As an insurance advisor for individuals on Medicare, it is critical that you do everything in your power to give your clients access to care through a well-thought-out and comprehensive insurance package. You can help them stay healthy by utilizing Medicare’s preventive health benefits. It can be challenging for your clients to keep up with the preventive services they have received and when they are eligible for another service.

Our clients look to us to lead them both in word and deed as trusted advisors. If you are going to advise a product that you should own, then you need to take action to purchase it yourself. Over the years, I have seen hundreds of agents who will carefully analyze their clients’ needs while giving little or no thought to their own.

If an agent working with people on Medicare is even somewhat successful at what they do, hundreds of people, if not thousands, will depend on them. The statistics are not merely numbers but hard facts that impact real people. For example, out of 100 clients, statistically, in the US, an estimated 40 out of 100 men and 39 out of 100 women will develop cancer during their lifetime. That means you are very likely to have the opportunity to help many of your clients deal with the financial impact of cancer. Knowing how Medicare will work for treatment and having a publication ready to share will show them that you are a qualified advisor. 

A successful agent in the insurance business has built their business by making and keeping promises to their clients, staff, family, and themselves. However, an individual may decide to retire, their situation may change, or something else may arise that makes it necessary to cut back or stop their activity in the insurance business.

Finding ways to keep those promises means you need a good game plan for succession. There is far more to be considered than a simple financial transaction. Relationships must be transitioned and maintained. Let's examine a few items to consider as you build your game plan.

As an advisor, your clients expect you to be up to date and on the cutting edge of items that would impact their financial and health future. Staying current can be a real challenge since our industry is changing faster than ever before. The actions of governmental agencies will either directly or indirectly affect everyone in our country, including you and your clients.

Many older Americans struggle to make it financially and maintain the coverage for the care that they need. The pandemic and the cost of healthcare and medications have only compounded an already difficult situation. Medicare has made provisions to assist individuals through their Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). An individual's income and assets will be considered when determining eligibility for these programs. The following outlines what these programs provide and their criteria. While the federal government sets the minimum criteria, state governments determine final eligibility and may use less restrictive criteria.

Giving access to care for our clients by building comprehensive plans requires that we look at any benefits that they may have access to and any ways we can assist them. If you have American Indian or Alaska Native clients, Medicare can be a confusing topic because of the benefits offered to them by the Indian Health Service.

As an advisor to individuals on Medicare or advising a caregiver to someone on Medicare, you require accurate information. One of the best reference tools for you to share with them is Medicare publications. They are easy to access on Medicare.gov and available on a variety of topics. Here are a few that I find outstanding.