Toni,
I turn 65 in April and am overwhelmed by all the mail I am getting this year for Medicare Annual Enrollment. What do I do? The mail from companies says theirs is the best, but they all offer the same thing with dental, vision, and gym membership.
One Medicare Advantage commercial on TV says that they can put money back in your Social Security check. I am not receiving my Social Security check and wonder how I can get the money.
If I do not enroll in Medicare at the right time everybody says I will get a penalty that will last the rest of my life. How does someone know what is the right decision for their situation? Look forward to your answer.
Nathan from Nashville, TN
Medicare Annual Enrollment: Is It For Me?
Nathan,
You do not need to do anything – NOTHING, NADA – during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period because you are not 65 yet and have not enrolled in Medicare.
Next year’s, Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is when you can make a change to your Medicare Part D plan, change, or enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan with or without a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is discussed in detail in Chapter 6 of the Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition.
You MUST have already turned 65 or be under 65 and enrolled in Medicare to change or enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period.
You are turning 65 in April and will be in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (which is a 7-month period that will be 3 months prior to April, the month of April, and 3 months after). So, January would be a good time to begin enrolling in Medicare and exploring which Medicare option best fits your specific medical and prescription drug needs.
Always talk with your medical provider to learn what type of Medicare plan, whether Medicare Advantage plan with a prescription drug plan or Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement and a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan, is right for your health situation and the prescriptions you are currently taking.
Toni Says: The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is for those who are already enrolled in Medicare. You do not have to make a change during Medicare’s AEP if you are pleased with your current plan!
As we say at the Toni Says® office, “Medicare is not a cookie cutter, one size or plan does not fit everyone.” The insurance companies market their specific Medicare plans and want you to believe that theirs is perfect for you.
America should be aware of “friendly” telemarketers that try and change one’s Medicare plan options during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. Please be careful giving out personal information to strangers over the phone. Telemarketers are lurking around like a “lion,” waiting for the right person to attack when those confused only need proper Medicare information to help them make the right Medicare decision.
There are specific Medicare rules when changing from a Medicare Advantage plan to a Medicare Supplement. Please be aware that you will have to answer underwriting questions!
To learn how to personalize your Medicare to meet your needs attend the Confused about Medicare Zoom Webinar from 4-6pm Wednesday, November 16. Click here to register. For answers to your Medicare questions/concerns, call the Toni Says Medicare team at 832-519-8664 or email [email protected].
Medicare Survival Guide Advanced Edition
Preorder Medicare Survival Guide Advanced
What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You!
Turning 65 in America is a milestone and one of the markers is enrolling in Medicare. But the system is so complicated, and there is a lot of false information out there.
In Toni King’s Medicare Survival Guide Advanced: Basics and Beyond, Toni gives you the critical steps you need to enroll in Medicare properly. Toni shares various situations that she has experienced with her many clients during Medicare consultations, and gives you the information and tools you need to enroll on time to avoid the “famous” Medicare Part B and D penalties.
Medicare Survival Guide Advanced helps you understand Medicare step by step…
Learn How to Enroll the Correct Way
• Still Working Past 65
• Turning 65
• VA Benefits
• Laid-off or Retiring
What Medicare Option Is Best for You
• Medicare Supplement vs. Advantage
• Losing Retirement Benefits
How to Avoid
• The Donut Hole
• Part B Penalties
• Part D IRMAA Penalties
If you are enrolling in Medicare and are confused by the commercials and telemarketers, or from the information that well-meaning friends or family members give, let Toni guide you through the maze of Medicare. Preorder TODAY!
Toni King
Toni King is an author, columnist, and radio and TV personality who specializes in Medicare, Social Security, and long-term care planning. While conducting a Medicare workshop in 2009, Toni was approached by a member of the audience who had received incorrect information about his Medicare Part B enrollment from Social Security. After taking a couple of days to help the gentleman straighten out his overwhelming problem, Toni’s new mission had become clear. Following more than 27 years as a top sales leader in the Medicare insurance industry, Toni would become an advocate for Americans receiving Medicare. Since then, Toni has devoted her life and career to putting Medicare into “people terms” with the help of her books, consultations, workshops, and website, ToniSays.com. Read more from Toni King here!
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