Greg Moore, Lora Moore and Patricia Dukes will be at our office at 2351 E. Morris Blvd. during the Annual Enrollment Period.
During the Annual Enrollment Period of October 15 to December 7, we recommend appointments. Walk-ins are definitely encouraged, but to save you time, you may want to set an appointment.
Yes, but only in certain circumstances. Your Initial Enrollment Period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after your 65th birthday.
There are also many Special Election Periods (SEPs) outside of the annual enrollment period.
Some examples include: Losing employer coverage, moving outside the service area, losing Medicaid and/or Extra Help with prescriptions.
Special Election Periods generally last two months.
*If you are receiving Extra Help for prescriptions, you may have a yearlong Special Election Period. Contact us for details.
Yes. Medicare (Part C) Advantage Plans and Medicare (Part D) Drug Plans change every year on January 1. Every Medicare beneficiary has the ability to review and change their plans each year between October 15and December 7. This is called the AEP (Annual Enrollment Period).
Medicare Supplement benefits do not change from year to year. However, most Medicare Supplement Plans rise each year in premium for attaining a new age. There are no enrollment period dates for Medicare Supplements. You can change at any time but may be required to go through underwriting.
HMO stands for health maintenance organization. PPO stands for preferred provider organization.
Both types of plans use a network of physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals to give you the highest quality care. The difference between the two is the way you interact with those networks.
HMO plans:
With an HMO plan, you pick one primary care physician. All your health care services go through that doctor. In general, HMO plans usually require a referral for specialists. However, in East Tennessee, two of our popular HMO plans do not require this referral system. Please note that visits to health care professionals outside of your HMO network typically aren’t covered by your insurance.
PPO plans:
PPO plans give you flexibility. You don’t need a primary care physician. You can go to any health care professional you want without a referral—inside or outside of your network.
PPO plans give you flexibility. You don’t need a primary care physician. You can go to any health care professional you want without a referral—inside or outside of your network. However, check with providers or us for out-of-network benefits; they could be tremendously higher.
Staying inside your network means smaller copays and full coverage. If you choose to go outside your network, you’ll have higher out-of-pocket costs, and not all services may be covered.
Medicare Advantage plans move your primary insurance to Part C. The selected company then becomes your primary and only insurance generally for the contract year. These Medicare Advantage plans have the ability to combine Parts A, B and D into Part C. These include Medical and Prescription benefits. Some people have called this an option of privatizing Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are generally HMO and PPO plans. These types of plans will have networks that a Medicare beneficiary needs to understand before enrolling.
Medicare Supplement plans are purchased to be used after Original Medicare. A good rule of thumb is that Medicare Supplements pay AFTER Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans pay INSTEAD of Original Medicare.
Our agents are very familiar with the local Medicare plans and the providers that accept each one. We have noticed that most clients are unique with different needs. Therefore, you may not need the same plan as your friends or neighbors. Also, we assist in finding the right plan that covers your medicines, accepts your pharmacies and work with your physicians. Our agents assist in plan choices and billing inquiries.
If you call the Medicare company, the agent is more than likely not local. It is always nice to have a local agent and agency that you can visit at any time you may have a problem and sit down face to face. The premiums are the same regardless of whom or where your agent is. Since we offer year-round customer service, you should always feel at ease with your plan at no extra charge to you.
No. The insurance companies pay our agents so clients do not have to pay us for our time.