Enroll In Medicare Archives | Page 3 Of 5

How to Max Out Your Social Security

Bob Vineyard · February 25, 2015 ·

If you want to max out your Social Security benefit you will need to plan ahead. You can begin receiving Social Security at age 62 but most baby boomers will come out ahead to wait until FRA (full retirement age) at 66. Regardless of when you begin Social Security, most of us will go on Medicare A & B when we turn 65. How much is the spouse benefit?

How much does Medicare cost? Should I stay on my group plan or is it better to begin Medicare at age 65? Can I have Medicare without Social Security?

Social Security at age 62 or wait?

If you need to begin Social Security at age 62 for financial reasons, go ahead. It is your money. But if you want to max out your benefits the longer you wait the more you will receive each month.

The Catch 22 in your benefit is this. How long will you live?

If you are in relatively good health and your family has a history of living into their 80’s or older there’s a good chance you will have a long life too.

But we never know until we get there.

CNN Money addresses the question, “Should you tap your Social Security benefits early or wait?”.

Many people want to get their hands on their benefits as soon as possible, fearing (incorrectly) that Social Security will go broke. Others enjoy the sense of control they get from investing those funds instead of passively waiting for a higher payment down the road.

In spite of some claims, Social Security will not go broke. Technically, it already is. Excess payroll tax collections have mostly been borrowed by Congress to pay current obligations. The Trust fund is full of IOU’s but that does not mean Social Security will implode.

There are too many of us boomers out there and we are old enough to vote if they try and take Social Security away from us. Yes, I said us. I will turn 65 in September of 2015 and will go on Medicare. My plan is to delay SS until age 66 or possibly later.

Social Security planning

If you fail to plan you plan to fail. There is a lot to be said for that old saw.

Back in the old days when we wanted to go on vacation we planned ahead. Many of us ordered at trip planning kit from AAA that contained maps, information on lodging and restaurants and even included brochures of places to see.

That was then.

Now we go on the internet and let Google be our friend. We may map out our trip to get an idea of trip times but rather than bulky maps that never can be folded up neatly we rely on GPS to get us from point A to point B.

We don’t have a retirement GPS and we do need to plan ahead.

Of the items mentioned in the video, long term care planning is often the one that is most overlooked. I have a business associate that handles long term care for me. Let me know if you need an introduction.

Turn 65, go on Medicare?

At one time you had no choice. Most people retired at age 65 and some even a few years earlier. If you worked for a “big company” like AT&T or IBM you had a retiree health insurance plan.

But those days are mostly gone.

Many large employers have cancelled their retiree health plan and shuttled their employees off to consultants like Aon or Towers Watson. Instead of a company health insurance plan you are forced onto Medicare. Your former employer may have set up a retiree HRA and made a deposit to help you pay for your Medicare Part B and either a Medicare Advantage plan or Medigap plus Part D.

The advice given by the service reps at Aon or Towers Watson is mostly inadequate. You may have also been told the only way to participate in the HRA was to buy your coverage through the consulting firm.

In many cases that may not have been completely accurate.

We helped several retirees find a plan that fit their needs and budget and still retain access to the HRA funding. In every case the premiums for plans we suggested were lower than those for comparable plans through Aon or Towers.

With more than 170 different Medicare supplement plans in Georgia, how do you find the right one for you? I will be glad to discuss the plans I considered as well as the one I will pick when I go on Medicare.

You can begin your search on our site. View plans side by side to compare benefits and rates. Of course we are always available to answer any questions you may have.

Still have questions?

Social Security can be confusing, even more so than Medicare. You are not the only one with questions.

Here are a few links to help you find your path and max out your Social Security benefits.

How to Max Out Your Social Security Checks

How to Calculate the Spousal Benefit

Social Security Spouse Benefits – The Rules of the Road

If you found this post to be of benefit please share it with your friends. Let us know how we can help.

#SocialSecurity #Medicareturning65 #AT&T

4 Mistakes Retirees Make in Choosing a Medicare Plan

Bob Vineyard · October 21, 2014 ·

What are the 4 mistakes you can make in choosing a Medicare plan? Do you understand the difference in original Medicare and private Medicare Advantage? Do you assume the plan your friends bought is best for you? Did you ask a knowledgeable agent to help or just shop online to find a plan? Have you budgeted for the total cost of health care? Don’t make the same mistake Tony made.

Many consumers start by shopping online, which is not a bad way to go as long as you understand the results. Others ask their friends about the kind of coverage they have. Nothing wrong with that as long as your friends researched and understood their options.

Sadly, too many end up repeating the same mistakes their friend made an only realize when it is too late to make a change.

Shop and compare over 170 different plans in the comfort of your home.

Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage

You might be surprised at how many fail to understand the difference in original Medicare vs. a private Medicare Advantage plan. They think their Advantage plan is a supplement to Medicare.

It’s not.

Medicare annual open enrollment is when everyone can make changes in their plan.

Nope.

Medicare and a supplement is more expensive than Medicare Advantage.

It depends.

Original Medicare allows you to use any doctor, lab or hospital without penalty. You can travel anywhere in the country and have the same level of coverage as you have at home. You can keep the same plan, and doctor, from year to year.

Medicare Advantage picks doctors for you. If you use someone that is not in network, you pay a penalty. Your doctor can be fired from the plan in the middle of the year. United Healthcare has made headlines because they told participating doctors they were no longer needed, leaving patients high and dry.

Can you afford to make that mistake?

Letting your friends pick a plan for you

Have you ever had a friend set you up for a blind date? Oh, they mean well, but most of the time you will smile and be pleasant while inside you are saying to yourself “What were they thinking?”.

One of the 4 mistakes many people make is buying the same plan a friend has. If you follow this philosophy you will probably buy a $0 premium Medicare Advantage plan or buy Medigap plan F from United Healthcare (AARP), Blue Cross or one of the current Mutual of Omaha companies.

What could be better than $0 premium? And your doctor(s) are in network so is there anything else to consider?

Or plan F pays 100% of my health care costs. It must be a great plan, right?

The $0 premium plan with $0 deductible might be just right, but did you estimate what your health care costs will be?

And about that plan F.

Depending on your age, gender and zip, Medicare supplement plan rates vary considerably. I recently ran a quote for a female, age 65, in Conyers. The United Healthcare (AARP) plan F was 19th on the list of plans ranked from lowest premium to highest. Blue Cross was 23rd.

If you are really sold on plan F you could have saved $350 a year (or more) if you had purchased from someone OTHER than the name brand carrier.

You would have saved even more, almost $600 a year, by choosing plan G ………. a plan not offered by United or Blue.

Shopping online

Amazon is the worlds largest retail shopping mall. You can find almost anything you want. Sometimes it is a good price, sometimes not. When the purchase arrives, if you don’t like it you can return it.

Buying a Medicare plan online isn’t the same thing.

Too often you won’t know if you like the plan until you actually use it. By then it may be too late to exchange it.

If you go to Medicare.gov there is a lot of information about Medicare Advantage and drug plans, but almost nothing usable when it comes to Medigap.

A common piece of advice on Medicare Advantage is to make sure your doctor is in network but how many times do you stop to check your medication list?

Most people don’t, especially the DIY crowd.

Big mistake.

The biggest hassle in online shopping is landing on a site that will sell your information to dozens of insurance agents. Your phone won’t stop ringing and your email will be stuffed with “buy me” notices.

Georgia Medicare Plans never sells your information to anyone. We call once. That’s it. You decide if you want more information.

Shop and compare now.

Tony almost made a $6,000 mistake

Tony is turning 65. Like everyone else he is bombarded with information about available plans. And Tony has asked friends which plan they have and would recommend.

But Tony also likes to do his own research. That’s how he found me.

Most of his friends have a $0 premium Medicare Advantage plan. Tony has a chronic condition that is under control and he has doctors he trusts. He wants a plan that includes his current doctors.

Tony was proactive and asked his doctors which plans they accept.

“All of them”.

That’s when he found my site. And then he called.

We talked for a few minutes and discussed the differences in original Medicare and a supplement plan vs. Medicare Advantage. Tony was not aware that doctors can be dropped from an Advantage plan in mid year. He also was not aware of the out of network restrictions and penalties. We discussed out easy it is to slip out of network, especially with P.A.R.E. claims.

Then we talked out Medicare and Medigap plans. We also looked at his expected annual cost of health care.

Failing to consider your cost of health care is one of the 4 mistakes almost everyone makes.

But it was the discussion about his meds that brought things to a head.

Tony takes two specific medications to keep his health in control. One is relatively inexpensive, the other is not. He gave me a complete list of his medications and I ran a prescription drug report for him.

After looking over the list I decided to do something I rarely do. Medicare drug reports are quite detailed, and confusing. I normally just show clients the top two plans rather than sending them 20 or more to review.

I repeated the process for the $0 premium Advantage plan he said he wanted.

Then I compared the results.

The Medicare Part D plan with the lowest annual drug costs would result in $3,000 in out of pocket costs for his medications.

The $0 premium plan would have him spending almost $9,000 for the exact same medications.

If Tony had taken the advice of his friends and purchased the $0 premium Advantage plan he would have made a $6,000 mistake.

Can you afford to make that kind of error?

Give us a call to discuss plans that fit your needs AND budget. Or you can start the process by using our online instant quote engine.

#MedicareAdvantage #Medicareannualopenenrollment

Home Depot and Medicare

Bob Vineyard · August 12, 2014 ·

The first time I walked into Home Depot I was overwhelmed. All I wanted was a hammer. What I didn’t know was, what kind of hammer I needed. Home Depot must have had 50 different kinds of hammers.

All I wanted was to drive a few nails into some lumber.

Medicare is the same way, but different.

When you turn 65 and enter into the Medicare system for the first time it can be like my venture to Home Depot. It can be very overwhelming.

Feel free to browse around our Medicare “store” where you can shop and compare plans with one click in the comfort of your home.

Home Depot knows hammers

Did you know there are claw hammers, tack hammers, ball pein hammers, cross pein hammers, club hammers, sledge hammers …………

The list goes on.

Fortunately for me there were people who knew how to help me. What kind of project am I doing? Am I handy with tools? Will there be other projects next year? How much can I afford to pay for a hammer? Do I need anything to go with my hammer, such as band-aids? Will I need an electric hammer or will a manual one work?

So many questions. Who knew that choosing a hammer would be so difficult?

The same is true with Medicare.

Choosing a Medicare plan is like picking out a hammer

When you turned 65 you probably talked to your friends about Medicare. What kind of plan did they have? Did they like it? Why did they buy it?

You also have received tons of stuff in the mail. Some from Medicare but most from insurance carriers pushing their plan.

Medicare used to be simple.

You turned 65. You went on Medicare. You picked out a supplement plan.

Now there are drug plans and Advantage plans. PPO’s, HMO’s, POS plans and more.

Let’s face it. You’re not in Kansas any more.

Too bad there’s not a Home Depot for Medicare.

No Home Depot, but you can get close

More like an Amazon for Medicare.

Georgia Medicare Plans is like shopping on Amazon for Medicare but with the personal service and expert advice you expect from a Home Depot.

Welcome to our “store”.

We welcome the DIY crowd at Georgia Medicare Plans. Feel free to look around, compare rates and plans. Make yourself at home.

We are here to help and answer any questions, but only if you need it. There is never any pressure to buy anything. You are free to enter and leave at your discretion, but we hope you will stay and ask a few questions.

Bob Vineyard has worked in the health insurance field since 1975 and specifically focused on Medicare for the last 5 years. We understand your frustrations.

You have questions. We have answers.

What is the difference in Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplement? What is a Medigap plan? Do I need a drug plan if I don’t take any medications? Which plans are accepted by my doctor? Which plans pay better than others? Which ones do not require me to file a claim? Is Medicare supplement plan F better than a Medicare Advantage plan? Do I need a supplement plan to go with my Advantage plan?

We are like Home Depot and Amazon. Personalized help and online shopping.

May I help you?

The most dreaded words in retail.

Most of the time we look away and say “No thank you, I am just looking”. Never make eye contact. If you do you know to get ready for a sales pitch.

At Georgia Medicare Plans there are no sales pitches. We don’t pester you to make an appointment. I won’t come to your home. I won’t try to sell you something you don’t need or want.

Most people that turn 65 think they are shopping for a Medicare plan.

They are wrong.

What they really need is someone that knows the Medicare system and can explain it in ways they can understand ………….. in 10 minutes or less ………….. over the phone.

You are not shopping for a plan. You are shopping for an agent. That’s me on the right, in the Chop House at Turner Field.

I am here to help.

And I won’t make you buy a hammer.

What Does Medicare Part A and Part B Cover?

Bob Vineyard · June 14, 2014 ·

Medicare Part A and Part B are two separate types of health insurance coverage. Medicare Part A is “free” for most, Part B is optional and requires you to pay a premium. If you want a Medicare supplement plan, or Medicare Advantage, you must be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.

Medicare Part A

Your Medicare Part A benefit is for INPATIENT hospital stays. Outpatient procedures, even when performed in a hospital setting are generally not considered to be Part A eligible expenses.

Many acute care facilities have Emergency Rooms, dialysis clinics, infusion therapy (chemo) clinics, radiology (X-ray, CT, MRI) and rehab care.

These expenses usually are not covered by Medicare Part A.

If you are admitted for observation, this is classified as outpatient care and is also not covered by Medicare Part A.

Part A as a rule should cover:

Hospital INPATIENT care
Skilled nursing care
SOME nursing home care (cannot be just custodial care)
Most hospice care
Also some in-home services

Follow this link to research what is covered by Medicare.

Part A expenses have an up front per benefit period deductible.

Medicare Part B

Your Medicare Part B benefit as a general rule covers outpatient treatment. This includes things like

Doctor office visits
Emergency room
Ambulance
Radiology
Infusion therapy
Durable medical equipment
Mental health (inpatient and outpatient)
SOME outpatient prescription drugs

Medicare Part B requires you to pay an annual deductible plus 20% of the Medicare approved amount above the deductible. In some cases you will also be responsible for Medicare excess charges.

Most people underestimate their liability under Part B. They generally only think of Part B as doctor visits and 20% of a doctor visit can’t be that much.

They would be wrong.

Most large claims, those that exceed $30,000 or so, are often 50% inpatient (Medicare Part A) expenses and 50% outpatient (Part B). Your 20% share of ambulance, ER, radiation and infusion therapy can be quite expensive.

Dan’s expensive quarter mile trip

I recently had breakfast with a long time friend who has generally enjoyed good health but has had a few bumps in the road like most of us.

Last year during a routine exam his doctor noticed a change in his usual medical history and told Dan to have some cardiac tests run at Northside Hospital. The test showed 90% blockage in his heart arteries. The doctor said he needed immediate bypass surgery.

St. Joseph’s Hospital is literally across the street from Northside. His doctors considered his situation so grave they ordered an ambulance to take him from the Northside ER to the St. Joseph ER, about 1,000 feet away.

Dan’s outpatient testing at Northside was covered by Part B. His admission to the St. Joseph ER was also covered under Medicare Part B. Admission as an inpatient to St. Joseph was a Medicare Part A expense.

Medicare at first denied his ambulance claim, then later approved it.

The cost of the 1,000 foot ride was $1700.

Without a good Medicare supplement plan Dan would have paid $340 for a ride across the street. Because he had a supplement plan his ambulance trip cost him $0.

This is over and above the two ER visits in the same day as well as the outpatient heart scan.

That half day adventure would have cost Dan several thousand dollars without a Medigap plan.

Medicare Part A and Part B

Navigating the Medicare Maze can be quite and adventure.

It can also be expensive unless you have a good Medigap plan. There are over 170 different Medicare supplement plans in Georgia. How do you find the right one that meets your needs and budget?

Bob Vineyard and Georgia Medicare Plans can help. Shop and compare Medigap plans instantly.

Medicare is Simple. Math is Hard

Bob Vineyard · June 11, 2014 ·

Medicare is simple. All you have to do is go online to Medicare.gov and everything you need to know is right there. You never have to talk to insurance agents or carrier reps. Everything you need to know about Medicare is available for free from the government.

If only it were that easy ………………….

I spend a lot of time online, answering consumer questions in public forums, responding to inquiries from clients and strangers.

I also post information on blogs and Facebook pages.

Even if you are a Bob Vineyard groupie you won’t learn everything you need to know about Medicare.

People think Medicare is simple.

They are wrong.

In the last 3 years I have answered quite literally thousands of questions by phone and email. Some times I can help people save money by switching their coverage around.

Sometimes not.

Regardless of your situation, you will always come away with a better understanding of what Medicare is, how it works, what you have and what your options are.

While maintaining your sanity ………………………..

We have compiled a simple 9 page report titled Medicare Options – Get Informed – Choose Wisely. The report is free for the asking.

No strings attached.

This report is our gift to you. A way of helping you become informed about changes in Medicare and how it impacts you.

Most people think Medicare Part A (hospital) claims have the potential to wreck their bank account.

The truth is, more people will find themselves in financial trouble with unpaid Part B claims.

We can show you how to minimize your out of pocket to less than $500 per year for Medicare A and B charges and still save $1000 per year or more vs. the popular Medigap plan F.

Medicare is simple.

Buy a plan based on your current and past health. If you don’t take medication now and rarely go to the doctor your luck should hold up and you don’t need a “rich” plan.

That’s what Jim thought when he bought a Medicare Advantage plan.

Six months later he had a stroke. The doctors and therapists he needed did not take his plan. His decision to save money with a low premium Advantage plan backfired.

If you are Jim you probably won’t find an answer to your problem online.

Keep your sanity. Let us help. Request our FREE Report.

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