One Medicare Mistake You May Never Be Able to Undo

If you’re going on Medicare for the first time and you meet with an agent who doesn’t present both Advantage Plans and Supplement options in detail and without bias, find one who will before enrolling in any plan!

As I’ve written about over and over, because Advantage Plans pay much larger commissions, as much as 400% higher for someone new to Medicare, it’s commonplace for agents to only present HMOs and PPOs while never mentioning Supplements or dismissing them as overpriced and only for sick people. That’s simply not true.

Advantage Plans can be a great choice for those on Medicare. We have 5,000 active clients on HMOs and PPOs. However, they’re not best for everyone, and that choice should never be permanently taken from you by an agent who doesn’t disclose the risks of Advantage Plans nor explain the differences versus Supplements.

In addition, if you’re already on an Advantage Plan and will need to shop for a new one due to dramatic changes in benefits or an elimination of your plan, something millions of seniors will be dealing with during this year’s Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), you must make sure the agent you’re working with is showing you every plan option! Several companies, including Humana and United, are not paying commissions on some of their most popular plans that offer the best value in terms of lower co-pays and out of pocket costs. Most agents will not present those to their clients! Don’t be afraid to ask the agent you’re working with if he or she is showing both commissionable and non-commissionable plans.

Be advised that even on some Advantage Plan companies’ own websites, some plans may not be listed as an option! The only website where you can find and enroll in every single Advantage Plan offered in your zip code is Medicare’s official page, www.Medicare.gov.

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