Broker For Medicare?

[Rianne]

Boomer Benefits is highly rated and many here have had a good experience.

I used Elite Insurance Partners. They received similar ratings online. My agent returned my calls and e-mails promptly. Was knowledgeable regarding the differences between all the plans available. I asked his personal opinion of Medicare Advantage. He explained the differences between premiums and benefits. He explained open enrollment and how to change policies if needed. I followed up on his advice and the info he gave me before signing up. He was accurate in his information.

https://www.shopperapproved.com/reviews/MedicareFAQ.com

 

[NameTaken2]

IMO, knowing the pros and cons of the different options ahead of time prevented me from falling for a sales pitch. They are still insurance broker earning much of their money from commission. Medicare Advantage pays a higher commission to them. You also turn much of the decision making over to the insurance company that can deny claims. With a Medicare Supplement, if Medicare pays, the insurance company pays. Period. Some insurance brokers will be truthful with you, others push Medicare Advantage for the higher commission. I suggest you do your research.

Thanks-

As noted, I've done some initial Medicare familiarization. I'm in NYS -the following notes from a recent bogleheads thread indicate that NY offers more flexibility than other states:

In NY, age-dependent Medigap premiums are illegal. An age 65 New Yorker with a Plan G pays same monthly premium as age 105 New Yorker for Plan G! And switching among different Medigap carriers and plans at any age is permitted without underwriting in NY. [FONT=&quot]Younger, healthier folks on Medigap who don’t need medical care cross-subsidize folks who use a lot in NY. That is one reason it can make sense for New Yorkers who expect to use little health care to start out on an MA plan and only switch to Medigap if and when a potentially expensive diagnosis occurs or seems likely.
Note that good MA plans often cover and promote preventive care far more than Trad Medicare with Medigap does.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]In my state (NY), if I develop a major issue I am unconditionally allowed to switch back to Traditional Medicare plus Medigap pretty much any time I want, with as little as a month's notice or less.
That seems to be the point: even someone satisfied with their MA plan contemplates switching to a traditional plan in event of "major issues"; major issues are reason we buy insurance. I grant that NY provisions for easy transition back to "Original" may alleviate the concern, but most do not have that option.

The above info made me aware that Medicare decisions are state-specific. I'm also aware that MA plans may not be the bargain they appear to be.

Still lots to learn, and no intention to blindly follow the Via advisor recommendation. If not as confident as you in a decision before I speak with them, then will research/compare their recommendation with other options.

 

[teej1985]

I assume they are getting paid commissions from Medicare supplement providers just like every other broker? How are they different?

Exactly what I said - they are happy to sell people the cheap HD G plans rather than push the G plans which cost more and presumably pay a higher commission.

 

[Trooper]

I've always read good things about MedicareNationwide, that they aren't chasing commmisions and happy to sell the most cost efficient HD G.



https://medicarenationwide.com/

I just had a look at their website, lots of good info. However they don't seem to support/sell AARP/UHC, which is an insurer I've been considering.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

When DW and I signed up for Obamacare I found a local broker who was immensely helpful in getting us enrolled. (Remember the hours-long telephone waits on hold?) After we moved to Medicare we got his recommendations, which was for a standard supplement over an advantage plan. We checked out his recommendations and found them sound, so we gave him our business. When open enrollment rolls around I usually have a question or two, which he answers (Imo) honestly. Since his service costs me nothing, I am likely to continue to consult with him.

That said, I review the options myself and make the final choices.

 

[Donno]

I just had a look at their website, lots of good info. However they don't seem to support/sell AARP/UHC, which is an insurer I've been considering.

After researching Medicare supplement plans for that last 18 months or so, I found that the major nationwide agents that most people have heard about don't offer/promote AARP/UHC. I assume they must not offer a large enough commission for the big dogs in the Medicare agent business to bother with.
I did all of my own research and chose AARP/UHC. I suppose time will tell if I made the correct decision or not.

 

[Luvdogs]

We both get $900 from our employer to use Alight (used to be Aon) for Medicare. One of us has Plan F and the other Plan G, both through AARP/UHC. But it is not listed online.

They told us about it when we called. They told us they "aren't allowed" to list it online but you may want to call and see if it is offered. It was also the cheapest of the Plans F and G.

We get a small discount because both of us have it and also free memberships at a large number of fitness centers nearby.

 

[RetMD21]

After researching Medicare supplement plans for that last 18 months or so, I found that the major nationwide agents that most people have heard about don't offer/promote AARP/UHC. I assume they must not offer a large enough commission for the big dogs in the Medicare agent business to bother with.
I did all of my own research and chose AARP/UHC. I suppose time will tell if I made the correct decision or not.

It's worth checking around. I pretty much picked AARP/UHC after researching but enrolled through Boomer Benefits. I liked their promise of customer support and successfully used their help to appeal a billing issue this year. (and I won)

 

[Sunset]

We both get $900 from our employer to use Alight (used to be Aon) for Medicare. One of us has Plan F and the other Plan G, both through AARP/UHC. But it is not listed online.

They told us about it when we called. They told us they "aren't allowed" to list it online but you may want to call and see if it is offered. It was also the cheapest of the Plans F and G.

We get a small discount because both of us have it and also free memberships at a large number of fitness centers nearby.

We also have Alight (used to be Aon) for Medicare. We signed up with Moo as there was no AARP/UHC offering. Nobody told us about it being possible.

We've had our plans for about 3/4 of a year, still newbies at this stuff.

I was thinking of switching to AARP/UHC, but was worried they would pull away the Money given each year from our employer.

What you are saying suggests that we could switch and still get the $$$ from employer that shows in the Alight website

 

[Luvdogs]

We also have Alight (used to be Aon) for Medicare. We signed up with Moo as there was no AARP/UHC offering. Nobody told us about it being possible.

We've had our plans for about 3/4 of a year, still newbies at this stuff.

I was thinking of switching to AARP/UHC, but was worried they would pull away the Money given each year from our employer.

What you are saying suggests that we could switch and still get the $$$ from employer that shows in the Alight website

I would call Alight and see what they say. As long as it is one of the programs they offer and you go through them, you should still get the $ from your employer. We had to specifically go through Alight to get the $.

 

[lawman]

Presuming you go the traditional medicare plus medigap route, I'd offer that if anyone wants to "help you" get a medigap plan and doesn't lead with the basics on pricing [Attained-Age vs. Issue-Age vs. Community-Rated Medigap Plans ... for definitions, see: https://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Medicar ... _(Medigap) ] as well as a mention of the business practice of "closing the book", they haven't placed your interests ahead of other interests, or is incompetent. So if someone tries to sell you on Mutual of Omaha, for instance, without telling you they play this close the book game, they're not doing you any favors.

The practice of "closing the book" occurs when the claims from the specific group of people who have that policy get high enough, and so the price to of the premiums to cover the claims get so high that that nobody new is buying that policy any more. At this point, the insurance company makes a "new company" and quits selling the original policy. Then, anyone that can pass medical underwriting realizes they can leave, and many do because of the price increases. This leaves only the people who "can't leave" due to their medical condition. This creates a "sick duck pool" that has high, and ever-increasing prices.

This

 

[Buckleyrw]

I too used BB for enrollment in October. I was generally pleased with the Medigap options presented. For Part D, I believe i was not referred to the lowest cost plan. CSR recommended a plan based on my meds that they said would be lowest total cost. When I tried to fill my first med, the cost was rather exorbitant. Found out that this was a tier two med that required deductible first before any coverage. I contacted another BB CSR and went through the process for 2023 and found an alternate plan where this med was tier 1. I suspect that the original recommendation was based on monthly premium rather than total cost.

BB is fine however recommend you verify any recommendation that they or any other agent recommends.

 

[youbet]

It's worth checking around. I pretty much picked AARP/UHC after researching but enrolled through Boomer Benefits. I liked their promise of customer support and successfully used their help to appeal a billing issue this year. (and I won)

Was the billing issue with the provider, Medicare or the insurance company?

 

[KarenF]

From what i can tell (not Medicare age yet, but studying and have friends that do), Boomer Benefits is very good. If you are their customer, and have a problem with Medicare billing, they will help.
https://boomerbenefits.com

 

[Emerson11]

out of state care

One thing that surprises many on Advantage plans is that many, if not all, of those plans require that you receive care in your home state. For snowbirds, that's a problem. I believe that most, if not all, of the Medicare supplements allow you to receive care anywhere.

 

[youbet]

One thing that surprises many on Advantage plans is that many, if not all, of those plans require that you receive care in your home state. For snowbirds, that's a problem. I believe that most, if not all, of the Medicare supplements allow you to receive care anywhere.

It's not "ALL." Why would you say that? Some Advantage plans support coverage at any doc or facility that accepts traditional Medicare. Some supplemental plans (those with the "Select" suffix) require you to use a local network of hospitals to receive full benefits.

So many folks are painting this subject with a broad brush. In fact, details of Medicare plans need to be investigated closely.

 

[MichaelB]

One thing that surprises many on Advantage plans is that many, if not all, of those plans require that you receive care in your home state. For snowbirds, that's a problem. I believe that most, if not all, of the Medicare supplements allow you to receive care anywhere.

My mum’s UHC Medicare Advantage has a nation wide PPO network. Her plan is changing this Jan 1 and the new policy by Aetna is also a nation wide PPO. MA plans with limited provider networks are usually HMOs. There are lots of both options.

Medicare supplements include “Medicare Select”, which are MediGap policies but have limited provider networks that are mostly local.

 

[Emerson11]

It's not "ALL." Why would you say that?

I said, "many, if not all," because all of the Advantage plans that were available to my spouse required home state procedures, if those procedures were to be deemed "in network." Additionally, my friends who are currently snowbirds, have told me that the situation remains the same. (My spouse has passed, and I do not have current, first hand knowledge of what's available.)

 

[Sunset]

It's not "ALL." Why would you say that? Some Advantage plans support coverage at any doc or facility that accepts traditional Medicare. Some supplemental plans (those with the "Select" suffix) require you to use a local network of hospitals to receive full benefits.

So many folks are painting this subject with a broad brush. In fact, details of Medicare plans need to be investigated closely.

I agree, health plans are confusing and being on Medicare doesn't really seem to change that.

I do wonder, then if a person is on an advantage plan, living in some state, can they ask their doctor to schedule their major surgery in a different state ?

As long as an Advantage plan allowed that, vs, will allow emergency visits in another state, then there is less difference.

 

[youbet]

I said, "many, if not all," because all of the Advantage plans that were available to my spouse required home state procedures, if those procedures were to be deemed "in network." Additionally, my friends who are currently snowbirds, have told me that the situation remains the same. (My spouse has passed, and I do not have current, first hand knowledge of what's available.)

I'm just suggesting, to reduce misinformation, that in our discussions here, we avoid suggesting that something applies to "ALL" unless we have solid reason to believe that is the case.

Condolences in regard to your DH Emerson11.

 

[CRLLS]

From what i can tell (not Medicare age yet, but studying and have friends that do), Boomer Benefits is very good. If you are their customer, and have a problem with Medicare billing, they will help.
https://boomerbenefits.com

I'm not saying that billing errors don't occur. We've been on Medicare for a bit over 5 years. Over that period, we have not had any errors as far as we can tell. That includes several surgeries, various doctor visits and a few emergency room visits. We originally had F-HD (BCBS thru one of their agencies). We left them for G (AARP/UHC directly from them) when MC closed F (and F-HD) to new applicants. It has the same effect as closing book IMO. I say "as far as we can tell" because billing is now on autopilot. We purchased AARP/UHC direct without the use of an agent. I wouldn't go through an insurance agency based on the possibly needing an agency's assistance to resolve billing errors. Of course, YMMV.

 

[youbet]

I agree, health plans are confusing and being on Medicare doesn't really seem to change that.

I do wonder, then if a person is on an advantage plan, living in some state, can they ask their doctor to schedule their major surgery in a different state ?

As long as an Advantage plan allowed that, vs, will allow emergency visits in another state, then there is less difference.

I can't say Sunset. DW's Advantage plan does allow nationwide coverage at any provider that accepts Traditional Medicare. It's a PPO plan as discussed by Michael (above). But there are MA HMO plans with limited networks. I've never investigated whether they make exceptions for access to out of network providers for certain reasons.

You have to dig into the details. But I do know that some Traditional Medicare supplemental plans do not allow out of state (out of network) hospitals to be used and receive full coverage. I know because I'm on a Select plan. (BCBS F Select) I understand the financial risk, it's very low, and feel the reduced premium is worth it. I've been right the first ten years.

So, ya just gotta spend the time to understand what's going on. I originally bought my BCBS supplement through a broker, they were helpful, but haven't seen or heard from them in the intervening decade.

 

[Emerson11]

I'm just suggesting, to reduce misinformation, that in our discussions here, we avoid suggesting that something applies to "ALL" unless we have solid reason to believe that is the case.

Condolences in regard to your DH Emerson11.

I didn't say ALL, I said, "many, if not all." A statement that was logically and grammatically consistent with my knowledge and experience.

 

[youbet]

I didn't say ALL, I said, "many, if not all." A statement that was logically and grammatically consistent with my knowledge and experience.

You should have said "not ALL, but perhaps MANY."

OK, whatever.......... Don't wanna


But I do completely agree with what I think was your main point: the consumer should thoroughly understand the "network" provided by a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement plan before signing up. Amen to that!

 

[meleana]

I performed a search and didn't see anything recent, so here goes.

I'm turning 65 in a few months, have applied for and been accepted for Medicare, but have not received my Medicare number yet. I believe it comes in the mail?

My main question is whether folks here have used a broker to help them through the Medicare insurance selection process (and I guess beyond). I have watched a number of very helpful Boomer Benefits, and they seem to get good reviews here, but a few say that BB can steer clients toward insurers that may not be right for them.

Second option is a local broker that a friend uses (was provided to him by his FA), but I just don't know if I am comfortable using a broker. I am a pretty much DIY guy, and am always suspicious that a broker may be doing things in their own best interest over mine. Then again, they may see things that I don't.

What can I expect from a broker, either local or BB, after I am on Medicare? Will they help me with billing questions and such? I am (at least currently) fairly healthy, and a very modest user of health care and prescription drugs. Perhaps a relationship with a broker might help next year when DW goes on Medicare?

TIA for any insight.

My husband turned 65 first and we purchased his supplement plan on our own.

I needed an ACA plan and I ended up finding a broker to handle it for me as I was having some difficulty with the application process.

When I turned 65 he was right on it with contacting me regarding Medicare and I told him my husband had Anthem Plan G for a supplement and I planned on the same.,

He said it was the best choice and said he’d also grab my husbands policy as well, so my husband had to write a letter allowing him to be the broker for it as well. I didn’t care- I figured it might be helpful if anything came up in the future.