefore, once you have paid a certain amount, the plan will pay the rest of your healthcare cost. For example, in 2019 most HMO’s max out of pocket were around $4,000.00 and the PPO Plans were around $6,700.00. Lastly, Medicare Advantage plans may  include added benefits like dental, vision, even a gym membership.   Medicare Supplement Plan: Medicare ( Parts A and B ) are your primary insurance and 2020 Supplement Plan pays the bills that Medicare would n

Compare Medicare Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ If you currently have a Medicare Advantage Plan and you’re looking at upgrading to a Medicare Supplement (Medigap), the mistake many agents make is they will make your Medicare Supplement plan effective for January 1st and they will submit your Part D drug plan for you as well making it effective for January 1st. This is a huge mistake! The issue with this is that as soon as they submit your drug plan, it will automatically kick you off your Medicare Advantage Plan. Because there are only a few days left of the Annual Enrollment Period, you will not know in the next couple days whether or not you’ve been approved for the Supplement Plan. This is how the series of events will unfold to the mistake that could cost you your Medicare Health insurance coverage: The agent will submit your Medicare Supplement application with an effective date of January 1stalong with the Part D drug plan. You will be approved for the drug plan immediately

Compare Medicare Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) vs. Medicare Supplement (Medigap), which is better? This is the dominant question on everyone’s mind during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. Both types of plans have their pros and cons and, of course, nothing is free in this life so the real question that people need to ask themselves: What are my needs and what can I afford? 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 2020, most HMO’s are around $4,000.00 and the PPO Plans are around $6,70

The Medicare premiums, deductibles and co-payment amounts have been officially updated for 2020. Social security saw a rather small increase of only 1.6%, which will be eaten up by Medicare’s Part B premium increase. 2020 Medicare Part A Deductible and Coinsurance Inpatient hospital deductible: $1,408.00 Daily Coinsurance Days 61-90: $352.00 Daily Coinsurance-Lifetime Reserve: $704.00 Skilled Nursing Facility Days 21-100: $176.00 2020 Medicare Part B Premium and Annual Deductible Standard Monthly Premium: $144.60 Annual Deductible: $198.00 How will the Medicare Part B annual deductible increasing impact you if you have a Medicare Supplement? If you have a Medicare Supplement Plan F, the deductible is paid for you so you would not have to worry about that increase as far as what your out-of-pocket costs are going to be. If you have the Medicare Supplement Plan G, then the only out-of-pocket cost that’s going to increase for you is the Part B deductible going up $13.00 from $185 to $198. If you ha

Click Here to Shop Part D Plans: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/2020-medicare-part-d-finder-form-lead-form/ This is an important Medicare Part D update concerning anyone that currently has the Humana Walmart Part D plan. If you have had the Humana Walmart Plan for the last couple years, you should have received a letter from Humana stating that they will be rolling into their Humana Premier plan, which is a really good drug plan however, it has a very high premium. The average price that I have heard from clients is between $55 – $65 a month which is more than double what they were paying. The good news is that there are options. Humana has also introduced a new Humana Walmart Value Part D plan for 2020. This plan may be a good fit for you. However, if you are taking all generic medications there are other Part D options out there that are very good. WellCare Wellness is around $13.00 a month in most areas and that plan is showing up as being a very affordable plan for anyone taking all generic medica

Click Here to Shop Part D Plans: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/2020-medicare-part-d-finder-form-lead-form/ It’s the Annual Enrollment Period and the questions about the Medicare Part D plans are flowing in. One very common question is: “What is the Part D deductible and how does it work?” Most Medicare Part D Plans in 2020 have a deductible. The average deductible for 2020 is $435 for the year. Typically, we understand that with a deductible we have to pay the whole cost of the prescription before the plan is going to kick in and pay anything. This is not the case with most of the drug plans for 2020. The drug plans that show a deductible of $435, the deductible will only apply to tier 3, tier 4 and tier 5 medications. What this means is that if you are taking a tier 1 preferred generic or tier 2 non preferred generic, with most Part D drug plans for 2020, you will either pay nothing or $1.00 to $4.00 for those medications. You may never reach that deductible if those are the only types of medication

Even though the Board of Trustees has recently announced that the Medicare Part B annual deductible is increasing by twelve dollars to $197, I am still recommending the Medicare Supplement Plan G as the most cost-effective Medicare Supplement plan over the Plan F for 2020. Some basic information, for those of you that don’t know, Plan F and Plan G are Medicare Supplements. They are designed to work with your Medicare, so Medicare pays 80% of your medical bills and the supplement would come in and pay the rest. The Plan F is the “Full Coverage” plan. It covers the 20% completely. You have no bills except for your monthly premium. The Plan G is almost exactly the same as the Plan F, the only difference is that the Plan G doesn’t pay Medicare’s Part B annual deductible of $197.00. After you meet that deductible, you have no medical bills, everything is covered just like Plan F.  Let’s look at this from the Insurance Carrier’s point of view: Imagine that Plan F and Plan G both have one million people in each

Possible Medicare increases have been announced for 2020. It’s that time of year when premium and deductible increases are determined and announced. The Board of Trustees has released what they’re recommending for Medicare Part A and Part B deductible increases and the Medicare Part B premium increases for 2020. This has not been signed into effect as of yet, however when the Board of Trustees recommends something, its usually put into place. This is a sneak peek of what they might be and in the next couple weeks, when it becomes official, we will post another video of what increases they actually did sign into effect. Medicare Part B premium: As of 2019, the average Part B monthly premium was $135.50. Next year in 2020, they are recommending it increase to $144.40. Medicare Part A deductible: The Medicare Part A hospital deductible in 2019 was $1,364.00. This is a per occurrence deductible. The recommended increase for 2020 is $1,420.00. This deductible is paid every time you are hospitalized. Medicare

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ Mutual of Omaha is one of the oldest Medicare Supplement carriers in the nation having been founded in 1909. They offer a wide range of Medicare Supplement plans and the three most comprehensive of these plans are Plan F, Plan G and Plan N. · Plan F – The Medicare Supplement Plan F is the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan that you can buy. The coverage with the Plan F is amazing. With the Plan F you can keep your Doctor and go to any hospital in the Country that accepts Medicare. Medicare Supplement Plan F pays the Medicare Part A Deductible. Medicare Supplement Plan F pays the Medicare Part A per day hospital charge that starts day 90. Plan F will also pay for an additional 80 days in a Skilled Nursing Facility. Medicare Supplement Plan F pays the Medicare Part B Deductible. Medicare Supplement Plan F pays the 20% that Medicare Part B does not pay. · Plan G – This is the Medicare Supplement Plan that I recommend

One very exciting announcement for Medicare is the Donut Hole (Coverage Gap) will be discontinued in 2020! The Donut Hole has been a looming terror for anyone that takes tier 3 or tier 4 medications and many people are not sad to see it go. In this level of coverage, you would have to pay around 45% of your brand name drug costs and around 80% of your generic costs but not anymore. These are the different levels of the new Part D drug plans for 2020: 1. The Deductible Level · The new deductible for 2020 is $435. For those of you that have a tier deductible and take a tier 1 (preferred generic) or tier 2 (non-preferred generic), this deductible does not apply. These medications will most likely range from $1.00 to $4.00. 2. The Initial Coverage Level · I call this the Co-Pay Level. Once you meet your deductible, you would pay 25% of the company’s negotiated price for the medication. 3.The Catastrophic Coverage Level · Once you and the insurance company reach $6,350 in drug costs, this would bring you to the th

This a step by step guide on how to navigate our website. Our website is a very basic page and we did this to make it as user-friendly as possible. Our website offers a library of over 300 videos and blogs with extensive information on Medicare, it’s policies, plans and Part D information and updates. Our goal is to educate seniors with all of their options in an easily accessible and easy to understand way. These are the three most commonly used sections of our website and how to use them: MedicareBob’s Blog – this section is our library of all of our Medicare videos and Medicare Blogs. We have over 300 of these posts and each link is labeled with the topic on which the video or blog is about. Our clients and potential clients find this library very useful in answering very specific questions and comparing prices of the different plans. We also have Medicare videos on a state by state basis. So, if you’re looking up information on plans for your specific state, we’ve got it because we are licensed nationwi

Compare Medicare Supplement Plans Here: https://www.seniorhealthcaredirect.com/quote-3/ Hospital coverage is very important with any Medicare Supplement plan. Medicare’s Part A hospital deductible is $1,364. This deductible is a per-occurrence deductible which means you will pay it every time you are hospitalized. The Medicare Supplement Plan N will cover this deductible for you. The Medicare Supplement Plan N is the third most comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan of all the Medicare Supplements. The Medicare Supplement Plan N is a great plan for anyone that wants the flexibility of a Medicare Supplement but doesn’t want to pay a high premium. Medicare Supplement Plan N is also called Medigap Plan N. There are only 4 out of pocket costs that the Plan N requires you to pay compared to the Plan F or Plan G. The Part B Deductible (The deductible for 2019 is $185.00) You would be required to pay that deductible in full before the plan picks up the rest. Co-pays. The Plan N comes with some co-pays.