I Want the Medicare Plan My Friend Has

During Medicare’s Annual Election Period, advertising always initiates more conversations between family and friends about what Medicare plan they are on and whether they like it. Often in meetings, clients will say they want the same plan their friend or husband is on.

When people become eligible for Medicare, they get to choose what type of medical coverage they want. Two popular plan search methods prevail:

• Most folks go to the Medicare.gov site to review and select from the many plans listed.  This method is like… well, a crapshoot.
• They also ask friends and family for recommendations and guidance because the Medicare website has so many plans listed, and it feels overwhelming with where to start. Also, it’s just easier to ask what plan someone else is on.  Choosing a plan shouldn’t be like just rolling the dice!

Here is the thing about Medicare. People can search for plans to meet their needs. What might be right for a neighbor might not be appropriate for you. There might be a better fit with another plan based on cost, coverage, copays, deductibles, network doctors, and prescription coverage. Folks could pay more for less coverage or more for coverage they don’t need just to be on their ‘neighbor’s’ plan. With Medicare, folks can look to fit their needs!  (Or better yet, work with Certified Medicare Planners® who can help them find that plan.)

There are Original Medicare plans and Medicare supplements and drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans. There are also Special Needs plans that folks with chronic conditions might prefer. There is a plan for everyone. For someone to choose a plan based on a casual recommendation rather than on personal needs leaves potential opportunities on the table. 

When someone asks me what Medicare plan they should choose, or what Medicare plan we recommend most often, or what Medicare plan I would put my mom on, I respond that the appropriate answer depends on each person. The most appropriate plan is the one that fits them.

 A Plan That Fits You

Choosing a plan based on a TV ad, or a neighbor’s experience (good or bad), or a postcard mailer, or a family member’s advice is not EXPERT advice. Certified Medicare Planners® are experts trained on properly guiding folks on finding a plan to fit their individual needs. Experts ask questions like; what your medical conditions are, your doctor’s names, what prescriptions you are taking, the pharmacy you prefer, lifestyle needs like travel, and budget concerns. Other factors may be important to your coverage, too, like fitness, dental, vision, and transportation needs. Every plan does not cover those needs in the same manner. 

A Certified Medicare Planner® can now show all the plans that fit their client’s expressed needs. If they still want their friend’s plan, we can show them why it is or is not a fit for them, and they can decide whether they still want to enroll in it. Having a team of Medicare Transition experts gives your employees peace of mind on their journey to Medicare.

Consider working with a team of Certified Medicare Planners ® to guide Medicare discussions with your employees. 

With our partnership, you support these opportunities:

• Save them from paying for more coverage than they need, 
• Avoid Medicare pitfalls later when they are making an exit plan, 
• Readies employees to transition to Medicare when it’s appropriate for them, and 
• Creates a non-bias, carrier-agnostic relationship for providing expert support of ALL the Medicare plans in an area.

Best of all… our services are free to you and your employees. 

Call us to learn more about how we are helping other companies. 

Create a compliant Medicare benefit support plan. Give your employees personal guidance from a team of experts that will follow them after they retire.

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Your Medicare Transition Partner
– Lora