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Showing posts with the label Medigap

Who can get Medicare and how does the Initial Enrollment work?

  The Suzie @ Wenatchee Insurance is asked about Medicare a lot. We help people understand and enroll. If you are looking for PEBB information then go to the HCA and request customer service and if you don't like their options request that they contract with brokers. Once they contract then we get access to the specialized training and can effectively assist PEBB retirees. We work with plans that contract out with licensed producers.  Who can get Medicare? Medicare is the federal health insurance program in the United States that provides coverage to individuals who are 65 years or older and certain groups of people including: 1.        Individuals who are 65 years or older: If you are a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident and you or your spouse have worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, you are eligible for Medicare at age 65. 2.        Individuals with certain disabilities: If you h...

What about Medicare in North Central Washington?

 Suzie Health Solutions has been assisting people in Wenatchee and surrounding counties going on ten years. We make it easy as possible because this is a life changing moment. Suzie takes her time during enrollment and answers questions through the year making her high in demand. She does take appointments and people have set them as far out as five years. We do not charge fees .  To enroll in Medicare, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is 65 years or older, or have a qualifying disability or end-stage renal disease. Yes, if you have a Permanent Resident Card (I-5551) then you can qualify for Medicare! To quote or set appointment here. We do assist people in office for an initial enrollment or receive forms to activate Medicare B from a delayed start. You can enroll in Medicare online, by phone, or in person at your local Social Security office. You will need to provide your Social Security number, date of birth, and other personal information. Once you h...

Medicare and disclaimers.

 This year Suzie is going through her Annual Medicare Training . It is done every year and allows her to contract with Medicare Plans, educate and enroll consumers and receive a commission for her services. If you have been to our main webpage then you notice that we do a lot of different types of insurance.   Insurance is an heavily regulated industry. It requires being trained and then licensed with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. We purchase equipment, open office spaces, and software so that we can effectively interact with the public. We have to secure contracts with companies if we want to be able to offer their products. Now not every company offers contracts with Agents. So we had to put up a new disclaimer. "We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any Information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. " Yes, since not every compan...

Cheap Health Insurance, Washington Healthplanfinder and Enrollment Centers

The Washington Healthplanfinder started the Full Service Enrollment Centers about six years ago. Some are run by small businesses (brokers) and some are run by corporations (navigators). When the Healthplanfinder put out the request, we seemed to be a good fit. There are some rules to operate an Enrollment Center.  1. Easy access to the public and open year round. 2. Enhanced Security and Insurance. 3. Experienced In person assisters.  4. Offer all plans regardless of pay.  5. No additional fees.  From our experience of working with insurance for nearly a decade. Always select a broker. If not us then someone connected to a Enrollment Center. You are already paying for them ($0 Dollars) and if you need assistance or have questions then you have a prepared customer service team. It is an easy way to support a small business and help build a community resource.  Special Interview with Coordinated Care CEO There are enhanced features such as ability to assist with ...

Medicare Part D 2021

 When Suzie is not talking about Medicare Advantage plans . She recieves questions about Medicare Part D . Here are the stages that you may not know. The Deductible Stage : While some plans have a zero dollar deductible, the most an annual deductible will be is $445. You are responsible for 100% of your prescription drug costs until your deductible is met. The Initial Coveage : You pay a copay or coinsurance. Your Part D plan pays the rest for prescription drugs included in your plan's formulary.  The Coverage Gap : After you and your plan have together spent $4130 on prescription drugs then you enter the coverage gap or donut hole. You now pay 25% of the cost of your prescription drugs.  Catastrophic Coverage : When you have reached $6550 after your total out of pocket expenses on prescription drugs plus any discounts, you are back to small co-pays or coinsurance until the end of the year. Plan Year Resets : Everything resets January 1st and you return to the deductible...

Do I need to renew my Medicare Plan?

In person or online, you can get assistance. Do I need to renew my Medicare Plan? When can I make changes? Now is the time to ask these questions. From Oct 15th through December 7th is the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. You do not have to make changes to your plan during this time. However, you can and should review what you have and any updates to your healthcare plan. Here are some important things to understand. 1. If your health has changed since you selected your Part D Plan or Medicare Advantage, then this is an excellent time to switch plans to lower your healthcare cost. Depending on where you live, you may be able to move to a Medigap Plan.  2. Double check with your licensed insurance agent that your plan is not changing or leaving the area. This does happen and checking in with a local resource can reduce the chance of problems next year.  3. A plan that meets your medical needs moves into the area. Maybe, it gets you lower prescription rates at the pharma...

Cheap Insulin. Some for Medicare and some for Healthcare in Washington State

  We talk about Insulin a lot. Here at Suzilla and again for example. We watch the news and see articles talking about it coming . With Enrollment is your chance to make the change for 2021.   Here is the taste of   the 2021 cost of insulin for Medicare recipients and said I would report if the prices did indeed go down.   Tresiba which retails for $537/box will be $35 copays throughout the year. Lantus, retails for $414/box as low as $25 copays for most of the year. Basaglar, retails $345/box, $35 copays. (Based on plans in my area)   If you were wondering the cost of these drug plans, they are all under $25/month   If you are just letting your Medicare D plan or your Medicare Advantage plan roll over then you might not be getting these lower costs!!   Medicare Annual Election Period is Oct 15- Dec 7th, get with your agent to review your drug plan, because you need to factor in ALL your other prescriptions!!   If you...

Medicare Advantage Virtual Sales Seminars

For the 2021 year, Suzie wanted to provide customers with the opportunity to learn about Health Alliance Medicare Advantage Plans and any updates from the comfort of their home. This is a no obligation group meeting. Suzie asks that you use the Health Alliance link to confirm your reservation.   If you have complex or personal information that you would like to discuss or further questions then feel free to schedule a one on one with Suzie either in our office or online. Which ever you are most comfortable with. Medicare Annual Enrollment Period runs from October 15th through December 7th 2020.   This allows a whole group to get together online and hear and understand the updates.  How it works is as follows: 1. Select a date and fill out the form from Health Alliance. Date: Saturday October 17, 2020 at 1:00 PM Wednesday October 21, 2020 at 10:00 AM Saturday October 24, 2020 at 1:00 PM Wednesday October 28, 2020 at 10:00 AM Saturday October 31, 2020 at at 1:00 PM Wednesd...

Covid 19 ( Corona Virus) and Medicare

We run Suzie Health Solutions in Wenatchee, WA. In addition to running the Full Service Enrollment Center for the Washington Healthplanfinder . We help people navigate through Medicare without charging fees and assist in filling in any coverage gaps.  So far Centers for  Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ( CMS ) has not opened a special enrollment with FEMA under the declared  Emergency . But there are some special benefits going on for Medicare enrollees because of the Emergency Waver .  As a result of the Covid- 19 outbreak, have you lost your group health insurance offered through your or your spouse's job? Are you age 65 or older? If so, you, or someone you know in the same situation, should enroll in Medicare coverage right away as you most likely qualify for a Special Enrollment Period . If you already signed up for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) while you were actively working, you’ll need to complete the following two forms and...

Why use a no cost agent for Medicare Solutions.

When you qualify for Medicare , it is an important time in your life as you are literally making decisions that affect the rest of your life. You are usually either transitioning from a qualified health plan from your employer, three months before or after your birthday, or have become disabled. You have benefits during your initial enrollment period that you may not be aware of. If you miss your initial enrollment then you have restrictions and possibly penalties . Our busiest seasons. A no charge agent means just that, we don’t charge additional fees to assist you and answer your questions throughout the year. If you select or change plans with the assistance of a no charge agent then we receive compensation from the insurance company managing the plan. Yes, there are some cases that you can simply select an agent of record by signing a form, but there are certain plans that once you have selected an agent, they are attached until you switch plans or for the rest...

Local Medicare Help

Suzie & Matt McColm Suzie McColm has been our local go-to gal for Medicare for years.  She has been providing free help navigating Medicare and its various parts for four enrollments. By being a pharmacy technician for Wenatchee’s ShopKo, and Safeway and the Safeway in East Wenatchee for nearly 20 years, she developed relationships with local pharmacies and how different prescription plans worked on the ground level. She was able to witness first hand customers surprised that their prescription plans had changed the first of the year. Since pharmacies direct bill they often see the insurance problems first. Suzie figured if she could solve the problems on the front end then there would be fewer headaches for her customers. The world would be better with a few less surprises. When a person is qualified for Medicare, it is a big change in their life. They have either been disabled for an extended period of time or are getting ready to turn 65. Suzie has assisted people wit...