Medicare is a valuable program, offering conventional health coverage through parts A & B, Part C (aka Medicare Advantage) and Part D (prescription drug coverage).

Most Medicare Beneficiaries find that parts A & B and a supplement (Plans A through N) give them freedom to use any doctor who will bill Medicare, at home or while travelling.  If you plan to travel, or perhaps move to a rural area, HMO plans (part C) may not work as well for you as they have limited networks of participating providers.

Before we can assist you with enrollment in your Supplement, your Part D, or your Medicare Advantage plan, you need to be enrolled in Parts A & B.  This may be done at one of these times:

First, when you turn 65, you'll have the 3 months before, the month of, and the 3 months following your 65th birthday. You may enroll on the Social Security Website. Call us if you'd like instructions. This is called your "Initial Medicare Enrollment Period".

Another opportunity to enroll in Parts A and/or B if you did not enroll at age 65, is within 8 months of the end of your "Active Employee Group Coverage". This opportunity requires that you are eligible for Medicare (age 65+) and have been covered under a group plan providing benefits at least as good as Medicare's. Coverage must have been continuous since before you turned 65 and COBRA benefits do not count. The health plan should be provided by your employer or your spouse's employer.

If you are eligible for Medicare due to a disability and have been receiving Social Security Disability Benefits for 24 months, you will be enrolled in Medicare. Your Part B effective date is very important here, since any additional coverage (Supplement or Part B) must be effective within 6 months of that Part B effective date.

Finally, if you missed your initial enrollment opportunity, there is a General Enrollment Period from January 1 - March 31 each year. Your coverage will start July 1 of that year, and late enrollment penalties will apply.

Once you have your Medicare ID number, we can explain how Medicare works, why you'll want additional coverage and help you make plan selections for Supplements, Part D, or Medicare Advantage Plans. We'll assist with the application process, see that your additional coverage is issued, and answer your ongoing questions.

Annually you'll want to consider your list of prescriptions and re-evaluate your Part D plan selections between October 15 - December 7. Any changes made during this time can be effective January 1 of the following year.

Give us a call to get started!