Georgia Medicare Supplement Plans Archives

Medicare Options – Who Works For You?

Bob Vineyard · September 6, 2021 · Leave a Comment

Medicare options in Georgia – Who works for you? Who answers your questions? Explains original Medicare vs Advantage plan? Does not charge an upfront fee? Which advisor is not paid until YOU are satisfied?

Who works for YOU, not for an insurance carrier? Are you searching for PERSONAL service from an EXPERIENCED Georgia Medicare agent?

Is the person you hired knowledgeable? Are they interested in helping you find what you need and want? Do they care what your budget will allow?

Or are you merely a “mark”? Just someone more interested in finding a way to transfer wealth . . . from your pocket into theirs?

Who works for YOU?

Who will explain about Medicare A, B, C, D and all the other letters? Who did you hire?

Medicare Options and Advice – Who Did You Hire?

Who takes the time to listen to your questions and provide answers you can understand? Who did you hire to help you navigate the Medicare maze?

Who works for you?

Are you one of those DIY folks? The kind of person who wants to do things by yourself?

Who Does Most of the Talking?

Are you encouraged to ask question or are you just listening to a sales pitch?

Do you get answers to things that are important to you or is the advisor simply pushing a product?

Does your advice coach seem genuinely interested in YOUR needs or are they more concerned about how much money they will earn when you finally buy something?

How Much Does Medicare Advice Cost?

Should you PAY someone to give you Medicare advice? If so, how much is that information worth to you?

Do you pay up front and hope the information is useful or pay later?

Which Medicare plan is right for you? Do you look for the lowest premium or is it more important for you to keep your doctor(s)?

Can you have a low premium AND unfettered access to care anywhere in the country?

When is the BEST Time to Enroll in Medicare?

How do I avoid a late enrollment penalty? Can I be denied coverage if I don’t enroll on time?

The number one mistake by folks who are new to Medicare is . . . not knowing WHEN to apply for coverage.

Should I sign up for Medicare before turning 65? Does it matter WHEN I enroll in Medicare?

When will my Medicare coverage become effective?

You have Medicare questions, I have answers. Give me 10 minutes on the phone. Ask any question. After 10 minutes if you don’t feel my information is helpful we hang up and part as friends.

It’s not personal, it’s just business.

That is my Offer You Can’t Refuse.

Do I Need an Insurance Agent?

Bob Vineyard · March 10, 2020 ·

Do I need an insurance agent to buy a Medicare supplement plan? How much extra will I pay to buy through a broker? Do insurance agents offer the same plans that I can get direct from a carrier? Don’t most insurance agents push the plans that pay them the highest commission?

It doesn’t matter if you are turning 65 and going on Medicare for the first time or you have been in the Medicare system for a few years. Most people still don’t really understand how Medicare works and how it applies to them.

You have questions. We have answers.

Shopping for Medicare coverage? With more than 230 different Medicare supplement plans in Georgia, how do you find the one that is right for you? Click and compare rates and plans from GA Medigap rates

Have you ever seen a Medigap rate report like this?

Everyone I talk to will get a report that is customized to reflect the plan or plans where they have an interest.

If the agent that is trying to SELL you on buying from him or her isn’t offering information like this, what else are they keeping from you?

Should I use an insurance agent when buying a Medicare supplement plan?

This question comes up from time to time but I suspect it is often considered but rarely asked. When it happens to me it usually comes in the form of “How much do you charge for your advice?”.

Perhaps I should consider it an affront, but I don’t. I do wonder if they ask their home and auto insurance agent same question. Similarly, when people go online do they ask them how much more they have to pay for buying a plan from an 800 number agent?

My response is always the same.

Medicare supplement plans you buy through me are the exact same plan at the same rate as those you would buy direct from the carrier. The only difference is, when you buy from me you get the advantage of my 40 years of experience at no additional charge. When you have a question you can call or email.

When you call you get me or my voice mail. You will never hear “Press 1 for English”. You won’t be routed through a bunch of prompts. I return calls within 2 business days and often the same day. If I can’t answer your question I will tell you so and will get back to you within 24 hours with the answer you need.

Call a carrier and you talk to whoever answers the phone that day, if you get a live person. More often than not you get voice mail. You have no idea who will call you back or when. You don’t know if they have worked for the carrier for years or just started last week.

Did I mention you pay the same premium for the same plan when you buy from an insurance agent?

Where can I see all the Medigap plans?

You can’t.

Some of is because most agents don’t have a quote engine on their site where you can see Medicare rates instantly. Something like this.

Even if you find a quote engine you will probably only see a few plans. That’s the way it is on my site. The people who designed and maintain the quote engine only have permission from a few carriers to illustrate their rates.

If you found a site with 230+ Medigap plans and up to 50 different carriers it would probably overwhelm you.

Insurance agents act as filters, showing you the good and bad and providing insight into not only current rates but carrier history.

Bill and Brenda went Medicare shopping

Last year Brenda visited my site a few times, reviewed available plans and rates, but was not available when I called. I left a message but never heard back.

I only call once. If I get voice mail, I leave a message. That’s it. I don’t bug people to death. I don’t chase them down.

Meanwhile Bill and Brenda received several automated emails from me. Each one had information about Medicare in general as well as specific information on Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D.

After a few weeks had gone by Bill emailed me. They were both turning 65 and going on Medicare in a few months and they wanted me to come to their home one evening to discuss options.

Only one problem.

I don’t make house calls and I rarely conduct business after normal office hours, but I did agree to call them at a designated time and day.

How Much Can You Really Save?

We talked for perhaps 40 minutes or so. I walked them through the Medicare process and answered all their questions. I agreed to send them information by email so they could study their options in their time frame.

Brenda had already discussed Medicare with her friends and was convinced they needed to buy plan F from AARP/United Healthcare. If they needed plan F they could save $500 per year with a different carrier but the real savings would come by switching to plan G and save over $1000 per year.

The savings didn’t stop there.

Brenda was taking a “prescription” dose of Niacin as part of her cholesterol medication regiment. When I ran their drug report it turns out she was prescribed an OTC version. Her pharmacist was pulling the medication off the shelf, slapping a label on it and charging over $100 per fill for a 30 day supply. She was paying over $1200 per year on her high deductible plan.

I looked on Amazon for the same strength, slow release Niacin.

$17 for 175 tablets.

She could get a years supply for around $35 vs. $1200 from her druggist.

I suggested she ask her doc about the OTC version from Amazon. She did and he blessed the change.

She changed drug stores shortly after that. Probably should have changed docs too but that was up to her.

The point of this is, a few phone calls and emails with an insurance agent (that would be me) resulted in a savings of over $2,000 per year by using an agent. Had she followed the advice of her friends that decision would have cost her a lot of money over the next few years.

Do you need an insurance agent?

Not really.

Anyone can do this but very few insurance agents take the time to educate their clients the way I do.

In September of this year I will be going on Medicare and I am pretty sure I will take my own advice. The same advice I give others.

You need adequate coverage to protect you against the cost of health CARE.

You don’t need to spend all your money on insurance.

You don’t need as much coverage as you think you do and can certainly do better than buying what your friends have. Unless they bought it through Georgia Medicare Plans.

Shop and compare now.

Your information is NEVER sold.

#MedicareSupplementInsurance #InsuranceAgent #GAMedigapRates

Medicare Supplement or Advantage Age 65

Bob Vineyard · February 12, 2020 ·

You turn 65 and have to make a decision. Which is better? Medicare supplement or Advantage plans? Your initial enrollment in Medicare at age 65 can be frustrating and overwhelming. Did you get your FREE Medicare supplement quote yet?

Medicare supplement or Advantage? Which one costs less?
Are $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans a good deal?
Since I want to keep my own doctors, is Medicare supplement plan F right for me?
I am healthy and don’t see a doctor very often. It seems the $0 premium plans are good for me.
My spouse is always in the doctors office. Will they have to make a copay for every visit?

Can we talk? How will you pick the right plan that meets YOUR needs and YOUR budget for age 65 and beyond? Give me a call anytime.

Medicare Supplement or Advantage. Which plan costs less?

As long as you are healthy, the $0 premium Medicare Advantage plan is great. But you might want to set aside an extra $300 per month or more in a “rainy day” fund. When your health changes the Medicare Advantage plans are like a leaky bathtub that loses water faster than it comes in.

Medicare supplement or Advantage - Which is better?

What if you are not be able to come up with enough money to pay all your bills because you were sold an Advantage plan? Is this really what you want in your golden years?

Advantage plans are great for healthy people who never go to the doctor or hospital.

If you are living on a fixed income and need to budget your monthly expenses, a Medigap plan is usually the better choice. Your Medicare supplement plan F means you will never have to worry about paying for hospital or doctor bills.

$0 Premium Advantage Plan Seems Like a Good Deal

Yes it does seem like a good deal, and that is often the way it is sold by agents looking for an “easy” sale. When choosing Medicare supplement or Advantage, most agents will push the Advantage plans, especially the ones with $0 premium.

Do you know why?

An agent will earn 2x as much when you buy an Advantage plan vs. what they are paid to offer a Medigap plan.

And that $0 premium is so easy to pitch to someone on a fixed income . . .

What is better than free?

Medicare supplement or Advantage? Which is better for you and which is better for the agents bank account?

If you are struggling to pay your bills now what will happen when you need to see a doctor or have some tests and the Advantage plan requires you to come up with $500 or more to get the care you need?

A Medicare supplement plan makes it easy to stick to your budget without worrying about surprises.

Do You Like Your Doctors? Who Doesn’t?

If so, you probably want a Medicare supplement plan F or even G.

Almost every doctor, hospital, lab and clinic in the U.S. accepts Medicare patients. When you have a Medicare Advantage plan the insurance carrier tells you which doctors you can see.

Less than half the doctors in Georgia participate in ANY Medicare Advantage plan and the ones that do won’t participate in all plans. Your chances of finding a doctor that participates in your Advantage plan could be very slim.

Even if your doctors currently are “in network” for your Advantage plan they may drop out at any time. When that happens you find a new doctor.

If you don’t want to continually hunt for new doctors, then the answer to Medicare supplement or Advantage becomes an easy one.

Advantage Plans are Great if You Never Get Sick

But when your health changes, you will wish you had a Medicare supplement plan and by then it is probably too late to switch.

Advantage plans are “pay me later” plans. You pay little or nothing on a monthly basis but when you need to use your plan you pay and pay and pay. Oh sure, they have an out of pocket limit that in some cases is capped at $6700 (in 2018), but that is only for IN NETWORK expenses.

When you go out of network, and that is very easy to do, the out of pocket limit becomes meaningless.

Medicare supplement plans don’t have any networks so you pay the same regardless of the doctor, clinic or hospital you use. No penalties for seeing the wrong doctor or being admitted to the wrong hospital.

Medigap plans are great when you are on a shoestring budget.

So which is best for you? Medicare supplement or Advantage?

At Georgia Medicare Plans we explain all your options, including Medicare supplement or Advantage plans, and let you decide which one is best for your needs and your budget. We encourage you to get a free Medigap quote and review up to 40 different plans from a number of carriers. Click the banner above to shop and compare Medicare supplement plan costs.

#MedicareSupplementOrMedicareAdvantageAge65

Medicare Supplement – Just Bought – Now What?

Bob Vineyard · December 3, 2019 ·

Let’s say you turned 65, enrolled in Medicare and just bought a Medicare supplement plan. Did you make the right decision? What are some of the traps and mistakes?

Please take 3 minutes to read this then decide if you need to reconsider your decision. It might just save you a lot of time, money and grief.

You are turning 65 and about to go on Medicare. Here are some things you need to know about your journey.

About That Medicare Supplement Plan You Just Bought

You are not alone.

Roughly 80% of retirees about to turn 65 have never bought health insurance before.

My 40 years in the health insurance business was not enough to prepare me for understanding the Medicare system. It took me about a month of research and talking to Medicare specialists before the light bulb turned on.

If it was that difficult for me I can imagine how confusing it is for you and everyone else.

Medicare supplement or Medicare Advantage?

Your Friends May Offer the Worst Advice

Your friends that are on Medicare are probably still confused about what they have and how it works. I know this because I talk to people every day that were told something about Medicare that is 100% wrong and will prove very costly down the road.

They are probably very good at many things, but Medicare experts they are not.

Ask your friends who THEY talked to in making their decision. If they were pleased, ask for a recommendation. Then you talk with that person and decide if they are giving solid advice or simply pushing a product.

Sadly, most agents talk too much and never listen to your needs.

If they bought a $0 premium Advantage plan (along with a bunch of junk to fill the gaps), or Medigap plan F they will learn to regret that choice later down the road.

Things You Probably Don’t Know

When you turn 65 you have ONLY ONE Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). During that time you can purchase ANY PLAN from ANY CARRIER without answering health questions. Your initial enrollment for Medigap begins the month when you turn 65 AND go on Medicare Part B. It ends 6 months later.

During your IEP you can freely change Medigap plans within the same carrier or move from one carrier to another without penalty. Most people we talk to will end up paying a lot more for their coverage than was necessary. It is not too late to change. Don’t let pride stop you from making a better financial decision. (More on this later)

When Can I Enroll or Change Plans?

You have 60 days from the time you turned 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B to pick a Part D drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan. If you wait, your next opportunity will be during the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and you will pay a LIFETIME late enrollment penalty.

If you bought an Advantage plan and then learned that was the wrong decision you can still purchase a suitable Medigap during your IEP. This happens with some frequency so no need to feel embarrassed.

Many of the newer Advantage plans are “front end loaded” so you pay most of the costs of your care without the benefit of a copay. The networks are also more restrictive than you may have been accustomed to with traditional health insurance.

Get instant GA Medigap quotes, then request our FREE Medicare Supplement rate report that shows ALL the Medicare supplement rates.

Discovering What You Bought

Medigap “gotcha’s”

Medigap is simple, but not as simple as some might think. Sure, the plans are standardized. All plans with the same letter (plan F for example) are identical in every way except the price you pay.

But the simplicity stops there.

Financial ratings don’t matter. “A” rated carriers like AFLAC and Omaha have sucker punched retirees in the past. Offer a low going in rate then substantial increases in later years. Sometimes they stop writing new business with that carrier name.

Then what happens?

Picking the Right Medigap Carrier

Look for LONG TERM STABILITY in the Medicare supplement market. If a carrier doesn’t have at least 5 years in the Medigap market operating under the SAME NAME, you probably want to cross them off your list.

The carrier names are interchangeable and every 3 – 4 years an old carrier will be swapped for a newer one that has rates 20 – 30% below the “old” carrier. The new, lower rates are only for NEW APPLICANTS.

Some carriers have “hot” rates in Georgia right now. But none of them have more than 2 years in the Medigap business an at least one has already had a 9% rate increase.

Which Carrier Did I Pick for My Own Coverage?

My choice

You don’t have to do what I do but consider this. I have more experience in the health insurance business than anyone you have talked to so far. There are some paths I won’t take because I know the pitfalls. Maybe you should do the same.

I enrolled in Medicare in September 2015. How many agents have you talked to so far that are also on Medicare?

My guess is none.

I didn’t buy a plan from any carrier with less than 5 years in the Medigap business.

I didn’t buy Medicare supplement plan F.

I didn’t buy a Medicare Advantage plan. Even if I did, I certainly would NOT buy a hospital indemnity plan, a cancer plan, a heart attack plan, etc to fill the gaps. An agent that pushes those policies is all about making as much money as possible off you.

It’s Your Plan and Your Money

Choose wisely.

Ultimately, whatever choice you make should fit your needs and budget. I don’t expect everyone to make the same decisions I make, nor would I pressure anyone to buy something just because I am doing it. But I do believe my clients deserve to know the choices I will make and why I am making them.

There are more than 250 different Medigap plans and rates in Georgia. You probably looked at half a dozen or less. What did you miss by not seeing ALL the rates?

There are only TWO or THREE Medicare supplement carriers with competitive rates that have 5 or more years in the Medigap business. If you didn’t buy from them you probably are, or will eventually be, paying too much.

When you pay more you don’t get more. You simply paid too much.

Let me know how I can help. Call (404) 252-5859 to speak with Bob Vineyard.

#GeorgiaMedicareSupplementRates #GAMedicareExpert #GAMedicareAgent

Why Do I Need a Medicare Supplement?

Bob Vineyard · June 5, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Do I really need a Medicare supplement plan? You and 25 million others ask the same question. The answer is, you don’t NEED a Medigap plan but you will probably want one.

GA Medicare expert Bob Vineyard explains.

Original Medicare – Good and Bad

Original Medicare Part A, the hospital inpatient portion, does not charge a premium to most people. Other than the per admission deductible ($1364 in 2019) you will not have out of pocket expenses for most hospital stays. This applies if your hospital admission does not exceed 60 days and Medicare approves all hospital billed charges.

Welcome to Medicare – What’s Covered?

Charges by a surgeon or other non-staff member usually fall under Medicare Part B. The same is true for ER charges and expenses incurred when admitted for observation.

Medicare Part B is for outpatient health care charges. You are not required to enroll in Part B but you probably want to. Large claims exceeding $40,000 often have over half the total incurred on an outpatient basis.

Hospital Admission – In or Out?

Medicare Part B requires a premium payment. In 2019 the premium for most people is $135 per month. Part B has a yearly deductible ($185 in 2019). Above the deductible Medicare pays 80% of approved charges, you are responsible for the 20% balance.

There is no cap on your out of pocket expenses for Parts A or B.

A Medicare supplement plan will greatly reduce your out of pocket expenses for Parts A and B charges. Most buy a supplement plan for two reasons.

First, they are able to keep their doctor. No, this is not a campaign pledge. You really CAN keep your doctor(s). Also you are free to use any doctor or hospital in the U.S., penalty free.

Second, a Medigap plan allows you to budget future health care expenses. No worrying about unexpected large medical bills.

Why Do I Need a Medicare Supplement? 1 — Do We Need a Medicare Supplement Plan?

Late Enrollment Penalties

The best time to enroll in Medicare is when you are first eligible. Medicare does grant a “free pass” in SOME situations when you enroll late. Make sure you understand the rules.

If you don’t qualify for no premium Part A you will incur late penalties if you fail to enroll on a timely basis.

Likewise, Medicare Part B has late penalties which can be waived in some situations. If you are charged a Part B late penalty you will pay it for life.

There are no late enrollment penalties for failure to enroll in a Medigap plan but there can be consequences. If you miss your initial enrollment or special enrollment period you will have to qualify medically for coverage. The decision is pass/fail. Either you qualify or you don’t.

How Much Does Medicare Cost?

Unless you have enjoyed “free” insurance up until now, you will probably find that original Medicare and a Medicare supplement plan are real bargains.

No provider networks. Never any non-par penalties or hidden provider charges.

You have questions. We have answers. Never any charge.

All I ask is that you allow me 10 minutes on the phone to answer your questions. If you like what you hear and believe I can help, then great.

If not, you walk away and we part as friends.

I call it an offer you can’t refuse.

#GAMedicareExpert #GAMedigapRates #GeorgiaMedicareSupplementPlans