If you take a look around, you will notice all of the noise in the Medicare space. Whether it be the technology platforms for quote and apply, the renewable income stream, or a plethora of prospects, you may think to yourself, where do I start?

Let’s start with the technology platforms. Being able to quote, save, and compare Medicare choices for your clients is imperative. When CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) removed your ability to save drug plans, this opened up innovation in the independent distribution. Now you have the ability and convenience with Search & Save options that allow you to load your clients' medications and then recall that list and simply update it instead of recreating it every year.

Medicare has several enrollment periods that allow you to enroll in or change your Medicare benefits. For individuals transitioning into Medicare, it is important to understand which enrollment period will apply to their situation and the window that it creates. Failing to apply during the appropriate enrollment period can lead to lapses in coverage and lifetime financial penalties.

Let's look at the six enrollment periods in the Medicare program.

Statistics show 96% of people over the age of 65, many of whom are your clients, are enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. For decades, post-retirement medical expenses have been increasing faster than income growth. Therefore, when forecasting retirement expenses, it is important to keep up with the annual changes in Medicare costs and premiums.

Every November, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) release the medical costs for Medicare Parts A and B for the upcoming year. This includes the Income Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts (IRMAA) for Parts B and D, as well as premiums, copays, and coinsurance associated with the Medicare program.

As a Medicare insurance broker, I am in the process of getting ready to offer the next year’s products. Insurance companies are also getting ready to advertise next year’s plans, and clients are beginning to wonder if this is the year they should make a major change. Every year, marketing during the Medicare Annual Election Period [AEP] has gotten intense, and there is no evidence to show it’s slowing down. As trusted advisors, you can expect clients to go to you for advice as their opportunity to change plans approaches. Fortunately, you do not need to know the intricacies of the two main types of competing products to be able to advise on financial impacts of them. Here’s the basics of what all financial advisors need to know.

NAIFA is proud to announce Dan Mangus as our newest contributor, providing content to enhance members’ knowledge in the insurance industry space. 

Dan’s passion for the insurance industry is unmatched. After high school, each day, he spent his time setting appointments for his mother, who worked with Medicare insurance products. In 1982, Dan started his first insurance agency at the age of 18 and immediately began networking for growth.

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.

Presented by NAIFA’s Limited and Extended Care Planning Center