Tips To Find Best Medicare Supplement Near Me
Here are 5 ways to find the best Medicare Supplement near me.
- Check how many different insurers offer policies in your Zip Code.
- See which offers the lowest premium for your current age.
- Ask how many years the company has offered Medigap.
- Request a history of rate increases.
- Speak with at least one local Medicare insurance agent.
Medicare is National. But your Medicare plan options are local. Your choices will be based on specifically where you live. Move to another Zip Code or County and plans can be different. So can what you’ll pay.
And, Medicare is complex. As a result, it’s confusing. You have to pick between Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Original plus Medicare Supplement (Medigap). Then you have to decide what you are going to do about your drug coverage.
Finding the best Medicare option depends on several things. First, what are your medical needs? Second, what are your preferences. For example, do you love your current doctor and health care provider (example local hospital)? Finally, this could be the most important; what can you afford to pay?
Medicare Pros and Cons
The Medicare program gives seniors lots of options. Each has pros. And, of course, each has cons. Typically, everyone will focus on the pros.
For example, all those television ads promoting free benefits with Medicare Advantage plans fail to tell you that the level of benefits can vary. The company they are promoting may offer some free benefits. Another company could offer more value.
Most of the ads today (almost all of them) promote Medicare Advantage. A 30-second ad is designed to get you to call. To do that, it will use words like “no premium”. No cost sounds great. But no premium does NOT mean no cost. If you need a hospital you’ll very likely face big bills. And will the plan allow you to see any doctor? Will it make it easy for you to see a specialist? The ads don’t have time to go into all the details.
Medicare Is Local – Your Medicare Agent Should Be Too
If Medicare plans differ widely. And when that difference is based on where you live, there’s an advantage to speaking with at least one local Medicare Supplement agent near me. And, the Association’s free online directory is the #1 resource that lists those nearest to you. Just type in your Zip Code to see the listing. Access via the banner on this webpage.
Here’s what we suggest you ask any person trying to sell you a Medicare plan. Tip: they are all licensed insurance agents. Some may work directly for one insurance company. Others may be independent. But, they will all have favorites.
Here’s how to find best Medicare Supplement near me … or best Medicare plan option overall.
For Medicare Supplement Near Me: The Information You Are Looking For
- How many different insurers offer policies in my Zip Code? This is a sneaky question to start with. You may be the first senior who has ever asked the agent that question. If they give you some generalized, non-specific answer, it tells you something. A real Medicare specialist will say there are many. Some offer Medicare Advantage. Others offer Medicare Supplement. I can discuss the pros and cons of both and help you find the best option for you.
- Can you tell me which offers the lowest Medigap premium for my current age? Yes, we are giving you some tricky wording here. An experienced agent won’t be thrown. Indeed they may compliment you and ask if you are comparison shopping. The Association regularly analyzes premiums for Medigap plans. They can vary significantly. Simply stated, you can literally pay double for the exact same Medigap plan benefits. There’s no reason to do that.
- How many years the company has offered Medicare coverage? This question applies to both Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medigap. Here’s why. A company that’s new to the MA market may be aggressively promoting. But can they really deliver? What’s their Medicare Star Rating? A company that’s just starting to offer Medigap may be the low-priced product for your area. But is that just a come on? Will you likely be facing rate increases in future years?
- Can you please share a history of rate increases for the company you are recommending? This should not be a problem for any good agent. A novice agent may never have seen this type of report. Or, they may be wondering why you are asking for it. First, it’s a way to see how the company has treated its policyholders over time. It’s also a way to judge the experience of the agent you are speaking with.
Medicare Shopping – A Few Final Tips
We have a ton of additional information on our website. For example, here are a few quick pages to look at.
If you are considering Medigap, read our Medigap Policy Price Index. Why? Because we show you the lowest and highest prices for identical policy coverage. This should show you the importance of comparison shopping.
We also give you some additional questions that will make you a better Medicare shopper.
Finally, the Association’s directory is the one resource that doesn’t have a hidden agenda. Use it to find agents in your area. You see their listing. It will say who sells Medicare Advantage and who sells Medigap. Many agents today will sell both. But only the directory tells you who they are. Before you ever reach out to them.
Click to access the free directory listing Medicare agents in your Zip Code
Key Medicare Information Resources
Click on any of the following links to obtain more information.
Medicare Supplement Agents Brokers Find Local Medigap
Find Directory of Independent Medicare Agents Near Me
Latest Medicare Insurance Information Statistics, Data and More
Find the best Medicare insurance plan information from the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance.
Do you have questions that aren’t answered here? Call the Association at 818-597-3227. Our goal is providing valuable information that will help seniors make better decisions. We look forward to hearing from you.