Working with a Medicare Agent.
Medicare assistance is a life-changing and often life-saving federal program. It is designed to cover the majority of medical costs for people who are 65 years of age or older, certain people with disabilities, and those with certain extreme medical conditions. It is an intricate and personal program with many options for an individual’s needs, ideally allowing people to find the best care possible. While a positive part of the Medicare program, this personalization also means there are thousands of approaches to enrolling in and utilizing Medicare. It can be incredibly time-consuming to navigate. Luckily, the program allows expert analysts to assist recipients for free. These Medicare analysts and agents are trained, certified and experienced professionals who work to find a clear and concise path through the Medicare realm. They consider their client’s unique needs, then work with care providers to find the right plan to suit those needs. Understanding the agent’s role will help you confidently partner with an agent and choose the best healthcare plan available.
Navigating the Medicare Process
Medicare is divided into different categories, Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Medicare Part C and Medicare Part D. Each category focuses on a different kind of care and can vary depending on your health and finances.
Steps to Choosing a Medicare Plan
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans differ in many ways, and it is important to consider various factors when choosing a plan. The variables are generally broken into a few categories, so it’s important to understand your options:
- Cost: Medicare Advantage plans have a yearly limit on out-of-pocket expenses and offer $0 premium plans. Plans may also cover the cost of transportation to a medical facility and even include a free gym membership! Medical Supplement plans, however, offer a low annual on out-of-pocket medical costs but do require an additional monthly premium with annual increases. The cost of a premium plan for the first 10 years is roughly $20,000 on average.
- Coverage: Medicare Advantage covers dental, vision, and hearing care, but the care is managed. You can only visit certain doctors and hospitals and may even need a referral to do so. Certain procedures may also need to be authorized by the managing company (your Medicare carrier). Medicare Supplement offers an open network, though. Patients can visit any hospital or doctor they choose (apart from certain specialists) and will not need a referral.
- Prescription Drugs: Medicare Advantage plans typically include or offer prescription drug coverage. Medicare Supplement offers little to no extra benefits, so patients will need a separate Rx plan.
- Quality of Care: Medicare Advantage plans have vetted providers to ensure patients receive quality care and customer service. Since Medicare Supplement is an open network, all trained and licensed doctors can offer care. Their quality of care ratings are not monitored.
An individual’s zip code is also a big factor in coverage availability, as rules and systems vary between states and counties within a state.
Understanding the Medicare Agent Role
Medicare is a complex and detailed program. Each coverage plan brings different rules for things like premiums, doctors, care options and service availability, and it can take hours of research to understand these intricacies. Various resources help teach the ins and outs of Medicare, but the process of utilizing these resources can take weeks, months, even years. Without a thorough Medicare understanding, you risk choosing a poor plan and wasting thousands of dollars. Medicare agents dedicate their careers to learning the Medicare process and getting familiar with various coverage providers and plans. They help you understand coverage options and the process of enrolling or utilizing the service.
Medicare Agent Training
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, is a government program dedicated to health equity, coverage expansion, and improving health outcomes. It is the group that regulates various providers, plans, and agents. CMS requires that all Medicare insurance agents develop a thorough understanding of regulations and practices through extensive training and licensing. Then, the agency regularly monitors and tests agents’ knowledge.
Agents are not only trained in the overall Medicare program. They must also be trained and licensed with specific carriers and on certain coverage plans. Training with our carrier group takes roughly 30 to 40 hours to be sure the agents know the ins and outs of every provider. This commitment and investment allows the agent to confidently recommend the plan that suits their clients best.
Medicare Agent Compensation
Working with a Sunnyside agent comes at no cost to you. Our compensation is regulated by the government and paid through our partnering carriers. By partnering with dozens of local and national carriers, Sunnyside agents can prioritize finding the Medicare coverage that best fits your needs.
Choosing a Medicare Agent
With thousands of agencies and representatives, it can be difficult to choose one. Various resources, including federal education outlets, will help a recipient research agents in their communities. Many agents or representatives also reach out before an enrollment period begins. There are several credentials to verify before you choose an agent:
- Licensing and certification
- Experience
- Level of customer service
- Client reviews
Sunnyside Medicare agents can provide detailed credential information before we get to work. Then our experienced, licensed, and customer focused agents will use a deep understanding of local care providers and Medicare practices to help people seeking coverage. When the time comes to choose an agent and a plan, give us a call!
Becoming a Sunnyside Medicare Agent
Sunnyside Medicare goes several steps further than the training required through CMS. We carefully vet all new agents, hiring people who are relationally focused (as opposed to sales focused). In addition to the federally required training programs, agents must be certified with the more than 20 providers that partner with Sunnyside Medicare. Then they go through several months of shadowing and one-on-one guidance to learn how to interact with clients. When they begin working with their own clients, they do so under tight supervision from our seasoned staff members. Once our agents are independently working, we do not micromanage their amount of calls, call times, or overall client interactions. Agents take time to develop personal connections with clients to best understand and service their needs. We are committed to our clients, not our sales count.
Working with a Medicare Agent
People become eligible for Medicare enrollment in the six-month window surrounding their 65th birthday (that is, three months before and three months after). They can start considering Medicare plans much further in advance though. In fact, for those who choose not to work with an agent, it’s best to begin learning the ins and outs years in advance. It takes hours of dense research. For those working with an agent though, it is best to begin meeting about nine months to a year before your 65th birthday. Sunnyside Medicare agents use these months to get to know you and any specific needs that will influence your coverage plan. Then, we use the information to sift through the many available plans and choose a few well-suited options. Our agents then present the options and allow you to pick your preferred coverage. Once your actual Medicare eligibility begins, our agents help with the Medicare enrollment process. From the first meeting, Sunnyside Medicare agents manage the majority of Medicare details and requirements. Anything from meeting questionnaires and scheduling, applications, and important updates. As we begin the process though, there are a few things that are helpful on the client side:
- We can meet in person, via video conference like Zoom, or on the phone.
- Involve any other individuals planning to engage in the enrollment process, such as spouses or children.
- Prepare important medical information or documents like medical history, prescription drug details, and preferred doctors or healthcare networks.
- Have on hand any other important documentation as specified by the agent.
Benefits of Working with a Medicare Agent
There are dozens of benefits to working with a trained and licensed agent who work tirelessly to understand the confusing realm of Medicare. We closely monitor information from government regulators, health systems, and coverage providers, and stay up to date on our client’s lives and needs. We find the best coverage plans available to suit our clients by weighing in their medical history, budgets, and location. Plus, Medicare agents do the heavy lifting of enrolling in Medicare plans and interacting with coverage providers. Our clients avoid dense paperwork and any long calls or emails communication with a provider’s customer service representative. Sunnyside Medicare agents have a combined 50+ years working in insurance, and 20+ years focusing on Medicare. We go through extensive training cycles to develop and maintain a thorough understanding of Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Supplement plans. We partner with 20+ Medicare carriers nationwide to be sure our clients are covered wherever they are. We closely monitor these plans regularly to be sure they are always providing the best service. The best part – working with an agent does not change the cost of enrolling in an insurance policy. That means no extra money out of your pocket!
Contact Sunnyside Medicare
Work with an expert and experienced agent to avoid hours of research, a lengthy application process, and unpleasant interactions with insurance companies who may not have your best interest in mind. Sunnyside Medicare works with our friends and neighbors to enroll them in quality Medicare, and we do it for free. Don’t go at it alone; let us partner with you! Call one of our agents to learn more. When it is time to enroll in Medicare, do it on the Sunnyside.
Looking for a Helping Hand?
Call us at 1-248-277-5948 to talk with a Sunnyside Agent. Our licensed Medicare Agents are friendly, knowledgeable and always willing to take the time to find the right plan for you! Not ready to talk on the phone? Send us an online message and an Agent will get back to you shortly. We look forward to helping you.