Although Medicare is considered to be a health insurance program for those 65 or older, it also offers coverage to those under 65 that have certain disabilities and those with End-Stage Renal Disease. If your customers do not know what they are covered for that could backfire later when they need coverage and discover Medicare does not cover them.

The costs associated with an accident when a client needs a procedure done and it turns out they are not covered are often exceedingly expensive. Always make sure your customers read the fine print when it comes to Medicare. If you sell Medicare supplements you are going to be the go to person for those needing tailored coverage to meet their needs.

Nutshell Medicare Coverage

Medicare, mandated for everyone to carry, kicks in automatically at age 65 and covers the following:

• Part A – hospital insurance – inpatient hospital care, hospice care and skilled nursing care
• Part A – also covers home health care, surgery, lab tests, visits to a physician
• Part B – medical insurance – covers some preventative services, durable medical equipment, home health care, outpatient care, doctor and other medical professional’s services
• Part B –  elective, offers choice to drop later or deny on enrollment
• Part B – ideally everyone should have Part B coverage, even individuals with Indian Health or Veterans benefits
• Part D – prescription drug coverage – here the government counts on private insurers to offer various plans with choices in terms of coverage options and varying costs
• Those with Medicare usually have to pay co-insurance, co-payments and a deductible even if a service/item is covered

Medicare Nutshell Coverage – What Medicare Does Not Include

• Dentures
• Cosmetic surgery
• Most dental care
• Acupuncture
• Custodial care
• Hearing aids
• Exams to fit a hearing aid
• Eye examinations to get glasses
• Routine foot care

It is important that your customers know what to expect when they sign on with your to buy Medicare supplement plans. Ensuring potential customers and existing clients are aware of any changes and have the coverage they need guarantees you a loyal client base. Good customer service can never be underestimated.

Although Medicare is considered to be a health insurance program for those 65 or older, it also offers coverage to those under 65 that have certain disabilities and those with End-Stage Renal Disease. If your customers do not know what they are covered for that could backfire later when they need coverage and discover Medicare does not cover them.

The costs associated with an accident when a client needs a procedure done and it turns out they are not covered are often exceedingly expensive. Always make sure your customers read the fine print when it comes to Medicare. If you sell Medicare supplements you are going to be the go to person for those needing tailored coverage to meet their needs.

Nutshell Medicare Coverage
Medicare, mandated for everyone to carry, kicks in automatically at age 65 and covers the following:

• Part A – hospital insurance – inpatient hospital care, hospice care and skilled nursing care
• Part A – also covers home health care, surgery, lab tests, visits to a physician
• Part B – medical insurance – covers some preventative services, durable medical equipment, home health care, outpatient care, doctor and other medical professional’s services
• Part B –  elective, offers choice to drop later or deny on enrollment
• Part B – ideally everyone should have Part B coverage, even individuals with Indian Health or Veterans benefits
• Part D – prescription drug coverage – here the government counts on private insurers to offer various plans with choices in terms of coverage options and varying costs
• Those with Medicare usually have to pay co-insurance, co-payments and a deductible even if a service/item is covered

Medicare Nutshell Coverage – What Medicare Does Not Include

• Dentures
• Cosmetic surgery
• Most dental care
• Acupuncture
• Custodial care
• Hearing aids
• Exams to fit a hearing aid
• Eye examinations to get glasses
• Routine foot care

It is important that your customers know what to expect when they sign on with your to buy Medicare supplement plans. Ensuring potential customers and existing clients are aware of any changes and have the coverage they need guarantees you a loyal client base. Good customer service can never be underestimated.

It’s a well-known fact that Medicare supplement leads are hot and show no signs of diminishing in popularity. This is due to the fact that America is greying and good health coverage is a top priority for older Americans.

Medicare supplement leads can be the backbone of your insurance business, built around other top selling products. Agents and brokers need a good business foundation to make their agency grow. Making it grow can be achieved in a relatively short period of time if Medicare supplement leads make up the main bulk of sales.

The ideal thing about these kinds of leads are their intrinsic value as a tool for educating seniors. Medicare is difficult enough to understand as is. Throw in different supplement choices and the stakes are higher for seniors struggling to figure out what would work the best for them on a limited budget. If you have the ability to simplify the complex language of insurance, your sales are bound to increase.

Make certain you get quality Medicare supplement leads and work them like they are your job, because they are and they are your ticket to a thriving agency. So when you buy your leads from a lead generation company, make sure to clearly lay out your parameters for the niche you want to market in. The more specific your lead requests, the better they are and the potential for higher sales is even greater. Make them exclusive leads and that is even better, because only “you” receive the leads.

Being specific, knowing your demographics and what you want to achieve for your business means buying leads that focus on what seniors want, need and are pre-qualified to buy. Yes, spend a few more marketing dollars to get the best leads. That old saying: “Spend money to make money” is very true. If you cheap out on buying quality leads you waste your time and money and usually end up frustrated and without very many sales.

Remember, when selling Medicare supplements to seniors, this is a golden opportunity to offer even more in the way of sterling customer service. Position yourself as the expert. Have answers to the questions you are asked. Offer alternatives. Work with a senior’s budget. Make an impression. All these things lead to customer loyalty down the road.

Think outside the box as they say and it will become second nature for you to expand your searches for prospects into many seemingly unrelated areas and groups — because no matter what the group, everyone is bound to need insurance of some sort. And one other tip that comes in handy as well. Look for any lead names you bought from a lead generation company on LinkedIn. It’s a good way to start a conversation about other things, including insurance.

Let’s be honest here. You want to grow your business, right? You did not get into selling insurance because you intended on losing money or giving away all your products. So, where do you start to get a good solid foothold in sales; sales that increase the dollar value of your business? Easy, insurance leads, the pre-vetted ones, and in particular Medicare supplement leads, are the best place to start. There is definitely no shortage of Americans who need Medicare, and if you have the drive to succeed at your business, then this is an area you need to take advantage of right now.

You know all about health insurance exchanges. You also know that they do not sell Medicare or Medicare supplements. This means you have a virtually captive audience waiting for your call. Okay, it’s not quite that simple, but pretty darn close. You sign up to get leads from a reputable lead generation company, like benepath.net. You ask for Medicare supplement leads at least once a week to begin with to get your feet wet and get into the rhythm of calling about and selling Medicare and supplements. Once you have the hang of it, you can ask for more to be delivered to your inbox.

Medicare supplement leads, provided you act on them with due diligence, have the capacity to make you a very nice income by the end of the year. What’s more is, the customers you sell to now are likely to stay with your agency come renewal time. Why? Because you provided them with good service, are personable and cheerful, know your products, treat them with respect, find them the best deals possible, handle claims with care and alacrity and overall, represent your company in fine style. You run interference for them with the insurer and in general pave the way for a good health insurance experience. All this, thanks to health insurance leads that you bought from a lead generation company.

While the online world of selling insurance is not what it used to be, it is no less personal. People may not see you or meet with you directly, not like in the old days, but they can and will get to know you through your online presence, via your website, and as a result of you speaking to them on the phone and delivering the service you say you will deliver.

Dive into the dynamic world pursuing health insurance leads sent to you by a lead generation company. Those exclusive ones can make your week so busy, you’ll be glad you spent a bit extra to get them. Just remember that old saying: “You need to spend money to make money.”

There are 10 Medicare supplement plans and a high-deductible version of Plan F. That’s pretty much a given, and some agents may stop there. But what if the lead you are calling needs a better deal? Do you know that the original Plan F outshines and outperforms all other plans? It is considered by most to be the “be all end all” of Medicare supplement plans and is expensive. In some respects, it is a luxury plan. But is there a less expensive alternative?

Why is the answer to that question so important to know when talking to leads you are working? It is important to know because many of the leads with whom you discuss Medicare supplement plans do not know about Plan G. It is similar to plan F. In fact, it is almost identical. So why is it not presented to potential clients more often? In many cases, agents do not want to sell Plan G because it costs less and they make a smaller commission selling it. Think about that for a minute.

Plan F is costly. An agent makes more commission on it. Plan G is less expensive and agents make less of a commission. This is what is called thinking backwards. Instead, sell more Plan G, have a higher volume of sales and very loyal customers because you took the time to explain to your leads that they don’t have to spend a lot of money to get good coverage. That is what being an insurance agent is all about. Helping people find what they can afford and makes sense for them and their budget, not what makes sense for an agent’s commission check.

It’s a new way to regard product offerings as having the potential to appeal to Medicare supplement leads. With very little work, an agent could sell a large number of Plan G supplements and have a decent commission check at the end of the month. Being an insurance agent is about finding the best policy to suit a customer’s situation and budget. Do that and you are bound to have leads convert to sales.

It’s a bit like having a silver platter handed to you. So you might as well take advantage of it and get the good leads, leads with the highest potential of converting, because they are in real-time, pre-vetted, pre-qualified and virtually ready to buy — if not immediately, then within six to eight weeks. Seniors need the coverage and you have the policies that suit their needs. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

In order to make your insurance business a profitable one, you want to ensure you have enough business coming in on a regular basis. One way to accomplish this is to invest in Pennsylvania Medicare supplement leads. They help take the edge off working in a struggling economy to sell insurance to people who feel they cannot afford it.

Since times are tough, you want a client base that streams in on a regular basis. You can do this by investing in Medicare supplement leads from a reputable lead generation company. Why would you want to spend the money to get those exclusive leads? In the first place, those exclusive leads are only sold to you. And secondly, if you are selling Medicare, you have a captive audience because seniors need Medicare supplements. They have been hit by the poor economy as well, and if you have a package that is reasonably priced, and delivers the care they need, you will have a customer.

Pennsylvania Medicare supplement leads boost your client base, as they come in when you want them to. Schedule them when you have time and watch the sales start to roll in. While it may not happen overnight, because people typically need up to eight weeks to make a purchase decision, the sale will come if they have asked for an agent to call them. They are pre-qualified buyers and are serious. This is a bonus for you.

Part of your job, besides working with Medicare supplement leads, is to educate seniors on how the system works. Many of them find Medicare a horrific pain in the anatomy to try and understand when all they want is insurance coverage that works when they need it. Unfortunately, many seniors are not aware of Medicare supplements and what they can do for them. This is where you come in.

When people opt in to have an insurance agent call them with details about Medicare, you already have your foot in the door. If you know your product, and know what your clients usually look for when it comes to Medicare and Medicare supplements, you have the ball already rolling. Just invest some of your time answering questions for those who welcome your knowledge and expertise when it comes to Medicare supplements.

Once you have a Medicare supplement customer, they will typically stay with you for long periods of time, provided you offer them the best of customer service, answer their questions to the best of your ability, help them with claims and make suggestions that would help them save money. Medicare supplement leads are the road to success for an insurance agency because everyone either needs it soon or they need it now. The ball is in your court to make the most of the market.

Once you have a Medicare supplement customer, they will typically stay with you for long periods of time, provided you offer them the best of customer service, answer their questions to the best of your ability, help them with claims and make suggestions that would help them save money. Medicare supplement leads are the road to success for an insurance agency because everyone either needs it soon or they need it now. The ball is in your court to make the most of the market.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

In order to make your insurance business a profitable one, you want to ensure you have enough business coming in on a regular basis. One way to accomplish this is to invest in Pennsylvania Medicare supplement leads. They help take the edge off working in a struggling economy to sell insurance to people who feel they cannot afford it.

Since times are tough, you want a client base that streams in on a regular basis. You can do this by investing in Medicare supplement leads from a reputable lead generation company. Why would you want to spend the money to get those exclusive leads? In the first place, those exclusive leads are only sold to you. And secondly, if you are selling Medicare, you have a captive audience because seniors need Medicare supplements. They have been hit by the poor economy as well, and if you have a package that is reasonably priced, and delivers the care they need, you will have a customer.

Pennsylvania Medicare supplement leads boost your client base, as they come in when you want them to. Schedule them when you have time and watch the sales start to roll in. While it may not happen overnight, because people typically need up to eight weeks to make a purchase decision, the sale will come if they have asked for an agent to call them. They are pre-qualified buyers and are serious. This is a bonus for you.

Part of your job, besides working with Medicare supplement leads, is to educate seniors on how the system works. Many of them find Medicare a horrific pain in the anatomy to try and understand when all they want is insurance coverage that works when they need it. Unfortunately, many seniors are not aware of Medicare supplements and what they can do for them. This is where you come in.

When people opt in to have an insurance agent call them with details about Medicare, you already have your foot in the door. If you know your product, and know what your clients usually look for when it comes to Medicare and Medicare supplements, you have the ball already rolling. Just invest some of your time answering questions for those who welcome your knowledge and expertise when it comes to Medicare supplements.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

With pre-qualified, pre-screened leads coming to your inbox as often as you want them, it’s easy to have a list of people to call every day. Let’s face it. If you’re selling Medicare supplements, this is going to be the best way to up your sales quota as well. People need and want what you have to offer because they want to take care of their health. If you have what they need, take the time to help them choose what works the best for them and offer premiere customer service, you will have a loyal customer. Sometimes, life really is just that simple.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Let’s be honest here. You want to grow your business, right? You did not get into selling insurance because you intended on losing money or giving away all your products. So, where do you start to get a good solid foothold in sales; sales that increase the dollar value of your business? Easy, insurance leads, the pre-vetted ones, and in particular Medicare supplement leads, are the best place to start. There is definitely no shortage of Americans who need Medicare, and if you have the drive to succeed at your business, then this is an area you need to take advantage of right now.

You know all about health insurance exchanges. You also know that they do not sell Medicare or Medicare supplements. This means you have a virtually captive audience waiting for your call. Okay, it’s not quite that simple, but pretty darn close. You sign up to get leads from a reputable lead generation company, like benepath.net. You ask for Medicare supplement leads at least once a week to begin with to get your feet wet and get into the rhythm of calling about and selling Medicare and supplements. Once you have the hang of it, you can ask for more to be delivered to your inbox.

Medicare supplement leads, provided you act on them with due diligence, have the capacity to make you a very nice income by the end of the year. What’s more is, the customers you sell to now are likely to stay with your agency come renewal time. Why? Because you provided them with good service, are personable and cheerful, know your products, treat them with respect, find them the best deals possible, handle claims with care and alacrity and overall, represent your company in fine style. You run interference for them with the insurer and in general pave the way for a good health insurance experience. All this, thanks to health insurance leads that you bought from a lead generation company.

While the online world of selling insurance is not what it used to be, it is no less personal. People may not see you or meet with you directly, not like in the old days, but they can and will get to know you through your online presence, via your website, and as a result of you speaking to them on the phone and delivering the service you say you will deliver.

Dive into the dynamic world pursuing health insurance leads sent to you by a lead generation company. Those exclusive ones can make your week so busy, you’ll be glad you spent a bit extra to get them. Just remember that old saying: “You need to spend money to make money.”

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Typically, Medicare supplement leads are the most lucrative largely because you have a captive audience actively searching for supplements to help fill the gaps in their Medicare insurance. That being said, you would still want to narrow your competition in this area by ordering exclusive Medicare supplement leads.

The word “exclusive” to most people means that an individual is the only one receiving something. However, when it comes to online lead generation companies, exclusive does not necessarily mean exclusive to just one agent. It may mean exclusive to seven or more agents at the same time, which is a total waste of your money and time.

Those are not exclusive leads, they are shared leads. If you are trying to grow your insurance business, you want leads that are exclusive to you only.

Some agents may certainly find the price of shared leads to be very attractive, but in the long run, shared leads means lost money for the agent that came onto the calling tree last. By the time agent number seven starts calling his or her shared leads, he or she may discover the people with whom they are speaking have already talked to six other agents.

By ordering exclusive to you only leads, you are getting prospects who need and want some kind of health insurance, whether it is Medicare supplements, final expense insurance or long-term care insurance. Every day, Americans experience changes in their lives: someone discovers a health condition, changes or loses their job, turns 65 or experiences a financial setback. These are potential clients.

Casting a wide net to pull in as many leads as possible typically fails to bring in the kind of business a successful insurance agent wants to cultivate for the long term. Target marketing makes more sense, and by purchasing exclusive leads in the niche of choice, the chances of closing more sales is greater. Exclusive leads are definitely more expensive, but they are worth the investment due to their high conversion rate.

Other types of leads you may consider are filtered, shared and dated/aged. Filtered leads can be beneficial in winnowing down in a certain niche, and over the long haul may end up costing less due to the limited leads provided.

Shared leads are typically less expensive, but the competition is fierce. If you do not act on them immediately, you lose the lead to someone else.

The least expensive leads are aged or dated but do present some problems: the lead did not buy the first time they were contacted, they were never contacted at all (which is tantamount to a cold call) or the individual did buy, but they made a poor choice. If you enjoy challenges, these may be the leads for you. If you value your time, because time is money, you may want to invest in exclusive leads.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Selling insurance is a calling at which some do very well, and some appear to grow their business without seeming to work too hard. Do not be deceived by what you may think is effortless lead conversion and a successful marketing program. Everything takes time to learn, build on, grow and perfect. Success is due to hard work, due diligence, dedication and knowing your products.

Contrary to popular myth, there is no secret niche to find in relation to marketing insurance online. Marketing involves elbow grease, smart budget choices, buying quality leads, knowing the competition and understanding the buyers you need to reach. For example, if you are selling Medicare supplements, your key to success is knowing your market and what potential buyers want and need.

Understanding what motivates people in your demographic to buy services and products is the best method of further refining your marketing strategies. Conversely, if you start marketing with a scatter gun approach, your results are guaranteed to be dismal. Stick to what you know. Know what to stick to and for each niche or product you want to market, market smart and tailor your leads to that niche/demographic. If you don’t market to those who need your product, no one is going to be able to find you.

If you want the best marketing strategy to work any product niche, then make use of quality leads from a reliable lead generation company. Make sure they stand behind what they sell to you and that if they state they sell exclusive leads, then make sure they are actually exclusive to only you. There are a lot of lead generation companies out there that say they sell exclusive leads, but they mean they sell exclusively to six or seven people at once.

Know what you’re getting. Know what to spend. Know the demographics you are working and your business is going to be successful.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Are they looking for financial security for their family if something happens to them? Do they want death benefits? Term insurance? Insurance for their children? Medicare supplements? Enrolment information?

What does that potential conversion need when you speak with them on the phone? Sure, you called them as a lead because they expressed an interest in insurance, but you need to fine-tune the conversation to figure out what type of insurance they need.

Not everyone understands what they do need when it comes to health or other forms of insurance. For instance, a mid-50s couple might want long-term care insurance, but do not want to say so because they are in good health now and think they will be okay. They may want final expense insurance to care for their grandchild or other family member, but are reluctant to talk about their death.

Selling insurance is not a slam dunk by any means. You have to work it and listen and listen some more to what a customer is saying. There are times when they obliquely mention something that if you do not pick up on, you may miss the sale.

An example would be an older couple with several grandkids and they mention in passing that they want to make sure the grandkids have money for their future. This is not just an expression of sentiment, although it may sound like it. It is a wish to be able to provide for them when they are gone. Here is an opportunity to discuss final expense insurance.

Always listen to your customers and potential customers, and listen hard.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

“Knowing your products, your sales pitch, what in the most in demand and where to source quality leads and how to work them are all part and parcel of being a top insurance agent. What you don’t get told is how to concisely summarize your agency and its product in less than 30-seconds. It means a laser focus on what is important to tell a potential customer. Can you do it?” asks Benepath.net CEO, Clelland Green, RHU.

Not too many agents can reel off a convincing spiel in 30-seconds, but that does not mean they cannot learn how to. It is a good lesson in marketing and how it works. If an agent can market their agency and what they sell in 30-seconds, they truly understand what it means to market the essentials, and essentials are what customers want.

“They don’t want obscure facts about Medicare supplements, or want to know how much a funeral costs, they want solutions to problems. In other words, just the facts. Getting to the heart of the matter of selling a policy someone actually wants is an art,” adds Green. “This is where knowing your customers wants and needs becomes paramount to making a solid sale.”

What is involved in a 30-second focused pitch, an insurance agency’s digital asset? Quite a lot, and the agent must spend hours scripting, rehearsing, timing and getting feedback on what it sounds like and whether it has the moxie to meet the mark. They need to know their value proposition – what appeals to the customers in the niche they want to market in. It has to highlight a valued product, service or solution, focus on agent expertise and get the message across succinctly but clearly. It is, with practice and patience, doable.

Mini marketing, meaning the 30-second verbal art of telling prospective clients what they need to know about an insurance agency, their products and services has some “must do” components:

• it must include the top three things that make an agency different from the competition
• it must create empathy by identifying a particular group serviced
• it must be short, sweet and to the point because there may not be 60 seconds to make the pitch
• it must transmit enthusiasm for the product and the potential client
• it must aim for a vertical market in one niche, not a broad, all are welcome market
• it must close with a call to action

“The beauty of the 30-second pitch to a client is that you may change it to suit your needs in any industry you choose whether it is group insurance or small business insurance. This helps you refine and define what your agency is about and makes you a driving force to be reckoned with when you are in sales mode,” says Green.

Clelland Green is with Benepath.net, a leader in providing health insurance leads. Benepath provides agents with exclusive health insurance leads and Medicare leads in just a few mouse clicks. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net.

There are a large number of agents out there that have issues with using lead generation companies and investing their hard-earned marketing dollars in buying leads. Those same cautious individuals end up watching the competition soar like an eagle when it comes to selling Medicare supplements.

“Why is the competition doing better than you are? They are buying exclusive Medicare supplement leads from benepath.net,” explains Clelland Green, RHU, CEO, benepath.net. “The fact is the Medicare supplement market is ripe for harvesting because the buyers in that demographic need what you are selling. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”

Selling insurance, no matter what kind, is not a walk in the park. Agents should always work their leads, even Medicare leads, with enthusiasm, drive, integrity and determination. The greying of America means there are millions of potential customers to approach with a much sought after health product, one that they need to be as healthy as possible.

The nation’s population is not the only thing aging. So is the Medicare program itself. Some predict it is going to run out of money by 2017. Others suggest it is likely to remain operating, but at a 20 percent less capacity. “That aside, and most such predictions like this need to be taken with a grain of salt,” adds Green. “Medicare supplements help fill the gaps left in health insurance coverage in the ‘original’ Medicare.”

Also referred to as Medigap, Medicare supplements give seniors a better, more complete plan to see them through their medical issues. This point, perfect for educating potential senior customers, may be used in discussion with Medicare supplement leads. Working this type of lead is not just about selling. It is also about education, assisting the client to choose what is the best coverage for their situation and about making someone’s life better.

“With all those points working in your favor, your business can and will grow by leaps and bounds. When you market what people want and need and do a good job of it, they convert. Don’t eschew buying from a lead generation company until you have actually tried it,” Green suggests. “The results will surprise you.”

Medicare supplement leads are a bit like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. “Believe in the process and product and reap the rewards,” says Green.

Clelland Green is with Benepath.net, a leader in providing Medicare leads. Benepath provides agents with exclusive leads in just a few mouse clicks. To click here to visit http://www.benepath.net.

Timing is everything when it comes to marketing a product, and that is especially applicable for the insurance industry. Marketing Medicare to a 20 year old just does not work as well as marketing to those a few years short of 65-year-old, and for them you are often marketing Medicare supplements to, well, supplement the holes in the original Medicare insurance.

Know your product. Know when to market it. Know who to market it to, and your agency is bound to attract customers in large numbers.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Medicare supplement leads, whether they are exclusive or not, require some fact checking first. For example, a fair number of lead generation companies suggest they are offering real-time leads, but in reality, they are only selling information garnered from a generic health insurance form. Anyone over 65 that fills out an online form is fair game and considered to be a lead. And while they technically are leads, they may not be leads looking for Medicare supplement quotes.

Many online lead generation companies claim they offer real-time Medicare supplement leads, and some even go as far as to claim they are exclusive leads. How does one sort through all the claims and make a determination about their veracity? And how are the leads generated?

To effectively build a thriving insurance company, working with a lead generation company can help to navigate these questions. Such a company provides leads using a dedicated Medicare supplement insurance form, which specifically asks if the individual is looking for Medicare supplements, if they are looking for Medicare Advantage or Medigap, and if they are already covered by Medicare Parts A & B. Those receiving these leads know right away that these potential customers are quite serious about buying Medicare supplements and calling them is easy with the information provided.

Another important point to consider is how the lead generation company gathers their leads. Interested parties should check to see if the company garners their Medigap, Medicare or Medicare Advantage leads the same way they generate health insurance leads. If they do blanket marketing (search and email marketing) for people wanting “health” insurance, this is an ineffective strategy that will likely generate dud leads. Health insurance is not the same thing as Medicare supplement insurance.

The most desirable tools in an agent’s arsenal are Medicare supplement leads from a lead generation company that uses a dedicated Medicare form. Anything else is a waste of time and money.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive life insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

If you want to educate your readers about Medicare and Medicare supplements, just spell it out in small, easy to understand chunks. The technical details are not what people are looking for. Their main interest in Medicare is how it benefits them. The technical end of things is up to you to handle behind the scenes.

Most people want the bottom line first, which is usually how something benefits them. Next, they want to know how much it is going to cost. Open enrollment and other insurance issues, such as the donut conundrum, are at first not comprehensible to most. Break it down, walk them through it and keep it simple. If you can capture people’s attention with well thought out, easy to read articles, you are one step ahead of the competition.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Your target demographics do not tolerate aggression in sales people. Let’s say you sell Medicare policies and Medicare supplements to an older demographic. For an older person, it can be frightening when a salesperson tries to ram a policy sale through before the individual knows what is happening. Many seniors take time to think through things — not always because of cognitive issues, but because of personal preferences. As such, you must tailor your sales pitches to the people to whom you sell.
Additionally, do not view what you have to say to your prospective clients as a “pitch.” You need to strive for genuine interest. Really get into a one-on-one conversation with people. Avoid speaking down to prospective clients, honor their questions, answer them honestly, give them the information they need and always keep your word when you say you will do or send them something.

This routine also applies to younger crowds considering life insurance. Aggression is a huge turn-off. Just don’t do it.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive group health insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

For a number of years, direct mail was the go-to method to generate Medicare supplement leads. Cards were mailed out to specific target areas, and interested people replied asking for further information. From there, the agent made appointments and explained the various Medicare supplements available. The cards were and are nicely designed, attractive and well-written works of practical graphic design. They included postage paid for the return. If the cards captured a potential customer’s attention, and he or she asked you to call, half of your work was already done.

Some agents still find that direct mail really works well for them. Every insurance agent, especially newer ones, will not find them effective, but direct mail is still worth considering in combination with internet leads purchased from a lead generation company.

But you may also want to try buying leads from a lead generation company. When you call to order leads, you get an immediate list of pre-screened prospects who have expressed an interest in Medicare supplements. Communication can be instant. No more waiting for people to return cards that they may have lost or forgotten about. The leads you receive though the internet allow you to work in real time, make calls and set up appointments quickly. Exclusive leads are a bit more expensive than shared leads. However, the exclusive leads, which are only sent to you, convert at a higher ratio than working leads shared with several other agents.

Some agents still prefer direct mail because it works for them. However, if you have very little time to pursue this labor-intensive style of marketing, you may find buying leads from a lead generation company to be more lucrative, immediate and trustworthy. Certainly if you are in a hurry to make as many sales as you can, internet leads are a better time investment than mail cards.

Working online is simply the faster, easier way to build your insurance agency. The internet accelerates your ability to respond, make appointments and close sales.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

If you want to keep the relationship alive and fresh, get to your point right away. If you are doing a survey for a product, say so up front. If you are fishing for information to find an opening to talk about Medicare supplements, ask an indirect question. Ask the customer how they feel about recent changes in Medicare. If they do not understand it or know they lack coverage, you have found a concrete way to help them.

This isn’t hard work. It’s smart work.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive life insurance leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Simply put, the odds of a sale are boosted significantly. You still have to work exclusive leads as you do any other, so it remains crucial to carry a deep understanding of Medicare’s offerings.

Ultimately, it’s your expertise as a salesperson that provides a solid sales record.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Benepath.net comes very close to being that tree of life for your business, offering pre-qualified Medicare supplement leads and a whole host of other niche leads you can count on to convert. Benepath’s leads are specifically tailored to what you want. You just have to ask. Want a big territory? Define it. Ten leads every day? Ask for them.

Medicare sales are expanding with the rapidly changing health care landscape. And America is graying. If you sell Medicare and Medicare supplements, you have a ready market at your fingertips. And you can always find solid leads, grown with care, at Benepath.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

If you choose to sell Medicare supplement policies, you can prosper with solid work. Choose a lead generation company that will bring you leads hoping for your call. Work leads when they arrive, set up a routine for contact and keep in touch regularly. Learn when to push and when to close. You do need a certain understanding of human nature and needs to work Medicare leads. You, too, can find it with practice and empathy.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

With pre-qualified, pre-screened leads landing in your inbox as often as you want them, it is easy to create a list of people to call every day. If you are selling Medicare supplements, such leads are also the best way to boost your sales quota. People need and want the services you have to offer because they want to take care of their health. Take the time to help customers choose what works best for them. Offer excellent customer service, and you will find loyal customers. The solution is simple and, best of all, it works.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

If you want to build your agency, work Medicare supplement leads from a lead generation company with care and diligence. Know your product, make your calls, make appointments, stay in touch with leads and provide them with the information they need and the information they might not know they need.

Always be ready to fill a need for more information. Consider yourself an educator on Medicare supplements. Medicare requirements and policies are constantly changing. As an educator and salesperson, you need to be able to explain how to make a painless, but informed, decision.

Most people do not have the time to wade through all the information and misinformation available. They simply prefer to speak with a knowledgeable insurance agent about what they need and can afford. If you can steer customers in the right direction and offer what they need for a good price, you will have loyal customers for many years. As a Medicare supplement agent, teach clients about the products they need to make their health insurance effective for them.

Make sure that you work with quality leads (ones that have not been chewed up by several other agents). It is often best to buy these kinds of leads through a lead generation company. Exclusive Medicare supplement leads are delivered only to you and on your schedule. These leads allow you to reach your best prospects quickly and readily, and they make it possible to get an appointment right away.

Think about investing in Medicare supplement leads, and track the results as you begin to make your anticipated sales.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

With such surprisingly simple, clear benefits, you might as well take advantage of the system to get the best leads with the highest potential of converting. These clients are pre-vetted, pre-qualified and planning to buy — if not immediately, then within six to eight weeks. Seniors need the coverage your policies offer; it’s an ideal business situation.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

You want to grow your business, right? You aren’t selling insurance to give away your products or to lose money. So, look to build solid foundations in your sales. Such sales increase the dollar value of your business and give you an easy starting point. Pre-vetted Medicare supplement leads are the best place to start: Americans need Medicare, and if you have the drive to succeed, Medicare sales can offer you stability, profit and growth.

You may already know that health insurance exchanges do not sell Medicare or Medicare supplements. Instead, agencies like yours are the primary source. You already have an automatic audience waiting for your call. It’s extraordinarily simple. Sign up to get leads from a reputable lead generation company, like Benepath.net. Ask for Medicare supplement leads at least once a week. A slower beginning period will allow you to get into the rhythm of calling, talking about and selling Medicare and its supplements. Once you have mastered the system, you can increase the number of leads delivered to your inbox.

Provided you act on them with due diligence, Medicare supplement leads can offer an agent a stable income within a year. Moreover, the customers you convert are likely to stay with your agency at renewal time. Why? Because you provide them with good service, know your products, treat them with respect, find them the best deals possible, handle claims with care and alacrity and, in short, represent your company in fine style. With cheerful professionalism, you build a solid health insurance experience for both you and your clients. Start strong with health insurance leads from a reputable lead generation company.

Insurance sales have changed to adapt to internet culture, but your interactions can be just as personal as before. People may not see you or meet with you directly, but they can and will get to know you through your online presence, your website, your phone conversations and the services you deliver just as promised.

Make a change to build on strength and pursue dynamic health insurance leads from a lead generation company. You will be glad you invested in exclusive leads when you find that the old saying is true: “You need to spend money to make money.”

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Medicare supplement customers will typically stay with your agency for a long, long time — provided that you offer them the best of customer service, answer their questions to the best of your ability, help them with claims, make suggestions that will help them save money and act as a knowledgeable, approachable center of support. Medicare supplement leads can help an insurance agency succeed. Everyone either will need the supplements soon or already need it now. Make the most of the market and follow this trend in sales.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

The Medicare supplement market is one that will continue to grow, without end, as the population ages and discovers it needs more medical care and attention. If you want to be a part of that burgeoning market, consider buying exclusive Medicare supplement leads. They only come directly to you, based on what you have ordered.

Working those leads quickly and efficiently will place you in a prime position on the sales track in your agency. The process when working with these leads is not just to sell as much as you can, but to educate as well. You wouldn’t buy a pig in a poke, so don’t expect someone who needs Medicare supplements to buy one either. Many Americans these days are relatively well educated about Medicare supplements.

Provide the kind of service that seems to have gone by the wayside with the advent of technology. Provide personal service. Make phone calls. Perhaps even set up a meeting. We have lost touch with one another as a human race thanks to impersonal technology. Bring “personal” back and your customer base will grow in response.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Older Americans need the supplements to close any gaps that may exist in their health care coverage, and if you are Johnny-on-the-spot with the right information and have a personable manner while explaining the information, chances are your prospective customers turn into buyers.

Medicare supplement leads are, hands down, one of the best ways to build your business, particularly if you are also selling other types of policies, as many agencies do. By and large though, these leads have the best potential to provide you will a growing foundation for your business.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Without a doubt, Medicare supplement plans are hot products. This is due to the huge number of older Americans that need the supplements to make their health care insurance package work specifically for them. These plans help seniors save a large chunk of change each year in medical expenses. Oddly enough though, many older people don’t know about the benefits of buying supplement plans. Enter a well-trained, knowledgeable insurance agent.

Most agents know that the best market to cater to is the Medicare supplement crowd. Why? Because they are a captive market and they need what Medicare supplements have to offer. This is your chance to sell something that is not only a good product, but also helps seniors save money. It also offers you the chance to educate as many seniors as you can about the benefits of Medicare supplements.

But where to start? Do you cold call? Launch email or snail mail campaigns? Try partnering with elder care facilities? Work your relatives for referrals? You could do all of those things, but the one that makes the most sense economically is investing in solid, pre-screened Medicare supplement leads from a reliable, knowledgeable lead generation company, such as benepath.net.

These types of leads can be bought directly from a lead generation company, or may be obtained by signing up with a venture that gives its agents leads. Both methods have their pros and cons, and it only makes good sense to try both ways, if you have the opportunity to do so. In reality, buying leads directly is generally the best way to go, because you have total control over what you what, when you want it, how many leads you want, where you want them and various other important things, like demographics, location and so forth.

By buying Medicare supplement leads, and asking for them to be delivered in real-time, you have a list of ready-to-go prospects the moment they hit your inbox. Follow up promptly, and in many cases, you may have several sales every day. In other instances, prospective buyers need some lead time to make a purchase decision. Keep working with them. It generally pays off. If you have a product people want and you know that product inside out, you have something valuable to offer buyers.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Before you get all excited about this, though, make sure you buy the right kind of leads that actually pay off when you call – exclusive Medicare supplement leads. Don’t waste time and money on leads that have already been run by other agents and are essentially dead.

Buy the fresh, screened, pre-qualified and vetted, exclusive Medicare supplement leads and make some decent money. No one else but you will have access to the leads that you get in your inbox. No one else will have called a single potential customer on your list. It’s all up to you to make the sale and with hot-off-the-presses, real-time leads, this is easy. You’ve likely used the rest. Now use the best lead generation company on the Internet – Benepath.net.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

The time has come for a more conversational approach, meaning plain English in words everyone understands, even if a concept may be difficult. Insurance companies need to pay attention to this latest trend, as Google is the driving force behind it, and when Google does something, you know it’s going to drive your marketing efforts.

What’s the latest? Casual verbal conversation searches. That is like asking a search engine where the nearest movie theatre is, what times the shows are, what the address is and where is the best parking near the theatre. The near future holds an interesting experience for everyone and that includes insurance agents who want to market their websites in a competitive manner. It’s the best way to stay ahead of the pack when it comes to proper search engine optimization protocol.

Casual verbal conversation searches are just like your neighbor asking you across the back fence where he can get a good set of reasonably priced tires for his 1979 Mustang. It’s people-talk, not search engine speak —- the stilted string of words used to search for something a person needs. This will have a huge impact on how people search for insurance of any kind. Instead of trying to plug in awkward terms to find out about final expense insurance or about Medicare supplements, the person doing the search can just ask something like: “Show me what I need to supplement my Medicare policy.”

The idea of a search engine responding to human-speak enquiries is exciting, but it will not happen overnight. Nonetheless, Google’s reasoning is sound. People want to communicate online the same way they talk. You only have to read a few Twitter or Facebook posts to know that. If you want to stay ahead of your competitors in the insurance marketplace, then make sure you hire a search engine optimization company that not only understands the insurance industry, but practices what it preaches. You find a company that does that, and you are set to meet the future.

Just think about how your customers may find you in the future. Imagine them Googling that they need better drug coverage, a homeowners’ policy that offers replacement, not assessed value, a car insurance policy that covers three teen drivers, and so forth. It’s a brave new world out there for insurance companies who market online. Get into the mainstream of the latest trends now, before you find your website losing traffic.

A conversational approach to searching will change key phrase research and ultimately, how an insurance website (or any website) is optimized. Make sure you work with a search engine optimization company with extensive experience in the insurance industry. Then get ready to ride the wave of success.

Ready to Quote is an insurance marketing company focusing on search engine marketing and <a href="http://www.readytoquote.com“>insurance websites. Learn more at http://www.readytoquote.com/ or call 1.800.504.8593

Want to make certain you get good leads? Invest in exclusive Medicare supplement leads and don’t think twice about the cheaper shared leads. Why? Because you don’t want to be sharing your potential customers with other agents, unless you like spending time on the phone not making sales, and what insurance agent loves that job?

To effectively diversify what you offer to potential clients, add in Medicare supplements and make sure to order only the best leads you can, because everyone knows to make money, you need to spend money, and when you get “only to you” exclusive Medicare insurance leads, you’ll make sales.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

People buy things from your insurance website because they feel they know you, appreciate your experience, your education, credentials, your style of writing and explaining insurance policies or they like your smile. Whatever the reason people do buy insurance from you, you can be certain it was not your logo or the pictures of the inside of your office. People like dealing with people. It’s the personal touch that makes a difference.

In short, you do not want your insurance website to end up being a buffer or barrier between you and your potential customers. You want it to be an extension of who you are. This is even more important if you have more than one insurance agent on staff. Each person that deals with the public needs to be known. You want everyone in the office to be a part of your online presence.

If you want to score large in the insurance industry, you make sure people know who you are personally. Your hobbies, the organizations you belong to, why you chose to sell Medicare supplements or car insurance or term life insurance or health insurance. You want them to see you doing the things you love, even if that is riding a horse in back country trails. The real you is what you want to convey to potential customers.

In sharing a part of who you are with those who visit your insurance website, you have opened the door to more personal contact; heightened the potential for visitors to stay and get to know you and buy something. By showing people who you are, the real you, you have a cutting edge advantage over your competition, because you become more personable, approachable and someone people want to know better. The advantages to this strategy? You likely sell more insurance. It does not get any better than that.

Ready to Quote is an insurance marketing company focusing on search engine marketing and <a href="http://www.readytoquote.com“>insurance websites. Learn more at http://www.readytoquote.com/ or call 1.800.504.8593

Here are some of the things you need to check before buying leads: Find out if the order process is easy to understand or not. If it is complicated and you have to read something more than once to get the idea and can’t find accurate pricing, move on.

Will your potential choice of company offer you precisely what you want —- for instance, leads from a specific income level and geographic area? Will they provide them daily or per another schedule that best suits your working day? Will they replace dud leads?

Some lead generation companies provide not only the leads, but set appointments at least two days in advance? Does that work for you? Does the company you are considering do that?

Do leads offer all the relevant information for you to make a sale? Do they deliver those leads in a format you can work with? Do they offer just one Medicare lead for each household on your list or more than one? Be wary if they offer more than one per home.

The list of what to watch for could be endless, but don’t let that stop you. Find out what you need to know by making a list of what you need to make sales. In short, it’s up to you want you want when you buy Medicare supplement leads. If you can’t get what you want from one place, look for another one until you find what works.

Benepath is the leading provider of exclusive medicare leads. To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.net or call 1-866-368-0377

Exclusive Medicare supplement leads are worth every penny you spend on them. They are a critical part of your business as well, since America is aging, and you have a growing, captive market. However, you do not want to waste time trying to find your own leads or deal with a fly-by-night lead generation company who might skirt some legal and ethical issues. Gone are the days of trying to beat out every other agent within a 50 mile radius to sell Medicare supplements —- unless you like doing business that way.

Before you invest in exclusive Medicare supplement leads, there are some questions you need to ask the company you are planning on dealing with. Were the leads checked against the “No Not Call” list? Do they come in the territories you want? Do they come as set appointments? Are they pre-screened and qualified, so you know you are not wasting your time? Those are just some of the things you might want to ask; you can custom order exclusive Medicare care supplement needs, based on what you want. Won’t it be nice to talk to leads that need and want your products and are qualified to buy them?

With exclusive Medicare supplement leads, you do not share with any other agent. You have genuine exclusivity to serve your potential customer to the best of your ability. Leads that come pre-screened and pre-qualified increase not only your productivity, but enhance your financial bottom line. No more wasting time on dead end calls. Just sit down, open your email, check your leads, pick up the phone and call your prospective customers to discuss what they would like and answer questions. It doesn’t get any better than that.

To begin with, you might want to do just one geographic territory, so you don’t feel overwhelmed, but remember, you have the choice to take as many leads as you want, or keep it to a small handful a day so you have time to work them all. In short, you get to arrange times and appointments and contacts according to times that best suit you. It’s a smart way to do business and one that will expand your agency’s financial bottom line.

Clelland Green is with Benepath.net, a leader in providing Medicare leads. Benepath provides agents with exclusive leads in just a few mouse clicks. To click here to visit http://www.benepath.net.

Part A covers inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing home facilities, at a hospice and home health care. Part B is for medical health professional coverage, outpatient care, home care, and medical equipment. Although it is fairly decent coverage, there are gaps in it, and you will want to consider Medicare supplements to fill the holes. Talk to a local insurance agent before you hit the magic number, and find out what’s what. It will put your mind at ease.

To read more and get a health insurance quote, visit http://www.benepath.com

Take a long, hard look at your insurance website. Do you like what you see? Does your staff like it? Do your customers like it? How does it compare to your nearest competition? These are hard questions to answer, as a website is a personal thing and as it was developed, there were parts of you that went into making it what it is today. However, you need to stand back and regard it from the point of view of a visitor to your site. It might not be as wonderful as you think it is. It’s time for some serious introspection about your insurance marketing goals.

First things first. Leads are the lifeblood of an insurance agency. No leads, no customers. No customers, no income. Your website needs to garner leads that will convert. That does not just mean having your contact information on the site. It means a lot more, like a good search engine optimization (SEO) campaign, one that draws traffic to your website. Once you have the traffic, you can get leads and from those leads, you can do quotes. While it sounds simple, you may be surprised to know that we hear from a number of insurance agencies wondering why their websites just do not bring in the traffic they need to grow their business.

While they may have a nice site, it may be old, out-of-date, built on a different platform, not properly optimized, or it does not load quickly, or have social media or even an instant quoting function. Yesterday’s websites are losing ground, if not vanishing entirely. In order to have an up-to-the-minute insurance website, you want to get as many targeted visitors as possible. Targeting your visitors begins with the right kind of SEO campaign, a revamped or new insurance website and a steady, controlled marketing strategy aimed at your target audience. For instance, if you specialize in selling Medicare supplements to seniors, you likely are not interested in students in college. Focusing your campaign is critical to your website’s success.

Back to the quoting function for a second: It’s crucial to have a quote request form readily accessible on every page of your website, not just the home page. For instance, instead of just having a Medicare supplement information page and a Medicare supplement quote page, ensure that there is a short contact form on the Medicare supplement page, which offers a visitor to your site the choice of filling out a detailed Medicare supplement request on the quote page. Of course, by offering quotes online, you must have secure pages for the collection of private information. All this is part and parcel of effective insurance website design.

If you want the traffic to grow your business, find an SEO partner with serious experience in the insurance industry. They know their stuff and it looks good on you.

Ready to Quote is an insurance marketing company focusing on search engine marketing and <a href="http://www.readytoquote.com“>insurance websites. Learn more at http://www.readytoquote.com/ or call 1.800.504.8593

The first few days back in school felt like a pleasant dream to Dorothy. Each day that week, she rode her spiffy new 10-speed to her high school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Her purple bike had been safely tethered to the crowded bike rack each day, the 12-mile freeway ride proving relatively uneventful. She was a junior now, on track in her college prep courses for UCLA, and she was caught up on her homework and having a blast. But on the Friday of that fateful first week, the health insurance plan that her beloved great-grandfather had purchased from California Health Insurance agent Matt Lockard, proved fortuitous. Her great-grandfather, known in the neighborhood as a cowardly lion because of his pacifist views, had served as Dorothy’s guardian since she’d been in 7th grade and her parents had both died of “that rash.”

But on that fateful Friday, she suffered more than scrapes and bruises, more than mere contusions, when she smacked into the side wall of her school’s cement façade. She hadn’t been paying attention, she later admitted. Dorothy was knocked unconscious, but she’d recovered a bit by the time the ambulance came. Still, she was somewhat delirious and kept yelling: “Where art thou, great-grandfather, ye cowardly lion?” as if it were a mantra.

In her hospital room, the surroundings were unfamiliar, surreal, and in a word, strange. Even when her beloved great-grandfather came a calling, and brought along California Health Insurance agent Matt Lockard, she kept referring to that stoic man from Ventura as “the Tin Man,” which was quite unfair as Matt does indeed have a heart, and it beats, yeah, it beats. Finally, he showed that heart, saying to Dorothy, “Your great-grandfather loves you, and besides, everything’s covered and I’ve brought your homework.” All the time, Matt smiled, pleasantly showing his teeth – including several molars of the type never before seen in the mythical land of Oz.

But at the mention of homework, Dorothy snapped out of her trance, sort of. “Thank you, Tin Man,” she said, smiling.

To learn more please visit: http://www.mattsinsurance4ca.com

“You’d think that with the number of people turning 65 in the nation that they would be aware of what they need to do to get Medicare and how it will affect them. Interestingly enough, there are a great number of people who don’t have a clue what they need to do to get Medicare. This is largely due to all the confusing and conflicting information floating around in the market about what they need to do and when they need to do it. I’ve had many seniors call about various ads and flyers they’ve received in the mail, most of which have inaccurate information in them,” stated Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

The problem with all the conflicting information about Medicare and how to apply for it, etc., is that it’s ultimately so confusing that many people try and ignore it and don’t realize how important it is to have Medicare coverage. This may be dangerous in more ways than one if they don’t have Medicare when they need it the most; when something happens and they need medical help.

“Keep in mind that Medicare policies by themselves are not enough to cover everything and that in order to fill in the ‘gaps,’ seniors need to have Medicare supplements. This is the only way they will be covered for the things they need,” commented Cantu.

If the primary problem is that the options are not clear about what to choose, this is the time to contact a Medicare insurance agent and start asking questions. Things just recently changed in regard to the type of plans and Medicare supplements that are sold to the public, and there is definitely a whole lot of new plans, plans that no longer exist, items that are no longer covered, and other changes that people need to know about in order to make an informed decision before they choose what plans they think will work for them.

Choosing the best Medicare policy and Medicare supplements to fill in the gaps is a bit of an art; and art that a Medicare insurance agent is very good at. “Their advice is free, their knowledge second to none, and their dedication to helping seniors is quite evident when you call for advice and guidance,” said Cantu.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit http://www.gomedigap.com.

“If you are not getting Social Security benefits, then before you turn 65, you need to apply for Medicare. It is not, contrary to popular opinion, an automatic enrolment,” indicated Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. The preliminary enrollment period for Medicare actually begins three months before a person turns 65 and includes their birth month and end three months after that month. While that may sounds confusing, it is easily clarified by contacting a local Medicare health insurance agent.

“If by chance you are still working, and in this day and age that is far more common that it used to be, you may not need to enroll in Part B when you hit age 65. Here is how that works. If your employer has over 20 workers and offers group insurance that you are participating in, your primary medical cover is your work health insurance. That then means Medicare would play a secondary role,” Cantu explained.

Ultimately, that would mean being able to delay enrolling in Part B until (if and when) employer coverage is lost. “Basically, that avoids duplication of Part B cover and paying Part B premiums. However, don’t assume anything here. Always check if that is the right thing to do, as things in health care are changing so rapidly these days, it’s easy to miss something,” he added.

What if a person does not qualify for Medicare because they did not work the required number of years at a company that offered Medicare covered employment? In cases like that, the worker may opt to buy into Medicare. For example, Part A’s 2010 monthly premium would be about $461 if there were less than 30 quarters of Medicare covered work. For those who had 30 to 39 quarters covered, they would pay roughly $254 a month. For Part B cover, the monthly payments would start at $96.40 and could go as high as $353.60; something that is solely dependent on Medicare means testing.

“There are a number of other ins and outs that you would need to know when dealing with initial enrollment periods versus general open enrollment and how penalties may be assessed for delaying enrollment in Part B for every year they delay enrolling. Typically, these issues are things that are best discussed either in person or on the phone, and I’d be happy to help anyone who has questions,” suggested Cantu.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit http://www.gomedigap.com.

Most people associate hospices with caring, quite, dignified palliative care for those who need assistance and who would otherwise be alone and in pain and fear. Hospice care, as we mentioned in another article, is a right under the Medicare program and many people have cheered at this inclusion. It’s a nod in the right direction for our society as a whole; demonstrating that we respect and honor those who will pass on before us, and that they deserve hospice care.

If people actually knew that hospices are now the targets of scams and fraudulent schemes, they would be angered beyond reason. That is what is happening, largely because while many only see the façade of the hospice – the caring ministers and nurses – the hospices these days are owned by big business and big business functions best on big profits.

What’s the scam? The scam is that money is being made hand over fist through Medicare reimbursements for people who are not dying and who don’t qualify for the Medicare Hospice Benefit. What is even worse is when this kind of fraud is the cause of patients and families not getting treatments they may need that could improve their lives. This has to stop.

Check out some of the stories online where big business hospice companies have handed out some mega-settlement money to divert attention from the fact that their hospices admit and readmit non-terminal patients and then fraudulently bills Medicare (and Medicaid). Here is one classic example: Odyssey Hospice, a huge national hospice company, paid out $12.9 million in 2006 for this type of fraud and then – well, they kept right on doing business they way they always had.

If you want another example, take the one of SouthernCare who coughed up $25 million in 2009 thanks to a whistleblower lawsuit. Both of these large companies paid their fines, but apparently nothing changed. It’s a fact that hospices are mega business opportunities. It’s a fact that many have revenues that top $600 million a year. It’s also a fact that they are making money on the backs of innocent people.

Are you aware of Medicare hospice fraud? If you are, it’s time to speak out and do something about it. The dignity of the dying is crucial and the future of the Medicare hospice benefit hangs in the balance with fraud continuing to strip the system of dollars that could be used for the benefit of the patients and not big business.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Anytime something changes, whether it’s how your bank processes your checks or when your health care plans change, like with Medicare, it tends to throw people for a loop. Makes sense; after all when you get used to doing something one way, suddenly finding out it’s now different is disconcerting.

This is particularly true with Medicare supplement plans. For those of you with the older plans, you had other choices and other plans eliminated at the beginning of June 2010. The ones eliminated were the Medigap plans you bought from a private insurance carrier. Good news: basic Medicare and prescription drug coverage has not been affected. So what do you have now? There are 12 variations of Medicare supplement plans A through to L; that’s Plan A to Plan L.

Here’s what you need to know as a quick reference. Plans E,H,I and J no longer exist, but if you had any one of those plans when they were eliminated, you got to keep them if that is what you wanted to do. If there was another plan that suited your needs much better, then perhaps you switched to one of the newer ones. By now, you will have a good idea of whether or not the switch was a good idea, or you may be planning to switch at the next open enrollment period.

By the first of June, you were also able to buy two new plans, M and N, which effectively offered expanded coverage. Plan F is still being sold or in other words, it’s still alive and kicking, so you can certainly look for it when you make any changes to your Medicare plans.

In all the confusion of the changes, a great many people missed out on what some of the other important changes were and may not realize that things they had before might no longer exist. For instance, preventive care and at-home recovery benefits were deleted from all supplement policies because they were not being used very much. This is something to consider overall for Medicare and other medical services; if you want them, use them or lose them.

Plan G offers 100% coverage for excess charges as opposed to the previous 80% coverage and you will find a new hospice benefit added to all of the plans with the exception of Plans K and L (they already have hospice benefits). The “new” hospice benefit offers cost sharing for all Part A eligible hospice and respite care expenses. Medicare has cover for inpatient respite care for up to five days, less your co-pay amount of 5% of the daily benefit. The hospice benefit picks up the 5% co-pay.

The best overall news in case you missed it has to do with the two new Medigap plans, M and N. They are set up give beneficiaries lower estimated premiums and higher cost sharing responsibilities. In Plan M you will find it includes 50% coverage of Medicare Part A deductible, but doesn’t cover Medicare Part B deductible. Plan N offers 100% coverage of Part A deductible, but zero cover for Part B deductible. Cover for the B deductible is now subject to a new co-pay arrangement.

Are there more changes you may need to be aware of for the coming year? Oh definitely, but it’s best to just call your local Medigap insurance agent and start asking questions. They know right away the things that you will need to know to make an informed health insurance purchase.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This would certainly generate a whole lot of interesting competition in relation to the policies offered. But the question is, how will this whole scenario with large private insurance companies, and enormous lobby groups (like the AARP), pan out? While competition is nice to a certain extent, there are going to be private insurance companies that would not be so thrilled having to compete with non-profit health insurance cooperatives. That means they would have to lower their prices to get customers – and what? Hike them again after a year?

The bottom line is stay tuned for more developments as things start to heat up while the House is back in session.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Just as there are things that are the same in both of the bills, there are a couple of differences that you will want to know about. The bill in the Senate slices and dices the Medicare budget by roughly 500 billion dollars, and that’s a whole lot of money. The House bill includes the Stupak amendment. In essence it bans the use of federal money for supplementing abortions that any health plan offers. This still seems to be under debate, so there is no telling how it will resolve.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This might give you some pause for thought if you think you can save money by not buying health insurance. It will eventually become more expensive to “not” have it in the form of fines, and realistically, everyone will need medical care at some time in their lives.

There will be government subsidies to assist in paying for health insurance for low and middle income families. Interestingly, there will also no longer be “any” exclusions for pre-existing conditions; a huge bonus for many of the currently uninsured in the US. What this means is that insurance companies will be required to accept any one who applies, despite what medical condition they may have.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Granted, there are some major differences between the House version of the overhaul of the health care system and the Senate version of the overhaul. However, both the bills do chop payments to private Medicare Advantage plans. This is largely because these are costing the government about 14% more than traditional Medicare.

While there are benefits being given in this upcoming legislation, there are trade-offs on the other side. For instance, the AARP (who advocates for Medicare Advantage cuts – after all it IS an insurance company) predicts it’s like some seniors may see an increase in the premiums; ultimately have their benefits cut; or see some plans shut down.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

What about the advent of the suggested non-profit cooperatives? Will those be dropped like a hot potato and instead favor what the Senate wants, which is not mentioned at all? So much for introducing competition into the health insurance market.

It’s projected that the program– the new health care program– would likely cost about 870 billion, but this is ONLY if there is 500 billion cut from Medicare benefits. Is this really realistic and who came up with those figures?

And finally, if this new proposed health care legislation does go through, just how will it affect the economy and the national debt? If they’re planning on forking out extra goodies to three states, then ultimately it’s the taxpayers that have to ante up. Give the matter some thought, because this last question is quite contentious.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

For instance, can the provision that a citizen who doesn’t buy private health insurance has to pay a fine and may be put in jail be enforced? Many civil rights attorneys don’t think so. What do you think?

What about the three states listed in the bills that are to receive special provisions and concessions? Are they constitutional and legal? Many people don’t think so and are labeling these concessions as pork barreling. Not much of a surprise when it comes to politicians. Stay tuned, there will be more coming out in the following days, weeks and months.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

In addition, in 2010 there will be 15 different Medicare Advantage plans. Call them Medicare Health options. Whatever you do choose to call them, if you haven’t had the training like your local health insurance broker, these new plans will throw you for a loop.

2010 will also bring with it some very significant changes in Medicare Supplement options. For this and other reasons, you really need to talk to a highly skilled health insurance professional to sort out what will work for you and your family.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

A lot can happen in a year when you realize that changes are already happening; some welcome and some not appreciated that much. A person’s health can also change drastically in a year and this is why you need to know what types of policies are available for you and your family.

Waiting until the final days of open enrollment doesn’t really benefit a senior who needs to have a Medicare plan that suits them, as once they discover what they’re used to is no longer available, they have difficulty adjusting to new options.

Knowing those options in advance takes the pressure off a senior to decide on the last day of open enrollment what they want. Deciding something as major as health care coverage in a panic will not give them the kind of coverage they want or need.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This new method of charging for self-administered drugs is part of the changes coming in 2010 and beyond in Medicare. This shifts the price tag from the federal government back on to seniors. There are others services that are also being disallowed such as pelvic and breast exams, and pap smears if they are done outside the time period Medicare has set as a federal regulation.

Couple this with a relatively recent report from the government that is now suggesting that women don’t get mammograms until they are 50 rather than the current 40, and you will see for yourself that the government is trying to cut costs by reducing services to seniors.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

Here is how that works. If Medicare itself will not pay out on a claim for medical service, then the supplemental insurance policy does not either. Why? The supplement won’t pay out because that is what it does; it “supplements” the cost of medical services approved by Medicare. Make sure you know what is and is not covered in your Medicare plan before you find out later you have to pay for something out-of-pocket when you least expected it.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

A lot can happen in a year when you realize that changes are already happening; some welcome and some not appreciated that much. A person’s health can also change drastically in a year and this is why you need to know what types of policies are available for you and your family.

Waiting until the final days of open enrollment doesn’t really benefit a senior who needs to have a Medicare plan that suits them, as once they discover what they’re used to is no longer available, they have difficulty adjusting to new options.

Knowing those options in advance takes the pressure off a senior to decide on the last day of open enrollment what they want. Deciding something as major as health care coverage in a panic will not give them the kind of coverage they want or need.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

This new method of charging for self-administered drugs is part of the changes coming in 2010 and beyond in Medicare. This shifts the price tag from the federal government back on to seniors. There are others services that are also being disallowed such as pelvic and breast exams, and pap smears if they are done outside the time period Medicare has set as a federal regulation.

Couple this with a relatively recent report from the government that is now suggesting that women don’t get mammograms until they are 50 rather than the current 40, and you will see for yourself that the government is trying to cut costs by reducing services to seniors.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com

Here is how that works. If Medicare itself will not pay out on a claim for medical service, then the supplemental insurance policy does not either. Why? The supplement won’t pay out because that is what it does; it “supplements” the cost of medical services approved by Medicare. Make sure you know what is and is not covered in your Medicare plan before you find out later you have to pay for something out-of-pocket when you least expected it.

To learn more, visit Gomedigap.com.

“The baseline fear that most American seniors have when it comes to the health care reform bill is that ‘their’ health care program, Medicare, will be raided to pay for younger workers without insurance and their families,” explained said Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

The number and depth of some of the cuts does indeed cause a great deal of concern right across the board, to those who will lose services and to those providing services. “One thing seems to have been missed in the overall general angst of change – the new law actually benefits many Medicare policyholders, but that doesn’t get mentioned much. It’s a sort of ‘give with one hand and take with the other’ kind of trade that may even out in the wash later,” Cantu commented.

The changes and cuts are being brought in slowly, and with good reason – it’s an election year. That is why the cuts start next year and come into play gradually. This year, as an incentive of sorts, over 3 million seniors get $250 each for the Medicare prescription donut hole coverage gap. Mostly the gaps run over $1,000, so this is politely called a down payment for the future in some circles. In others it’s called a bribe.
All across the US many seniors are marshaling their votes and waiting to see what happens next. They are a powerful voice that could change the way the government looks at election time. The changes to Medicare are slated to cover over 46 million seniors and disabled individuals.

“Many public perceptions of the coming changes have stuck despite the fact that some of the changes will be beneficial for those using the Medicare program,” observed Cantu. The most famous one centered on “death panels,” implying that the changes would cost people their lives rather than assist them with their health care. Change is always disruptive at first until the full implications of the changes hit home.

“If seniors are uncertain about what the future holds for them in terms of benefits under Medicare, it’s best to call a Medicare health insurance agent and start asking questions about the changes to come. Knowledge is power and being informed will help ease fears,” added Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

With the introduction of the new plans (M and N) to Medicare in June 2010, four others will be exiting stage left – plans E,H,I and J. While this may cause some panic among seniors, it may help to know that the new plans actually offer more benefits than the older plans. “However, you can certainly keep what you have when M and N come in, but the problem with that will be the premiums will gradually increase as the pool of people covered shrinks. You may honestly be better off and save money by checking out M and N,” said Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com.

Medigap policies are sold to supplement Medicare’s basic coverage, or in other words, they fill in “gaps” in the original Medicare. For instance, some of the more common policies cover deductibles and co-insurance for things such as outpatient services or long stays in a hospital. Medigap pricing may tend to vary from region to region and according to the age of the policyholder. However, any of the Medigap benefits are all precisely the same everywhere in the US.

“For those enrolling in Medicare for the first time this year, when you choose to do it is the key to what you get. It’s usually more beneficial to get a Medigap policy during open enrollment. During this period of time, insurance companies are required to sell you a policy and they are not allowed to exclude pre-existing conditions or charge higher premiums,” added Cantu.

One thing to remember is that every Medigap plan insures against the risk of high out-of-pocket co-insurance costs on Part A and B. Over and above that, these plans offer increasing levels of coverage, and, higher options. “To be honest, your best bet health wise is to get the most comprehensive coverage you can,” Cantu indicated. “When you buy health insurance, think ahead for the future and assess what your level of risk may be, this will help you choose your coverage,” he said.

Plans E, H, I and J are being dropped because they duplicated coverage and benefits that don’t do what they should really be doing due to changes in Medicare recently. “The example I use most often is that those old plans have a $120/year preventive care benefit, however that predates similar benefits that have been added – for instance, bone-density screenings, pap tests and mammograms,” outlined Cantu.

The introduction of Plans M and N will give seniors more flexibility in how much of the “gaps” are covered and also usher in some pretty significant benefit options. For instance, Plan M will cover 50% of Part A inpatient hospital deductible, but ‘will not’ cover Part B deductible. Plan N will offer 100% coverage for Part A inpatient deductible,” Cantu explained.

“One thing to be on the alert for is the price variations for these new Medicare Plans. In some cases, there may be as much of a difference as up to $500.00,” commented Richard Cantu with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. Make it a point to always shop around for prices before buying any Medicare coverage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit Gomedigap.com.

This is a story that we heard from one of our clients. He received a letter in the mail that said one of his claims had been denied by his insurance company. Understandably baffled, the well organized senior took all his documentation to someone for help. He had a complete record of all his medical expenses relating to the claim his insurance company supposedly denied.

When the person he went to for help did some checking around, it turned out the letter stating the insurance company denied his claim was false. His insurance company never got the claim from Medicare. He could even prove that because he had the summary notice that Medicare sent him. The claim got paid and the client saved about $100.

What happened here is that a medical service provider did a totally dishonest thing and sent a bill with false information to a senior citizen to get them to pay money they “did not owe.” This amounts to outright fraud. It’s shocking that someone would go to those lengths to rip elderly people off.

If at any time you get something in the mail that doesn’t make sense, tells you a claim has been denied and you don’t recall the details, or says you need to pay more money out-of-pocket, call a reputable Medicare insurance broker, who will be more than pleased to help you figure out what’s going on. Medicare brokers have extensive knowledge in this area and understand that when you have trouble with something, it is upsetting and confusing.

Don’t automatically pay a denied claim difference. Check the details, check your records and check with the doctor’s office. Make sure you “do” keep records of all your trips to see a doctor, what procedures you may have had done, and any medications you may take. It’s also a good practice to keep any and all notices you get from any insurance company. Help is always at hand just by making a phone call. Don’t become a victim of fraud.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

From the looks of things, under the health care reform bill, insurance companies in 2010 will be banned from dropping people when they get sick and lifetime coverage limits will be gone. Annual limits will be restricted. These things will ultimately help Joe and Josephine Average who have been struggling with their health insurance coverage.

More good news for families indicates that insurers will be barred from excluding children due to pre-existing conditions and those under the age of 26-years-old will still be to stay on their parents’ health plans. Right now, most health plans drop kids when they turn 19 or complete college.

Those who happen to be on Medicare and who fall into what is referred to as the donut hole coverage gap, will actually get a $250 rebate. We’re not sure where the money is coming from to cover this, but it should be interesting to wait and see. The health care reform bill more or less closes the donut hole, which right now starts after $2,700 is shelled out for drugs. Once you hit $6,154, the coverage kicks in again. The difference is quite substantial, some $3,454, and makes one wonder how far a $250 rebate will go in the grander scheme of things.

Those who are pre-Medicare applicants will find themselves with a temporary reinsurance program to help companies keep offering coverage for early retirees between 55 and 64 years old. This however will expire in 2014. And, if you don’t have Medicare or any other kind of insurance to call your own, and have a pre-existing condition, you will be able to get health insurance under the auspices of a new program that ends in 2014, when insurance exchanges start operating.

There seems to be some more good news for Medicare come 2011. According to the health care reform bill, it will provide a 10% bonus payment to primary care doctors and general surgeons. You will be able to get free annual wellness visits and a unique personalized health plan specifically suited to you, and any new health plans will have to cover preventive services at no cost or a minimal fee.

The new Medicaid program for the poor doesn’t kick in until October 2011 and when it does, it lets states offer community based and home care for disabled individuals who would otherwise be in a nursing home.

By the time 2011 rolls around, payments to insurers still offering Medicare Advantage will be frozen at 2010 levels. This is in fact a major reason why many larger insurers will no longer be offering Medicare Advantage. Over time, the payments are to be scaled back and brought more in line with traditional Medicare.

There is more in the works, and the health care reform bill has other built-in timetables that will see other services kick in starting in 2012 and continuing until 2018. It may be interesting to read “ahead” to see what may be in store for your Medicare services. Better to find out now and start asking questions. Knowledge is power when it comes to understanding your Medicare benefits.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The cost for Medicare premiums is less than people were paying before they turned 65, and that is good news. The bad news is that Medicare does not cover all health care costs, but a lot of people tend to forget this point.

Most seniors need supplemental coverage to fill in the gaps for extra money they pay out for things not covered by Medicare. However, there are 12 different Medicare supplement plans – and so many Medicare insurers and HMOs to choose from – that not only is there a lot of variety and different prices, but the various options make it a bit easier to choose what will work for you.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

If this is something that might be in your future, now is the time to start asking about how they work and how to qualify for residence in a home, should they come to your state. Based on Vermont’s example, medical homes not only save money, but are a real benefit for the residents in that they are able to get care they would not otherwise receive.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

You can make a change to your Medicare supplement at any time, but there are a lot of insurance companies that will ask a LOT of medical questions. Depending on the answers you happen to give, you may or may not be able to change plans. So be aware and know what you are asking.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This is interesting from the point of view of where is the money for the subsidies going to come from in the first place? Right now the nation is struggling to get its national debt under control; while on the other hand they are talking about spending trillions for health care reform. This is definitely food for thought for the discerning health insurance reform advocate.

Here is something else to also ponder – penalizing consumers and companies if they defy government requirements to provide health insurance access to all.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

And what choices would be on the table to pick from or pass by? The options so far would include a new government health insurance plan, health co-ops, and private plans. Of course people will want to know just what the government health insurance plan would entail, as many people tend to think that government run health insurance is a major pain, overpriced and not so efficient.

While the details have not really been fleshed out, it will be interesting to see what develops over the next few months since the passage of this health care reform bill. It’s definitely opened the door for greater things to happen. Now we all have to wait and see if what happens is actually something we can live with in the long-term.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The bill passed by a vote of 220 to 215, and the legislation would extend health insurance to tens of millions of uninsured Americans and enact dramatic changes to the country’s medical system. In addition, the bill would cost $1.2 trillion over the next ten years and mandate most employers to offer health coverage; and prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on a person’s medical history. There’s a public health insurance option in the bill with the alternative of people being able to keep their current plans if they like them.

While this all sounds pretty good, the question becomes how will it all be implemented? Stay tuned for interesting developments in this area.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Every year it’s a very wise move to review all Medicare plans in the family. Certainly this can be done at any time of the year, but it’s even more critical right now since it is open enrollment time until December 31st, 2009. This is when seniors have the option to change their existing Medicare Part D prescription plans and Medicare Part C Advantage plans.

When dealing with Medicare Advantage Plans, make it a point to speak to an expert health insurance broker, as there are a number of changes relating to the Medicare Advantage plans that will directly affect coverage. Currently, many seniors are now scrambling to find other health insurance coverage since Medicare Advantage has been cancelled out from under them.

The open enrollment period lasts six weeks and it’s a good time to evaluate the four parts of Medicare – Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D. Most of the seniors in Medicare have Part A and that provides them with hospitalization and rehab after they get out. Part B includes visits to the physician, some home care services and medical equipment. In some instances, seniors will also have an employer sponsored supplement or a private pay Medigap policy in addition to Parts A and B.

Most seniors are also very familiar with Part D, the fourth plan, because it covers drugs. Part C is the infamous Medicare Advantage program that came into being in 2003. Parts C and D were both created at the same time and actually Medicare Advantage was a dusted off and jacked up combination of the Medicare and Choice programs that had been in existence since 1997. With Medicare Advantage, seniors got the private insurance version of Parts A and B. If they signed on for Part C, then A and B no longer covered them. Now, Medicare coverage is run by private health insurance contracts with various insurance companies.

With all the changes to Medicare coming in 2010 and the cancellation of Medicare Advantage, it’s time to speak to a knowledgeable Medicare health insurance agent and find out what’s new for the future, who it will benefit, how it will benefit them, and how to get signed up.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fact that most seniors have limited resources and need to watch their spending carefully. Nowhere is that more apparent than when it comes to health care needs. The way it works in the U.S. right now is that when a person turns 65, they become eligible for Medicare.

Medicare Part A is the hospital insurance portion and seniors get this free if the individual or spouse has 40 or more quarters of Medicare-covered employment. The rest of the medical insurance part, which is Medicare Part B, is for individuals who enroll at 65, and it’s fairly minimal; for example Medicare Part B was an average cost of $96.40 for 2009.

What these figures mean is that the cost for Medicare premiums is less than people were paying before they turned 65, and that is good news. The bad news is that Medicare does not cover all health care costs, which isn’t exactly new, but a lot of people forget this point.

Most seniors definitely need supplemental coverage to fill in the gaps for extra money they pay out for things not covered by Medicare. While that may sound depressing, there are 12 different Medicare supplement plans and so many Medicare insurers and HMOs to choose from, that not only is there a lot of variety and different prices, it’s sometimes tough to figure out which way to go. Just because something is good for one person, does not make it good for another.

Seniors can definitely control the costs of their health insurance coverage by keeping up-to-date on the latest information that relates to their plans and by making it a point to speak to an expert health insurance agent. They will do best by talking to an agent that sells what they need, not just someone who has many things they are able to sell.

It’s time consuming for seniors to find plans that suit their budgets, but this is definitely a doable proposition with the right health insurance agent that works with seniors one-on-one and finds them what suits their needs. If more seniors got together and became a powerful voice for Medicare insurance they could count on and afford, silver power would be a new word in health care circles when it came to Medicare.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It appears that the current administration in Washington will be launching a 3-year medical home program that may be an option for qualified Medicare beneficiaries in states that are participating in this program. What it boils down to is those who do qualify will live in Medicare housing where they will be seen on a regular basis by primary care doctors and other health care providers. Those other providers would possibly include social workers, therapists and nurse practitioners.

This is initially a pilot program to see if all goes well and to assess if Medicare recipients do get a high level of care offered to them. Overall though, the main reason behind this pilot program is to ideally reduce costs. Evidently the new program will offer access to things like dietitians and physical therapists, something not usually covered by the “original” Medicare. So this program may just be a step in the right direction and be a benefit to Medicare recipients who need these kinds of specialized services.

What is happening right now is that if a senior is on Medicare and needs a service that isn’t covered under their plan, they have two choices – either pay for the service out-of-pocket or buy Medicare supplemental insurance. Generally speaking, it’s a smart move for seniors to have Medicare supplemental insurance so they are covered for things they may need. Buying this later often becomes more expensive.

To make this new program work, it seems that Medicare will be joining hands with Medicaid, state and federal health care programs, and private insurers in states that will offer the medical home program. For instance, Vermont already has a medical care home model in operation. By all reports, it seems to be doing what it was created to do, provide “uniform standards for advanced primary care.” It’s not just Vermont that has implemented this kind of a model either; so have Maine, Colorado and Massachusetts.

Never before has Medicare taken part in something this big and different. It breaks all the traditional rules and blazes some new trails. In addition to this it will be the first time that private insurance companies and primary care physicians will actually be on the same page when it comes to compensation. Of interest is that Vermont doctors get an extra patient bonus of $1.20 to $2.39 a patient, per month, to look after their care and get a further bonus if a patient’s health improves based on certain criteria.

If you’re making plans for the future, now is the time to call about making changes to your Medigap plans or improve your Medicare coverage. It is open enrollment until December 31, 2009.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

One thing you should definitely know right up front is that open enrollment for Medicare Part D started November 15th and runs right through to December 31st every year. You may or may not know this however, that Medicare supplements do not have an open enrollment period. The only open enrollment you make take advantage of is the one that relates to Medicare Part D drug coverage, period. The reason this is so important to know and remember is because a large portion of the senior population think open enrollment is for Medicare supplement plans. This is not the case.

This isn’t to say that you can’t attempt to make a change to your Medicare supplement at any time, but having said that, there are a lot of companies that will ask medical questions. The answers you give to those questions may either allow you to change plans or not, as the case may be.

Here is another area of confusion now, and likely in the foreseeable future, Medicare supplements are also called Medigap policies and they are identical by plan. So what that really means is that if you want to buy plan J from AARP, you will get precisely the same benefits with a plan J offered by American Progressive. In other words, it doesn’t matter where you buy the plan, it is the same plan.

The only thing that does tend to change is the premiums the various companies charge. Sure, you could shop for the cheapest deal, but you will want to know you are dealing with a company with a good reputation for honoring their claims. Just because the ads you get in your mailbox say company X is the biggest and best and is really aggressive about chasing your business, does not mean they “are” the best. So be wary.

The interesting thing here is that when you look in your stuffed mailbox, the ads you see are strictly regulated by the Center for Medicare Services. That may be all well and good, but that still does not help you sort out some very confusing and misleading ads. Remember this as well, that just because your banker or best friend has a plan that works for them, does not mean it is suited to your particular circumstances. Ask questions and don’t stop until you get answers that make sense, and get a plan based on your needs, health and budget.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s enough for you to have to get your act together to manage a move from one state to another. The list of things to do is endless and often the last thing that gets dealt with is what to do with your health insurance. What you have in one state might not fit what you need in your new home. The timing for premium payments may change – etc. and the list goes on.

Health insurance has at times been compared to a can of worms. Open the lid and you know for sure things will be all over the place. This is easy enough to sort out by talking to a health insurance agent that knows their stuff. The difficult part is usually trying to figure out the opt in and opt out provisions.

Right now, and this may change depending on what state you are in – so check this out, you are able to opt into Medicare supplements between November 15th of the prior year and December 31st. At that time you’ll be locked in until the next opt out period. This isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, so make sure you ask about this. It’s not simple because there are a lot of exceptions to the rules.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s no laughing matter when you go to use your health insurance benefits and find out you don’t have what you thought you did. In fact, it’s often a nasty shock to the system and to your wallet.

This more than anything points out one essential thing we all should be doing – reading the fine print on our health insurance contracts, supplements, plans or whatever you want to call them. Whatever you do choose to call them, make sure when you search for Medicare or Medicare supplement insurance that you have a list of questions you want answered.

While it might seem as exciting as watching paint dry, reading the fine print will tell you precisely what is covered and what isn’t. In other words, you won’t find out about it later when you’re in a situation where you thought you had coverage – and didn’t. If you’re opting for a Medicare supplement, know what you need versus what you might get.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The second reason you are paying more for drugs is because that is how drug companies survive, by selling drugs and making a profit. Now normally they are continually developing drugs for the marketplace. Lately there are fewer drugs in the development pipeline and that means you pay higher prices so the drug companies can stay in business. That money out of your pocket also goes to drug research in the hopes that the companies will find another blockbuster drug and stay in business.

The bottom line is if you want to save some bucks on your health care expenses, then buy generic drugs.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

This is the time to speak to a local Medicare insurance agent and find out what 2010 will bring in terms of changes to Medicare and Medigap insurance. Knowing what to expect now will allow you to make an informed decision about what will best work for you when the slated Medicare insurance changes take place in June 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The tax will likely not go over well with those who have to pay it, but it’s obvious that something needs to be done to assist seniors in the absence of the cost of living adjustment.

The theory is seniors will spend it on health care needs that include medications and topping off their Medicare supplements for better health coverage. This economic boost for seniors will be a welcome relief as Medicare Part B costs will increase as much as 9% in 2010, with Part D costs increasing about 11.1% for 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

To say that this shortfall in funding for seniors will cause problems is a major understatement. Most seniors spend their money on health care costs – things like prescription drugs and their Medicare insurance premiums.

Since the cost of Medicare insurance premiums is predicted to rise again next year by at least 9%, the extra funds coming from Congress should help seniors handle the rising cost of Medicare.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

If health problems exist and an individual has been unable to get Medicare supplement plans, there is hope in the form of guaranteed issue periods. These periods are federally mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and apply to “all” Medicare enrollees. What this specifically means is that the guaranteed issue period lets people apply for a plan without being denied coverage, charging more for any health condition, and excluding any pre-existing conditions.

As a stand-alone product, Medicare pays for roughly 80% of most covered services. This would mean an individual or family would then be responsible for the other 20% of the expenses that are not covered. While this 20% might not sound like much, it definitely adds up if the hospital bill is for things like strokes, heart attacks or cancer. Basically any major medical event will run the meter up and leave many people in a desperate situation financially. For seniors on a limited budget, this is not good news. This is why seniors need to be supplementing Medicare with Medicare supplements. It’s essential.

One reason why it is essential for those over 65 to supplement their Medicare is the fact that anyone needing health insurance needs to consider the monthly premium rate. The coverage itself is standardized, so that means what someone pays for it is critical. Shopping around for better rates makes sense and in the meantime if the insurance company that sold the Medicare supplement plans goes under, those left in the dust are allowed to sign up for a new plan under the guaranteed issue period.

Consider any value added benefits and other possible discounts when sourcing Medicare health insurance. Not a lot of people realize that some insurance outfits offer additional benefits as an attractive value-added part of their plan. If a company offers something worthwhile and it would be used, then it might be the place to buy Medicare insurance.

Take into consideration that waiting might not be a smart idea when it comes to getting Medicare supplements simply because a person might not be able to qualify for it later. Private companies have control over who they accept onto their plans and while some have more lenient underwriting guidelines, they may deny coverage.

The bottom line is shop around, ask questions and read the fine print in any policy purchased. It only makes good sense to know what the policy covers and does not cover.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fairly straightforward difference between Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and it basically boils down to the majority of an individual’s health care expenses is covered by Medicare. For example, Medicare part A will cover inpatient care at places like a hospice, skilled nursing facility or a hospital.

Medicare part B takes care of doctors and outpatient services, while part D handles prescription drugs. One thing to remember is that parts B and D mean paying a premium. While it looks like Medicare covers a whole lot, it doesn’t cover everything. This is where Medicare supplements or Medicare Advantage steps in if a person or family wants 100% of their health care covered.

If a person opts to buy Medicare supplements, they are purchasing a “gap” policy that fills in the holes in the original Medicare plan, usually referred to as a Medigap policy. With these particular policies, there are various levels of coverage in 12 different plans with alphabet designations A through L. Each one of these letters provides a different kind of supplemental health coverage and the prices are unique, based on the different levels.

Medigap health insurance is offered by private health insurance companies and there is a monthly premium to be paid. Usually the premium is dictated by the level of coverage, age of the insured and their zip code. As with many other things in life, these plans usually have a price increase yearly.

With the Medicare supplement policies there are usually open enrollment periods and a person is able to get guaranteed enrollment. If an application is not made during the open enrollment period, the usual health insurance underwriting routine applies.

Medicare supplements are additional coverage. Medicare Advantage is replacement coverage. To file a claim under a Medicare supplement policy, a person must file a claim with Medicare and the supplemental insurance company. In the case of Medicare Advantage, the claim is processed by the policy provider.

Medicare Advantage also currently provides many choices such as a PPO, FFS or HMO and right now plans are available to suit an individual’s personal preferences and what is still being marketed in the applicable zip code. All this will change when Medicare Advantage is no longer offered in 2010. Now is the time to speak to a local Medicare health insurance provider to find out what other alternatives will be available to replace Medicare Advantage.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

For those of you that don’t know what Medicare supplementary plans are, they are meant to bridge the gap between the policy coverage of the original Medicare and the actual bill, when it arrives in the mail later.This “gapping” became necessary when it was discovered that the original Medicare plan didn’t pay for every medical service actually needed, and you were dealing with a medical disaster.

If you stop to think about that explanation, it will make a great deal of sense to find out that there is more than one “gap” between the original plan and your bill. In order to do something about that gap, you do need to have Medicare to begin with, and then supplement it with other plans to fill the gaps. This analogy is a bit like filling teeth in that the dentist takes the existing original tooth and fills in the gaps with supplemental material to make it whole again.

Notice the use of the term “gap” and it will come as no surprise that the plans to fill in the original Medicare are referred to as Medigap policies. Medigap policies are run by private insurance companies who sell them to the public for varying prices. While the plans themselves are standardized, meaning they are the same in every state, the prices tend to be different depending on what the insurance company wishes to charge for them.

Despite the fact that Medigap policies are controlled by private health insurance companies, they still must have common rules to be followed when it comes to actually selling the Medigap policies. First and foremost is there are only 12 standard policies running from plan A to L. Each of their policies has its own set of benefits as well.

What is often not clearly understood by many people is that most of the Medigap policies give consumers the basic benefits of plans A and B, and in addition to the basic benefits, they also have their own advantages.

The 12 plans (A-L) have been around since 1992, but now there may be two “new” plans introduced in June 2010, plans M and N. The main feature of these two plans will be that they are supposedly going to provide lower premium rates as an alternative to the existing Medicare Supplement plans. While it isn’t entirely clear what M and N may offer, it is predicted that they should sell well because of the lower premiums.
With any change in Medicare or Medicare supplements, make sure you take the time to read each policy you decide to buy so you “know” just precisely what health coverage you actually have.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Whether or not this will truly come to pass depends a great deal on what happens in Congress over the remainder of the year and into the first part of 2010. However, having said that, the Social Security Administration has already served notice that is won’t be giving recipients a cost of living adjustment in 2010.

For the first time in 35 years there will be no cost of living adjustment, simply because there has been no inflation; a shocking bit of information by itself, but when combined with the news that seniors will not get the adjustment, the news becomes dismaying and financially upsetting for seniors. This is one of the reasons why Washington may step in and try and make a difference.

The truth here is that any extra money that seniors may have is going to buy prescription drugs and pay for Medicare and Medicare supplements, both of which have increased in cost quite substantially. In light of that particular revelation, politicians have seen a chance to make a difference and are lobbying for extra funds to be given to seniors in 2010.

This “supplement” of sorts won’t come without a cost of roughly $14 billion, which makes one wonder where on Earth the money will come from during this recession. Apparently it will be gleaned from slapping Social Security payroll taxes on earnings between $250,000 and $359,000 a year. Currently workers only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,800 of their incomes.

While it’s obvious that this tax will not go over well with the people who have to pay it, it’s equally as obvious that something needs to be done to assist seniors in 2010, thanks to the absence of the cost of living adjustment. The theory behind the supplement payment is that seniors will spend it and help stimulate the economy.

There is no doubt seniors will spend it, and likely spend it on health care needs that would include medications and topping off their Medicare supplements for better health coverage. If you follow the news, you’ll likely appreciate that this kind of an economic boost for seniors will be a welcome relief as Medicare Part B costs are slated to increase as much as 9% in 2010 with Part D costs following along with an increase of about 11.1% for next year.

This extra help for seniors is timely and in light of bailouts for banks and other businesses, it only seems fair to provide funds for those most in need of decent health coverage.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

When the Patient Self-Determination Act was passed, keeping down the costs at the end of a person’s life was a Medicare and government issue. This is directly due to the fact that the largest part of a person’s medical expenses tends to come at the end of life. This act mandates that health care providers, nursing homes and hospitals tell patients about health care powers of attorney and make them aware of living wills.
One of the latest proposals, in keeping with the drive to change the health care system, is a proposal that doctors must talk to patients about end-of-life issues and to outline handling advanced health care directives and hospice care offered under the auspices of Medicare. This is startling because it means physicians will be cast in the roll of pseudo-lawyers discussing legal issues that affect their patients.
The interesting part of this proposed change is that if it’s passed as currently written, those same pseudo-lawyers, dressed as doctors, would make money from the government providing Medicare patients with end-of-life consulting every five years. This has the potential to happen more often if a person is diagnosed with a terminal condition. Also, this end-of-life consultation wouldn’t be offered to those covered under “other” health plans. As yet, no one has explained why that would be the case.
This proposal is rife with unanswered questions, not the least of which is who would train the doctors and how would seniors with dementia or other forms of cognitive impairment be informed about these “directives”? Obviously there are other dangling questions that concern America’s seniors when it comes to their health insurance coverage. Concerns that for the most part seem to be going by the wayside as the country struggles with the massive debt load it is carrying, and tries to handle an out-of-control health system before it falls flat on its face from overuse and abuse.

What do all the changes in 2010 in Medicare and Medicare supplements really mean? This is a question that seems to have no direct answer at the moment. Only time will tell how the coming changes to Medicare will affect American seniors.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Medical homes seem to be a radical idea that no one wants to discuss and the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (Center for Medicine) has some concerns about the concept. While they agree that there needs to be cost cutting measures to get a grip on Medicare expenses, they aren’t too enthralled with the idea of medical homes.

These “homes” are way, way back in the health care reform bill in the inevitable fine print. What the text proposes is the establishment of a medical home pilot program for disabled persons and for seniors. It seems the idea would mean providing a medical home for every person during the long process of America moving to a wellness based system, instead of remaining with the current sickness based model.

This idea begs the question of what would happen to Medicare, Medicare supplements and a whole host of other scary questions that people can’t really wrap their minds around. On the surface the idea sounds like a great one, with the homes being operated by nurse practitioners and doctors’ assistants who would use evidence based medicine.

These individuals would hand out treatment to those in the home, but without the supervision of a doctor. There is also a question of what precisely does the term “treatment” mean – handing out medications or performing other medical procedures? How would these costs be absorbed and by whom? What the Center for Medicine is wary of is the imposition of “one-size fits-all” medicine handed out by only partially trained medical staff to cut corners and save the government and private insurance carriers some money.

Here’s where Medicare comes into the picture. The proposed pilot program would be aimed at Medicare patients with a high medical risk score, and/or those needing constant treatment or supervision. This type of patient requires the care of a physician, not just a nurse. And herein lies the concern of many seniors on Medicare and the Center for Medicine. This will put the proposal into perspective sharply. Right now there are roughly 22 million individuals eligible for the proposed medical home program.

The logistics of a program of this nature are staggering and one wonders if the government has any clear concept of what that would mean in terms of trying to set it up. To contemplate caring for 22 million people with just nurses and doctors’ assistants is a sobering thought. More to the point, how will this really save Medicare and the health system any money?

Think about that for a minute and the realization will dawn that someone will need to pay for this kind of care and if it’s not the government and insurance carriers, then it would be private individuals. Seniors on

Medicare and Medicare supplements barely have the kind of money to afford what they have now, how would they afford a medical care home?

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a fact that one in every five Americans is a senior. Come 2050 this will be one in four. If you take the time to do some math, you can see where this market will continually burgeon until even greater numbers of seniors are on Medicare. This is important news for insurance companies and the health system because seniors these days are living far longer than they did before – thanks to the marvels of new technology.

Wave one of the baby boomers will hit the marketplace in roughly a year and a half if they were born in the 20 year period after the end of WWII. The next wave will hit in approximately 2025. Medicare as we know it today will look nothing like it used to with the advent of all these new people becoming eligible to receive benefits. This also begs the question of just how the health system will cope with such an enormous influx of older people needing more care. Think of how expensive that is going to be. Given the state of the economy today, this might be viewed as a touch and go situation at best.

Keep in mind that seniors in the 21st century are leap years ahead of their predecessors. They’re alert, politically aware, highly motivated, intelligent and quite involved in advocating for their future. They’re prepared to take on the government and fight for what they perceive to be their right to adequate health care. They’re also far more financially secure than generations before them and they continue to generate revenue by way of annuities, pensions, social security, jobs (yes, seniors are indeed working past the age of 65) and investments.

Part of the reason that today’s seniors are far more aware of what is going on around them than ever before is that virtually one out of every five over the age of 65 is now online. Just about half of the seniors in the 65 to 75 year old bracket use the WWW. Those over 75 have also taken the plunge into exploring global connectivity.

If seniors are online, what do you suppose they are currently looking for as they surf? If you guessed they were trying to get information on Medicare, health insurance and Medicaid, you’d have just won the prize at the county fair. What a golden opportunity for brokers or agents that specialize in these forms of health insurance, as research reveals these same Internet savvy seniors are also starting their health insurance purchases online now as well.

If you’re prepared for the future and ready to serve the baby boomers as they become eligible for Medicare, etc. then you won’t have any trouble finding customers. In fact, they’ll likely be coming to you first. Make sure you have a highly interactive and easy to use website that has all the information seniors need and provides excellent service.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

One hand of the government says they are not going to raise taxes to fix Medicare. The other hand says the plan to reform Medicare will cost more because Medicare needs to change. So, which is the real story and what is the real definition of the word subsidy? Is it true that Medicare and Medicaid are the reasons the economy is so out of whack or is it the other way around?

Ostensibly a subsidy is a grant of public money that assists a private operator in serving the public or it is any financial assistance given by one person to another. The fact is that the government subsidizes Medicare and Medicaid, and what the government does not subsidize comes out of the pockets of seniors. Based on what many seniors hear in the nationwide town hall meetings, they feel that too much change will spell problems for them.

Seniors do not want “less” medical care and would be happy to keep what they have right now, and they most certainly do not want to pay more out-of-pocket for what they are currently getting. While it may all boil down to a matter of perception, the fact is that if changes are made to Medicare and Medicaid and Medicare supplements, it is virtually inevitable that costs will increase. It’s the nature of the beast.

Most frightening of all to seniors on limited budgets, even if they do have a comfortable income, is the fact that they feel the government is beginning to offload the increasing costs of Medicare and Medicare supplements to the one part of the population who can least afford it. Some have even been heard to say they feel they are being put out to pasture by the government’s rush to trim senior health care because their lives are shorter at that age.

Without going off the deep end on this subject, it would be best if seniors took the time to really make themselves familiar with the issues before making up their minds. Ask the tough questions, see what the answers are and then make an informed decision. There is no doubt that the cost of revamping Medicare is going to be tremendous and that it can’t be done until the economy is in better shape than it is right now.

There are still a number of unanswered questions relating to the high birth rate in the U.S. and how that impacts the health system, as well as questions about the immigrant population who moved here to take advantage of health care services. How will those costs be factored into a new health system without taking from Peter to care for Paul?

While things need to change in order to provide care for all, the question still remains: How will that be done and where will the money come from to accomplish it? In the meantime, don’t jump to conclusions until the whole picture becomes clear, as there may be more to understand before making up your mind that the government is out to “get” seniors. This may not be the case and like many items we have already heard about, it might only be “suggestions” to see the response.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

The major problem with Medicare and all the various deductibles is that it is extremely confusing trying to figure out which portion of Medicare – Part A and Part B – has which deductible kick in and when. For the record, Medicare part A offers hospital coverage, and part B provides medical coverage. If there is no Medicare supplement insurance involved then when the calendar year starts and a patient visits their doctor they would pay a deductible of roughly $150.

If this same person had to go to hospital and spent three days there, they would get in the mail a part A deductible bill of approximately $1,000. If for some reason the same patient had to return to the hospital for another short stay a few months later, they would once again get a part A deductible bill in the mail for the same amount as their first stay. At this point many seniors throw up their hands and wonder what is happening and why they are getting two bills in the mail.

The reason there were two deductibles in one year under Medicare part A is because the deductible is charged for a benefit period, and a benefit period starts the day a person goes to a hospital or other nursing institution.

The period typically ends when the patient hasn’t gotten hospital care for 60 days in a row. If that period ends and another trip to the hospital is required, this is classified as a new benefit period. On the other hand, Medicare part B only has the one deductible a calendar year.

If Medigap supplement insurance was in play in this scenario, then it would likely have covered the out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare part A and part B deductibles. At one time there was the option to consider the benefits of a Medicare Advantage plan. Unfortunately, this plan will no longer be offered in 2010.
Medicare isn’t always the easiest health care insurance to understand, but with a little due diligence and digging, most of the answers are readily available. Granted they may be confusing at first, but if seniors take the time to speak to a local Medicare insurance agent, they will have the answers immediately. A local Medicare agent will know the plans and benefits intimately and if budget is a concern, he will be able to tailor Medicare supplement insurance to go with Medicare that is affordable and actually delivers what it promises to deliver.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Luckily, Medicare is a whole lot easier to understand than many people think. There are portions of their various policies that leave something to be desired in the comprehension and plain English department, but suffice it to say that for the most part, what someone needs to know is easy to find out and easy to understand.

There is a handbook available from Medicare if the spirit moves a person to ask for it. However, it is confusing at best and leaves readers with the vague feeling they missed something, and they usually did. To really narrow the focus of what is definitely needed for Medicare, do some pre-planning and have the various options selected by March.

Make critical decisions like going with an HMO as opposed to private insurance or a PPO. Perhaps an existing retirement plan offers health benefits after the age of 65. These are things that need to be taken into consideration when selecting Medicare plans and Medicare supplement insurance.

Other decisions that need to be made include deciding if it makes sense to take part A, which is free, and part B that is paid out of social security. Something that needs to be perfectly clear about part A is that it picks up 80 percent of the costs of a hospital stay, but it does not cover the doctors treating a patient during that stay. Alternatively, part B offers doctor/surgeon/specialist coverage that handles 80 percent of physician visits, lab tests, surgeons and other specialists. This is usually the plan that most seniors will use.

A smart move for seniors is to take advantage of open enrollment. This is when three months prior to the senior’s birthday and three months after it, they are considered to be in open enrollment. This is useful information because during this period of time there is no health underwriting with insurance companies.
HMO’s can definitely deny coverage based on the health of an individual. However, insurance companies cannot, not if the person is in open enrollment. This is a golden opportunity to take advantage of if one’s health isn’t that great.

Depending on what state a senior resides in, they may wind up paying between $100 and $175 for Medicare supplements. In other states there is the option to choose plan F or plan J which would mean no deductibles, co-pays and the Medicare supplement insurance would pay the remaining balance of the medical bills. It’s best to check with a licensed Medicare insurance broker who will be able to outline what plans are available in various states and their costs before making any decisions about what Medicare plan and Medicare supplements are needed.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Medicare is not the ‘be all-end all’ and all encompassing insurance program than many elderly Americans seem to think it is; far from it to be precise. It will not and cannot take care of all their medical needs. It was never designed as a program to handle every medical need a person has. It was initially designed to take care of life’s medical crisis moments such as heart attacks and things like seriously broken bones.

Unfortunately, Medicare somehow became the magic panacea to cure everyone’s aches, pains and illnesses when they got older. That meant that buying Medicare supplements didn’t make much sense to older people because they already had Medicare coverage. Many of them opted to not get Medicare supplements because the cost seemed out of line. This mistaken impression needs to be corrected before too many seniors realize their mistake later when they desperately need medical care they cannot get with Medicare.

If the elderly do not understand the differences between Medicare and Medicare supplements they will find themselves faced with medical bills later in life that they not only didn’t expect to have, but will have no way to be able to pay them. This isn’t to say the Medicare is flawed, but it should be noted that it does have limited coverage, and it’s the consumer’s responsibility to know what Medicare does provide and what it doesn’t. Having said that, often seniors need help understanding Medicare supplement insurance from their families, and also need to know where they can find pricing for Medicare supplement coverage that suits their budgets.

If you’re helping your older relatives understand the complicated tangle of Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance, make sure to explain to them why having this extra coverage is crucial for their medical care; that they need the extra coverage now to cover care needed later.

There are four levels of Medicare that you need to know about, and each of them deal with medical coverage differently. For instance, Medicare part A pays overnight hospital expenses; part B handles routine doctor’s fees/tests; part C is optional coverage in that if you have part A, B or Medicare Advantage part C (which will be phased out in 2010) you are eligible for part D (prescription drug coverage). With the changes to Medicare coming in 2010, it makes sense to have a heart-to-heart talk with a local Medicare insurance agent who will be able to outline more in-depth what the coming changes are and what they may mean to you.

Every part of Medicare has a variety of deductibles and limits in place that once reached will mean your Medicare coverage is exhausted. These limits and deductibles change now and then, so keeping up-to-date with the changes will provide you with the peace of mind that your elderly family member is fully covered in any event. Don’t hesitate to contact a local Medicare insurance agent and discuss what you need for your senior family member. They are there to help you.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

In a hundred words or less, Medigap (Medicare supplement insurance) is offered to the public through private insurance companies in order to fill in the “gaps” in Medicare coverage. This is because Medicare does not offer coverage for “everything” and most people find they need a bit extra to get the coverage they need.

In an attempt to make things relatively simple, the government dictated that Medigap policy carriers are only allowed to offer precise plans the government approved. Those policies are Medicare supplement Plans A through Plan L. Every company that sells Medicare supplements is selling the exact same policies; there are no differences between insurance companies on policy content. What does differ however, is the price charged for Medicare supplement insurance. This definitely does change from company to company, which means if you do some shopping around, you may be able to save yourself some money.

To put this another way, if you buy a Plan A Medicare supplement insurance policy from XX insurance company, it will be an exact match to a Plan A policy bought at insurance company AA. One thing that you really do need to do before you choose which Medicare supplements suits your needs is to compare not only the plans, but also compare the companies that offer you that kind of insurance. Sure you can get quotes online, but make sure they are from different types of insurance companies.

Pay close attention to what you are reading while you are online, as there are insurance companies whose methodology on selling health insurance dictates how they price their Medicare supplements. Next, closely examine each plan for the benefits you will receive. There will be some plans that have benefits that you will never use and therefore it won’t make any sense to buy them. This is one good way to save money, by choosing a plan you know without a doubt you will use and not shelling out money for unused benefits.
Remember, that the step where you do your benefit comparisons is crucial so that you know precisely what you are getting when you make your decision to buy a Medicare supplement. This is where it makes the most sense to call a local Medicare insurance agent and ask some pertinent questions about coverage.
Your life is unique to you and no one else can tell you what would suit you the best except you. This is why you need to ask questions and narrow your search parameters down to get the best possible combination of policies that deliver the coverage you need – minus the benefits you wouldn’t use.

Talking to a local Medicare insurance agent is a major step in understanding the community you live in, what the realities are for you as a healthcare consumer using networks and other information you will need to tailor a plan for your needs.

Richard Cantu is with Medicare supplements resource, GoMedigap.com. To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

While Big Pharma hasn’t really been a good and trusted friend to the Medicare system because they traditionally charged outrageous prices for their drugs, the time has come for drug manufacturers to set aside their agenda of making money from those who can least afford it and make a significant difference to the community at large. Those receiving Medicare will clearly benefit from lower drug costs.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

Certainly lower drug prices will mean a big break for seniors on Medicare and who have Medigap coverage and Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage. Being a senior and living on a budget is difficult enough these days in a recession. Trying to budget Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance premiums is even more arduous.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

It’s a landmark announcement, that seniors will be able to take advantage of lower prescription drug costs in the near future. The behind story has to do with the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP) working a deal with Big Pharma to implement the cuts. What this means for those 65 years of age and older is significant assistance meeting their Medicare prescription drug costs.

This is serendipity as a survey was just released indicating seniors would have to save some serious money in their retirement funds to make all the projected health costs for the future. This news has added a ray of hope by lowering Medicare prescription drug costs for seniors. It couldn’t come at a better time when there are also some significant changes coming to the Medicare and Medigap plans in 2010.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.

What options are there if you want to save a lot of money to make sure you have good coverage later in life? Plan your retirement and what kind of health care benefits you will need very early in partnership with a qualified, knowledgeable insurance agent. There are a lot of options out there and working as a team with your agent, will help you find one that will suit your situation.

Be smart and save aggressively, work longer hours for the extra money and take care of yourself to reduce the number of problems that might crop up in later life.

To learn more about Medicare, Medicare supplements, or Medicare supplement insurance visit GoMedigap.com.