Medicare is incredibly confusing to a new beneficiary. Stacks of mail come in daily from both the goverment and from insurance carriers hawking their medicare supplement or medicare advantage plans, making it difficult to figure out which plan is best suited for you. Your Part B open enrollment window only last six months from its effective date, so many people feel pressured to make a choice rather fast, which can have terrible consequences if your physician or preferred hospital does not accept your chosen plan. Independent insurance agents specializing in Medicare supplements can help you sort through the clutter so that you fully understand the insurance plan that you ultimately choose.
How can you find a credible person who will give you objective information? Follow these tips to track down an insurance agent with the right experience to assist you.
For starters, beware the direct mail solicitations that are sent to you from big insurance companies. Often these solicitations will have a 1-800 number listed where you can get information. Unfortunately, the folks answering these inbound phone calls almost always work directly for the insurance company who mailed you the mail piece. Will these employees be willing to show you ALL of your choices? Most likely not, as they get paid to sell you policies from the insurance carrier that employs them. A better idea is to find an independent insurance broker who is appointed with many carriers. These agents are not as likely to push you toward any one specific insurance plan, which may or may not be right for you.
Next, find an agent who has chosen to make Medicare supplements and other medicare-related insurance plans a specialty. In today’s world, there are literally scores of different types of insurance to sell, ranging from group health insurance to disability insurance. Medicare-related insurance plans, however, are very detailed and will demand alot of time to be spent by an agent before he or she can sell each carrier’s medicare plan. Agents who try to offer too many kinds of insurance sacrifice being really experienced in any one type of insurance. So if an agent sells group health insurance along with individual health insurance, cancer plans, and also Medicare supplements, it’s a good bet that he or she won’t have time to really be an expert in Medicare and understandhow it works. Ultimately, the agent may not know all the rules and regulations that affect you under Medicare.
Next, find out if the agent has a good bit of experience in the Medicare field. Look at the agent’s business card to see if there is a toll-free phone number, a recognizable business address, and a website. If the agent’s card lists his email address as insurancebystephen@yahoo.com, he probably hasn’t even invested the time or money into a website that offers free information to the public. A business address tells you that the agent you are working with has an actual office where you can walk in the front door any time you need help. Agents who list P.O boxes or no addresses at all probably work out of their home. This doesn’t always mean the agent is inexperienced, but it might mean you’ll have trouble reaching the agent at times when he is out meeting with other clients or pursuing new sales. Furthermore, if the agent wants to meet with you at your home, you are signing yourself up for a high-pressure situtation. It’s advisable to meet either by phone or at the agent’s office, where you can take your time deciding, and hang up or walk out if something tells you the agent has his own agenda.
Last but not least, find out if the agent works alone, because this may be an indicator that the agent is rather new to the business. Veteran agents with long experience will most likely have employees that they have hired to help them manage their client base. These agents want to make sure that if you call with a question when the agent is in a meeting, there is other people on hand to answer your questions. It’s good to to find an agency with roots – one that has several qualified employees answering incoming calls and questions during normal working hours.
By using these tips in your search for the right agent, you can certainly find a credible, established agent who has no reason to push you into quick decisions. Expert agents like these will be more concerned with whether you fully understand everything you are being shown, and that eventually you will be able to use this knowledge to make your own decision on which policy is best for you. In doing so, the agent knows that he or she can be your agent not just today, but for many years to come.
In summary, seek help from an independent agent who specializes in Medicare-related products and is appointed with numerous carriers and plans. He or she should have an agency location with staff trained in Medicare-market products to answer urgent questions. The agent should offer to conduct meetings in his or her office conference room, or by phone if you prefer that. Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for references. Any agent worth his salt can allow you to speak with several happy clients who can share with you whether that agent was helpful to them when they were going through the same process that you are.
If you or a friend is seeking an experienced Medigap insurance agent, be sure to spend time reading the wealth of great information posted by the exemplary team at Boomer Benefits.