MedicarePhD.com: Medicare Questions Answered

HOW DO I EDUCATE MYSELF?

However, since many of you may not trust a man who introduces his wife as his mother at cocktail parties, maybe I should provide you some further options. Nine options follow and they are listed starting with the best and ending with the worst.

Possibly even a better source than your doctor is to talk to the person in the doctor’s office who submits health insurance claims and posts the receipts of insurance payments. This individual may know better than the doctor which companies conduct their business in a competent and professional manner.

My personal physician is in a setting comprised of about 50 doctors of all specialties and when I asked their insurance coordinator questions on who was ethical and who she had problems with, it opened the floodgates. Remember, these people work with these companies on a daily basis (in this clinic’s case, with most of the plans in the area) and they will readily share their opinions. She told me who to avoid and then proceeded to tell me her personal recommendation.

Most of us try our best to avoid the pressure situation of dealing individually with an agent. As an excellent alternative, a health fair can provide a low key and highly informational setting. While these affairs are usually not available in less populated areas, many cities have about two per year, normally in the Fall because this is the peak time for Medicare decisions. Remember the enrollment window to change policies is November 15 to March 31, so watch for these events starting in October.

For example, at a health fair I recently attended a major Medicare health insurance firm gave a half hour presentation explaining Medicare. They did not promote their company’s products, but rather tried to assist the audience in understanding this confusing topic. However, the presenting agent assumed the audience had some basic knowledge because there was no way he could explain the entire topic in half an hour.

At other health fairs I have visited, several companies have given presentations and while most are providing general information, there is a hidden bias toward the type of plan in which they specialize.

In addition to the company presentations, usually attended by 20 to over 100 individuals, the health fairs have a large number of booths catering to every senior need. Among these booths, there are usually a number of insurance companies distributing literature and answering questions on their company’s plans. The nice thing is that there is no pressure and you can walk away from the company’s booth at any time.

As with health fairs, community meetings are more prevalent in populated areas as opposed to rural. While it is more difficult to get lost in the crowd than at a health fair, customarily they are a fairly low pressure setting, the pressure depending entirely on the number of attendees.

A community meeting is basically a gathering hosted by an agent or agents of a Medicare health insurance company. Almost always they are held at restaurants at non-peak hours and while some are conducted in a special meeting room, most are held in a cordoned off area of the facility.

Some companies sponsor these gatherings year round, but most highly concentrate their efforts during the open enrollment period of November 15 to March 31st. You will naturally find better attendance during this time of the year, and thus more anonymity if desired.

You find out about these meetings predominately by either direct mail or newspaper advertising. Usually a number of dates are listed at various restaurant locations and they are either promoted by an individual agent or the company itself who rotates their agents at the various locations. Also, different agents from the same company may sponsor meetings in your area. The usual format is a general presentation and then they try to talk to people individually after the main discussion which usually takes about one hour.

There are a multitude of governmental publications on the Medicare field and they literally encompass hundreds of thousands of pages of information. To save yourself time and aggravation, only order or download one publication, that being a booklet called “Medicare & You.” This is the main governmental publication and it is revised annually and mailed to everyone in the Medicare system.

DO NOT THROW IT AWAY!

Remember at the beginning of this site we pointed out that if you Google Medicare, you will get in excess of 28,000,000 links. That alone should make you skip this section and proceed directly to “How Do I Make a Decision” However, according to the USA Today (1/28/09), 71% of people turning 65 use the internet and over 89% of this group go to the web for health care information. So, if you insist on the process of self flagellation in researching the net for Medicare, then let me give you a little guidance.

In some areas of the country insurance kiosks or storefronts are appearing predominately in mall areas. I personally like to be in control when I am gathering information, not at the mercy of an agent, and these facilities allow you to pick up Medicare brochures and ask questions if you so desire.

If you start to feel pressured or uncomfortable, just say thank you and leave. Basically they are an efficient method to garner a particular company’s information and to ask any general questions in a non-threatening situation similar to that of a health fair.

• 1-800-MEDICARE---Without question the most utilized hotline is the government’s toll free Medicare number, 1-800-MEDICARE. The problem, however, is that this hotline does not always provide accurate information, is extremely slow and time consuming, and quite often you are continually forwarded to another representative. Try it a couple of times and see what I mean.

Once you get beyond basics such as asking for a definition of Part A and B, or “What is a Medigap plan?” the answers you will receive are suspect. DO NOT MAKE A MEDICARE DECISION ON INFORMATION FROM THIS SOURCE.

For example, I took an afternoon and called 1-800-MEDICARE three times and asked the exact same question: “How long can I be in a Medicare Advantage plan and go back to a Medigap policy without facing underwriting (dealing with pre-existing conditions)? Each call took at least one half hour and one 55 minutes. Every time I called I was told they were experiencing extremely high call volume and was given a “wait time.”

Most company in-house agents will discuss their plans and answer specific questions over the phone, but they much prefer to come to your home or talk to you directly at a community meeting. On the other hand, we have a group of independent agents (not affiliated with any one health insurance company) that do all of their work by phone, primarily because they are not living in your area. So you know what to anticipate if you go this route, let me cite 3 examples:

I expect you to forward to my attention mounds of cash, the family jewels, and maybe your first born in appreciation of my having a large number of agents visit my home. You owe me! To be very clear, you only want to do this AFTER YOU HAVE DECIDED WHAT POLICY TO SELECT, and then an agent can come out to assist you in filling out the forms.

Many seniors are so distressed and overwhelmed by the Medicare process that they turn to family and friends to assist them. Unfortunately, these people are also generally not well informed and their advice is suspect. When you think about it, WHY WOULD THESE PEOPLE BE MEDICARE EXPERTS?

Sometimes, however, it can be OK. My son’s father-in-law took a lot of time and researched the field for his ailing father. I’m sure his final recommendation to his dad was well thought out.

Go to Next Section:

Financial Assistance >>

Conversely, a close friend of mine who is a dentist (not knowing I was doing this website) told me I absolutely had to go with his plan because he just had $85,000 of medical expense and did not spend a dime. If I had signed up with his plan, I would have discovered later that none of my doctors were on their provider list. I have not told him this yet because I don’t want my next crown to cost $5,000.

I put the Family and Friends source last for a reason. In general your family members are younger than you and they don’t know a darn thing about Medicare. Additionally, close friend’s situations may be totally different than yours. Instead, use the sources at the first of this list and make your own decision. If you are in need of financial assistance, then read on.

FAMILY & FRIENDS

AGENT HOME VISITS

Our meeting actually did get down to basics with him describing what he called an HMO Hybrid where I did not need any referrals or pre-authorizations. He also told me I could change plans during the non-enrollment period if I simply moved next door and that I could get a Special Needs Plan with slightly elevated blood pressure. Both of these statements are inaccurate.

In the hopes of potentially topping this agent’s visit (which may not be possible) I continue to have agents to the house because I learn something new at each event. Check this site from time to time as we update the humorous side of unraveling the Medicare puzzle.

Expanding his story about his dad, he stated he visited him last week and he was trying to dig a hole for a small tree he wanted to plant. Looking me in the eye he says, “Can you imagine a guy 65 digging a hole?” Gosh, I said, “THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW THE 65 PLUS CROWD IS GOING TO WANT TO HAVE SEX.” Punching me lightly in the arm, he said, “That’s a good one” and laughed way too hard. At this point, I really thought about asking him to our next University of Florida tailgate party, mainly because this guy with a few beers in him would be priceless.

Not to be deterred, I had an agent to the house from one of the major Medicare Advantage plans. This was the same company whose seminar I attended that said they would contact me about their PPO (they really only want to sell their HMO), but never did.

The agent was very professional, low key, and quite likable. However, when we sat down I immediately requested a provider’s list. He informed me that his company did not give out provider lists, which I knew from having attended their community meeting.

I told him I had a laptop inside and why didn’t we just pull up the list on the net. He told me it was very difficult and basically the best thing I could do was just call all of my doctors to see if they were providers of his plan. HUH?

Remember, this company is not one of the smaller plans and they will not give you a provider list. I was actually considering this company until I finally realized they were not going to give me access to their provider network. (REMEMBER THOSE BELLS AND WHISTLES GOING OFF!)

To make a long story short, he asked me who my personal physician was and he informed me that my doctor, nor anyone in his clinic of 50+ doctors, were providers in their network. He then went on to say that they would not touch my Dr’s clinic because the turnover rate of health professionals there was too high, something I had not observed for the last ten years.

Needless to say, in the final analysis we are going to strongly recommend that you avoid this type of company.

Remember the clown that called everyone who is turning 65 an “Ager.” Well, I’ve saved the best for last. For those of you who have ever watched the Tour De France bike race on TV, this dude has to be the twin brother of Bob Roll, the announcer with the big gap in his teeth. Actually, I really like Bob but he is no Tom Cruise.

To be honest, this agent cracked me up and I had to laugh through one of the longer hours of my life. As previously stated, he first told me about “Agers” and then just laughed. This was five minutes after we sat down and I really wanted to say, “ARE YOU FOR REAL?”

He next told me that I looked just like his father, and I later came to find out his dad is deathly ill. Now imagine I’m sitting here looking at this dirt bag and he tells me I have a family resemblance to his relative who is close to having the big one. It gets better!

Deciding I still needed to abuse myself further, I had an agent to the house from a major company that only sold Medigap policies because she said they are the only kind of Medicare policy that “give you piece of mind.” When she quoted me the “F” policy price of $181.50/month, I politely told her that a competitor’s price was only $161 for the exact same coverage.

She was ready for me and said the second year is when the competitor gets you. Well, my mom didn’t raise no dummies, and I said their second year premium is $177/month, would yours be less? By this time she was viewing me as if it was TIME FOR MY DIRT NAP and proceeded to tell me she was not sure how her plan figured increases, but they would not exceed 4%. I decided it was time to move on and we parted, both silently acknowledging this BUDDING RELATIONSHIP HAD COME TO AN END.

What will take place is they will attempt to sell you a Medigap policy to go along with the Part D plan and Original Medicare, or more than likely will attempt to convince you a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage is just what the doctor ordered. Depending on your situation, this may be the correct path for you to choose and further guidance is provided in the final section, “How Do I Make a Decision?”

Before leaving this subject, the following are some lines agents use to a get a home visit. When I asked an agent from an average size Florida plan when her next community meeting was scheduled, she informed me they do not do community meetings.

Her reasoning was that each individual’s situation is so diverse that community meetings are of no benefit, primarily because she needs to have “intimate” (her word) personal discussions on income levels, health status, and doctor preferences. I passed on this one as I sensed my significant other would not appreciate my having an intimate discussion with a Medicare agent. While I am making fun of her, there is some legitimacy in her statement as an agent does need to know their client’s personal situation in order to sell them the correct plan.

When I inquired about a community meeting with another smaller plan, I was told by an agent that they only do community meetings during the open enrollment periods. He stated if I did not want to wait that long, he would be glad to come to the house. Actually this was a very legitimate answer as many companies do not find it cost effective to hold meetings during other times of the year, the exception being the two largest firms.

I also spoke with an agent from a large plan and he indicated that while other agents from his company held community meetings, he liked the “personal” approach with an in home visit. (I SET HIM UP WITH THE AGENT DESIRING AN “INTIMATE” DISCUSSION) Furthermore, he told me he had been doing this since 1991, and he wasn’t a “pressure type of guy.” He continued telling me he remembered how his head swam when he was first exposed to Medicare, and he found it sometimes takes two visits to totally explain what is going on. This was probably not the best thing to say to a person who really did not even want one visit.

The Medigap sales person will attempt to go through the coverages of whatever letter they think best, usually Plan F, and imply the comprehensiveness of their company’s coverage. OF COURSE THIS IS A CROCK AND A WASTE OF YOUR TIME since all company’s products are identical and you can obtain what is covered under each letter with a multitude of companies. Don’t punish yourself by allowing an agent to go through all of these details.

Another ploy of the home visit is to use the sale of a Part D plan (prescription drug coverage) as the main purpose of the visit. Trust me, an agent is not coming to your home to just sell you a Part D plan because the commission is only about $50.

Therefore, if you have hopefully visited this website before their visit or have read Medicare & You, you are ready for their sales pitch. If they are attempting to sell you a Medicare Advantage plan, they invariably will provide some form of printed material that compares their plan to what Original Medicare offers. They usually go over this line by line.

If they are trying to sell you a Medigap policy, they will give you literature on how their plan covers Original Medicare’s deductible and co-pays. However, they will probably conveniently forget to tell you that all Medigap plans are identical and the only variation is cost.

These two situations, Medicare Advantage and Medigap, need to be handled differently. If they are promoting a Medicare Advantage situation, you should ask them if they have a copy of their providers list for you. If not, bells and whistles should go off. There is absolutely no reason not to give you their network list unless it is embarrassingly small or they do not want to take the chance that your favorite doctors are not in their system.

If your doctor or doctors are ones you have no intention of leaving, find out if they are on the list BEFORE YOU LISTEN TO THEIR ENTIRE PRESENTATION. The reason is simple in that if they are not in the network, and especially if they are promoting an HMO, why go further? You will sit there for an hour listening to a presentation that is no value to you and then, this is a given, they will do their best to get you to switch physicians.

However, if your doctors are part of their network and you are comfortable with the agent, you might want to give their plan consideration. I have never said it is impossible to choose the right plan with an agent home visit, I’m just saying it is a very painful way to get the job done.

Now if they are not trying to sell you an HMO or PPO, then they will be marketing a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. Recall these are products that are 12 (A-L) standardized policies that are identical regardless of which company sells them. The only difference when you choose a particular letter is the price. As previously discussed, these prices can vary widely for exactly the same product, so you simply ask them for their price on each of the different letters and be done with them.

THE NEXT THING YOU WANT TO PREVENT IS THAT DREADED QUESTION, “CAN I SIGN YOU UP?” You know it is coming unless you do the following. The minute you sit down you inform the agent that you are meeting with several agents from different plans the next few days, you appreciate their time, and then inform them you will be making a decision after speaking with everyone. Now you are really gaining control.

Since you are now on a roll, the next thing that will transpire is the agent will inquire as to your basic knowledge of Medicare. If you have not done any homework, you will have to sit through an hour of how the system works, and believe me, there are better and more comfortable ways to gain this knowledge.

OK, you’ve hopefully won the first round, but another factor that may make you more comfortable is to have another person present, if not at the table, at least hanging out in the general area. I asked my wife if she wanted to sit in on a couple of meetings and she looked at me like I was the Aflac duck. Thus, I always had to go it alone.

I keep forgetting that many of you are not convinced to take my advice and yes, some of you are still going to have agents come to your home to explain their plans. If you are truly missing some brain cells and insist on this action, let me give you a few pointers that allow you to control the situation. Remember, they think they’ve got you if they get into your house and statistically these meetings result in the highest closing rates.

First of all, you do not want to feel backed into a corner, so if it is nice weather meet with them on your patio. If it is warm weather, you can dress casually and they show up in a suit or a dress and heels, and soon they begin to sweat. Now you are gaining control. I’m fortunate to live in a warm climate and only on a couple of occasions met with them inside, but when I did it was in an open spacious room and I had ESPN on low volume. In other words, you set the scene, not them.

• 45 MINUTE “EDUCATION SESSION”---We have an agent in Florida who advertises how to navigate the Medicare world and you are requested to call and set up a 45 minute “Free Telephone Consultation” that they are sure “will make this a less stressful time for you.” All correspondence to get you to call is signed “God Bless” as if the Lord really cares what kind of Medicare policy you choose.

The session can be informative if you lack knowledge of the field, but the inevitable happens, mainly that this person is an independent agent that has just the right policy for you.

• PLUG IT IN---There are other groups out there that you can call and they ask you a variety of questions that they basically “plug into” their system. For example, they ask questions such as:

• Do you understand the Medicare system?
• Do you have a primary doctor that is important to you?
• Do you see any specialists on a regular basis and are you

willing to change?
• What prescription drugs do you take?
• How is your health in general?

I went though this process with one company answering the above questions and many others, while the agent kept narrowing down the 50 some plans in my area. After a half hour (he said it would have taken over an hour if I had not understood the basics of Medicare), lo and behold he recommended the exact plan I had already selected. ACTUALLY, I WAS IMPRESSED.

In the end analysis, I decided it was more advantageous to select a local agent with the insurance company instead of an independent agent that was located in California 3,500 miles away. Even though they made the proper choice, they were not well versed on the plan details (they told me the wrong hospital deductible) and thus we continue to recommend that you utilize an in-house agent.

• MAJOR COMPANY CALL CENTERS---Although most sales by phone agents are independent, I encountered a quite surprising marketing method by one of the largest names in health insurance. I went on the internet to register for an agent to contact me with information, but no one did. I found a contact number on some information the company had sent me previously and gave them a call.

My only recommendation as to when to use the phone source is to contact a company like that described in the “Plug It In” section and let them give you their opinion on what may be the best plan for you in your area. Remember though, they will be commission driven, but you might get lucky as I did when they confirmed I had made a good selection.

He immediately thanked me and asked if he could further assist me. In other words, this conversation is over Pal and let me proceed to the next sucker waiting on hold.

After a seven minute “canned” speech by the operator, I was asked if I wanted to talk with a sales agent. Being a total masochist, I said “sure.” After a three minute wait with violin music (Hey, some of us seniors still like rock music), an agent came on the line. I told him I would like an agent to come to my home (talk about masochism) and was informed they do not do that. He stated he could answer all of my

questions over the phone and guide me to the correct decision from their central phone location.

When I then informed this very courteous young man that I value face to face contact, he said (and I kid you not), why don’t I just Google his company name along with my zip code and maybe I could find an agent who would be willing to come to my home.

AGENTS ON THE PHONE

Personally, I do not enjoy lengthy phone conversations, especially about something as boring as Medicare. However, there are some of you that thrive on this method of gaining information and I can assure you there are agents galore that will accommodate you. My wife and daughter fall into this category and if they ever prove cell phones cause cancer, they will have to immediately finalize their wills.

In general, you are not going to be able to educate yourself through hotlines and make sure you set aside a large amount of time to receive any answers by this method.

HOTLINES

• STATE AGENCIES---In most states, the primary state agencies to provide Medicare assistance are known as SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) or SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program). These groups dispense Medicare information in a variety of means, especially to lower income seniors.

While well intentioned, these counselors are volunteers in most cases and whether meeting with them personally or on the phone, they are not adequately trained beyond the basics. However, they can provide low income seniors guidance in how to obtain financial programs to assist them with health care expenses.

• MEDICARE RIGHTS CENTER---In addition to their website, this organization provides a hotline (1-800-333-4114) to answer consumer questions. When calling you are given three selections; general information, low income assistance, or help with the appeal process, and you can rely on their answers being accurate. As with the 1-800-Medicare hotline, you can encounter delays as at times a message tells you nobody is able to assist you at this time, but please leave a call back number.

If you do not completely trust my information about this hotline, please go to the Medicare Rights Center’s website (Medicarerights.org) and pull up the publication “1-800-MEDICARE: It’s Time for a Check Up” for numerous examples of the frustrations encountered in using this site. Once again, do not waste your time calling this number.

When I finally got connected each time, I got 3 different answers with 2 out of the 3 transferring me to another representative. Also 2 out of the 3 initial operators asked me what I meant by underwriting.

SHOPPING MALLS

• MEDICARE.GOV---This is the official government website for Medicare and is by far the largest single source for Medicare information. You will find links to well over 100,000 pages of information, but will become confused by even the home page.

This is not just our opinion. WEB MD cites a study by the University of Miami that revealed even savvy computer users “reported problems navigating the site and locating information.” The study went further stating “most of the study’s participants had trouble using Medicare’s website to do many tasks.”

For example, the site lists 666 frequently asked questions and answers with no logical categorization method. To find an answer, you can click on main categories or key word search, but they are of little value. You basically have to just start down the line and hope to find an answer to your questions.

The site also lists the various plans in your area and ranks them by a star system, with 1 star being the lowest and 5 the highest. Unfortunately when I viewed the plans in my area and the various star rankings, almost all of them had the same ranking or varied only by a half star. In other words, the comparisons were totally valueless to seniors looking for guidance.

The bottom line on Medicare.gov is to use it for one thing only, that being to order or download the publication “Medicare and You,” the one government publication I told you earlier to obtain. Go to Medicare.gov, click on “Find a Medicare Publication,” and you can either download it on the spot or have a copy sent to you. If you download it, still order a copy to be mailed because it is bound and contains territorial information not included in the on-line version.

• SOCIALSECURITY.GOV---Medicare is just a part of this voluminous website and is not one of the sites we recommend.

• CMS.GOV---This is the governing body of Medicare’s site and is extremely difficult to navigate. It is truly amazing that the main governmental arm of Medicare is not consumer oriented, but this is the case. The Medicare Rights Center clearly stated this problem in a March 2009 publication stating, “No single office is responsible within CMS for meeting the information and education needs of Medicare beneficiaries.”

Problems we encountered on the site included a significant amount of outdated information such as using 2005 numbers for Part B premiums. A further difficulty is that they list 1,898 FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions), and like the Medicare.gov site, they are in no semblance of order and trying to search by product or terms is extremely frustrating and unrewarding. Skip this site!

• MEDICAREADVOCACY.ORG---The Center for Medicare Advocacy sponsors this site as they are a non-profit impartial organization that is a watch dog for Medicare beneficiaries. This is not a site to educate yourself on the basics, but it does offer a good forum to keep up to date with Medicare issues.

• MEDICARENEWSWATCH.COM---This site allows you to enter your zip code and the Medicare plans in your area are presented. They promote that you can check a box by company name to receive literature but only one company had a box by it out of all the plans in my county, and I found this to be true in selecting other zip codes. There is also a listing that rates the plans but we found it very difficult to make meaningful comparisons.

• INSURANCE COMPANY WEBSITES---These sites run the gamut of being professionally done to just so confusing you wonder how they stay in business. The amount of literature presented ranged from three to hundreds of pages as some companies post their provider lists and all details of every plan they offer. For example, a company here in Florida lists details of five plans, and each plan description runs from 119 to 159 pages.

No consumer can absorb this volume of information and we see little to be gained, except frustration, by visiting these locations. However, if I know I am going to a particular company’s community meeting or plan on a visit with one of their agents, I pull up their site so I have some idea what they are promoting.

Additionally, once you decide on a company, or you have it down to a couple of plans, these sites can provide some form of information. JUST DO NOT USE THEM TO GAIN A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF MEDICARE AS THEY ARE SLANTED TO FAVOR THE PRODUCTS THEY ARE MARKETING.

• MEDICARERIGHTS.ORG---This is the site of the Medicare Rights Center, another non-profit Medicare research center that promotes senior rights. There are a number of organizations that purport to defend your Medicare rights, but this group is very legitimate, professional, and appears to genuinely care.

While their website is a little overwhelming with links to thousands of pages, a little patience can provide you a wealth of information, especially for health professionals and researchers. This group also sponsors Medicareinteractive.org which does not provide an interactive forum like you might think from the title, but it is a very easy to navigate reference source.

• KFF.ORG---The Kaiser Family Foundation is a source on all forms of health care, not just Medicare. It is another very reputable non-profit consumer advocate site that provides the best up to date statistics on the Medicare field.

I will go further and tell that you will be unable to find a site that impartially explains Medicare in layman’s terms and then provides you a logical method to make a decision---except for MEDICAREPhD.COM.

Why are you reading this paragraph and not progressed to “How Do I Make a Decision”? Obviously somewhere along the line I have lost your total trust, so in an attempt to regain it, I will narrow your search telling you a few sites to avoid and a couple that are well worth visiting.

In our months of internet research, we immediately discovered two things. First, it is just staggering how much information is out there and second, all of these sites are unbelievably boring and tedious with no element of humor to be found. I truly believe most of these sites were written by the professor in Ferris Bueller (Anyone, Anyone?)

INTERNET

When you are turning 65 and also during the open enrollment periods, you will be deluged by company literature and most enclose a card requesting your name, address, and phone number. You might consider skipping the phone number or as an option, you could enter the phone number of some agent that rubbed you the wrong way and let them receive the continual calls. Another suggestion, make sure you have “Caller ID” when you are shopping for a Medicare policy.

Actually much of the company literature is well written and informative. Most provide a basic education and detail the plan they are offering. Just be aware that the basic information is SLANTED TO PUT THEIR PRODUCT IN A GOOD LIGHT.

Unfortunately it is not mailed to people turning 65 and these are the people that need it the most. However, you can order it free of charge by calling 1-800-Medicare or better yet download it at Medicare.gov. and click on “Find a Medicare Publication.” This year’s edition is 127 pages, but it is in big print and is easily indexed for quick reference. It will take you about two hours to read, three if you are watching Golden Girls reruns, but when you finish you will have a basic understanding of what it’s all about.

GOVERNMENT & COMPANY PUBLICATIONS

Well, we took a booth, ordered Cokes, and she went through her HMO plan. When she gave me the literature, I noticed she only had one marketing packet for this supposed large gathering (Do I look stupid---please do not respond). She had been with the company less than 2 years and was woefully uninformed, and of course at the end said, “It’s a good little plan” and “Would you like to sign up?” Not today, but thank you for asking.

Another meeting I attended was put on by a major firm and the agent promoted only their HMO to the 5 of us in attendance. When I inquired if she sold a Medigap plan she told us her company did not offer such a plan because they don’t want us to be “insurance poor,” in reference to the relatively high cost of Medigap policies. The day before I had an agent come to my home and she only sold Medigap policies saying this is the only way to go. GO FIGURE--

You will rapidly discover at these meetings only two or three people ask questions as most people do not want to appear stupid. Also, hardly anyone admits to a lack of internet skills. And of course at every meeting is that obnoxious person who knows everything and continuously relates their experiences. Remember that kid in class who always sucked up to the teacher.

One final suggestion in attending these meetings. Always come just before they start and not real early, or you will be right up in front, or if at a round table, right beside the agent. Personally, I never did like those kids who wanted to sit in the front row so they could “soak up that knowledge,” but rather preferred to be in the back where I was comfortable.

In synopsis, there can be some awkward times at these gatherings if there is low attendance, but most of the time they are a very good source of information and provide a low pressure method to compare plans. Let me tell you, IT BEATS THE HECK OUT OF HAVING AN AGENT COME TO YOUR HOME!

I did encounter an interesting ploy in relation to these meetings. Due to this research, I always return cards requesting information. An agent from a smaller company kept calling me to arrange a home visit, but I asked her if she had any community meetings coming up instead. She told me yes, one was being held at Applebee’s the following week at 2 PM. When I arrived, she was sitting by the door with her name tag on and told me she could not believe it but I was the only one who showed up for this large community meeting.

As I attend meeting after meeting, I keep waiting for some agent to tell me I am at the wrong gathering and that the 20 year high school reunion is next door. I AM STILL WAITING.

The make up of those in attendance varies widely. During the non-enrollment times of the year you will encounter a lot of people turning 65 because they can enroll three months before and after their birthday month. Also, during these times you find people seeking information about plans other than their own because they are not happy, people who currently have the plan being discussed but want greater knowledge, and individuals who are just bored and want the free dessert (It is illegal to buy you a meal).

In general the meetings start with a brief overview of the line of products the company offers, but almost always shift to the distinct plan they want to sell you. For example, in Florida Humana pushes their HMO while United Health Care promotes their PPO. Since these are the two largest national companies, it is interesting to observe their different approaches.

At the end of the meeting, at times several agents may appear if it is a large gathering and attempt to sign you up or arrange a home visit. You are probably not ready for either action, so just tell them you are going to several meetings and then will make a decision.

The majority of these sessions assume a basic knowledge of the Medicare system, in other words you have some grasp of what the A, B, C, and D’s mean. In defense of the agents, if they have to start from scratch, they don’t have time to promote their individual plan. This can be a problem because the first one of these meetings I attended, I had zero knowledge and I TRULY THOUGHT THEY WERE SPEAKING JAPANESE. Yes, this is the meeting where I asked what he meant by “Part B” and he viewed me as an alien life form.

I have attended a large number of these meetings, and continue to do so, and the number of people attending has ranged from one (yes, I was the only one there) to over 100. If there are over 5 people, it is a comfortable gathering, but less is somewhat awkward.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

HEALTH FAIRS

PERSONAL PHYSICIAN + INSURANCE ADMINISTRATOR

Your personal physician and the person who manages the insurance transactions in their office are an amazing source of unbiased information. Doctors have very definite opinions of what firms they enjoy dealing with because they know who rarely questions their decisions and what companies reimburse them on a timely basis. Quite simply if they don’t pay the physician in a relatively short period of time, it is very likely they will also try to closely ration your health care.

MEDICARE Ph.D. WEBSITE

Of course you made your best selection for for getting your Medicare questions answered, by visiting MedicarePhD.com. We are totally impartial, have no axe to grind and do not sell insurance. The idea for this site was conceptualized when I became frustrated trying to grasp the whole Medicare scene and not because I was hired by an insurance company to covertly market their product.

It is difficult to obtain a basic Medicare education from these two sites, but after you become more knowledgeable in the field, they can provide more in depth insight.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

MedicarePHD.com is for informational purposes only and does not render legal advice.

If you have specific legal questions, please contact your attorney