A Minute of Medicare

Medicare enrollment periods and why they're important by: Ciarra Dobbs Did you make a change during Annual Enrollment Period (the election period that begins on October 15th and runs until December 7th)? If so, it is important that you know that there is a second election period called Open Enrollment Period that allows people who either made the switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan or switched their Medicare Advantage Plan to make one more change if they aren't happy with the switch or didn't fully understand the change they were making. Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 through March 31st and you may only utilize it if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan. You cannot change from Original Medicare to a MAPD at this time. If you are interested in dis-enrolling from the Medicare Advantage Plan and go back to Original Medicare at this time, you are allowed to do so and in addition, you will be entitled to a Prescription Drug plan, as drug cov...

You might find unexpected savings by shopping your supplement plan by: Ciarra Dobbs If you have been a beneficiary of Medicare for a few years now, and haven't reviewed or shopped your Medicare supplement plan, you might be missing out on savings. Each year at the renewal of a policy, if there is a rate increase, the company will notify you, the policyholder, through a letter that the policy is taking a rate increase of X percent. If you get these notifications and are wondering what you can do about it, the answer is easier than you think. Reach out to a local broker who represents several different companies and request a few quotes.  In addition, reviewing what plan you are on can also generate savings if you and your agent conclude switching to a different plan is a better fit for your needs and budget a t the time. For example, a Plan F is usually more expensive than a Plan G because of the coverage differences. However, the only difference between the two is Pl...

What are the new Medicare cards all about?  by: Ciarra Dobbs Earlier this year, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), started mailing new cards to beneficiaries. The cards were automatically mailed to all 58 million beneficiaries, and nothing special is required to receive one. The reason for the new cards is the Medicare number that, in the past, has been the beneficiaries social security number followed by a letter was associated with social security draw.  The new cards will feature a randomly assigned Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) made up of 11 letters and numbers. It is important to know that nothing in regards to your benefits will change because of the new card issue.  The change was related to keeping personal information, such as beneficiaries social security numbers, more secure and less accessible to possible scammers. Scams relating to the new card are already surfacing. There have been reports that some Medicare beneficiaries are ...

Everything you need to know about the Donut Hole by: Ciarra Dobbs Quite often when I sit with my clients regarding their current #Medicare plan or their transition to #Medicare, the most confusion surrounds the prescription drug plan, more specifically, the Donut Hole . The initial creation of the "Donut Hole" had the intentions of helping keep costs low by encouraging generic drugs, but the folks who require name brand drugs can end up paying a lot of money out of pocket if they fall into the coverage gap.  The true definition of "Donut Hole" is "Most plans with Medicare prescription drug (Part D) have a coverage gap (called a "donut hole").  This means that after you and your drug plan have spent a certain amount of money for covered drugs, you have to pay all costs out-of-pocket for your prescriptions up to a yearly limit." * Essentially, the #Donut Hole was originally created to encourage people to opt for generic rather than name bran...

I got ahead of myself a little bit last week - I skipped an introductory post! I got RIGHT to the exciting stuff (Medicare :D), and forgot to fill you all in on who I am, my business and what I can do for YOU.  My name is Ciarra Dobbs, I am the owner and insurance agent of Senior Insurance Solutions. My business is based at the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri - where I was born and raised. I furthered my education at Westminster College and graduated with a degree in Business and Communication. I am married to my high school sweetheart, Eric and we have two fur babies, River a 2 year old black lab and Sadie a 4 year old Yorkie. We enjoy boating, hunting, and eating (what can we say, we're foodies).  I have worked in the insurance industry for 6 years and come from a family of self made entrepreneurs. I founded my business on the need of a professional in the lake area to help the people of this community with a very confusing process, the transition to...

Does Medicare cover everything ? Answers from Ciarra Dobbs, local agent and owner of Senior Insurance Solutions at Lake of the Ozarks I sit with a lot of people who are turning 65 and becoming eligible for Medicare for the first time - and let me tell you - the confusion is REAL. If this is you, don't feel like you are alone. Medicare can be extremely confusing, especially when you are new to it and are trying to navigate it on your own. One of the questions I get most often is does Medicare cover everything? It's a valid question and one you should be well educated on before transitioning onto Medicare.  The long and short of it is, no not everything is covered.  Part A of Medicare is what is called Hospitalization coverage – including inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facility, lab tests, hospice, surgery and home health care. Part B, which is medical coverage, includes doctor services, outpatient surgery, durable medical equipment and home health care...