Last week we began discussing ways that agents and companies market Medicare plans to people turning 65. We discussed the phone calls you may receive and the possibility of someone showing up unannounced at your door. This week we will look at online marketing and direct mail. Direct mail – This is the most common way companies market their plans. When you are within 6 months of turning 65 a company will purchase a mailing list with your name and address on it. Most companies will start sending mail 6 months prior to the month you turn 65. This is because you are eligible to purchase a Medicare supplement any time during that 6 month period. In most cases direct mail is designed to initiate
WARNING!! If you are turning 65 over the next few months, you will be inundated with mail, phone calls, and sometimes people actually knocking on your door. These are just three of the ways companies market Medicare health and drug plans. Over the next couple of weeks, we will look at different marketing methods and what the companies are trying to accomplish with each. Phone calls – Supplement companies are well known for making out bound calls to people turning 65. Once they have you on the line, their only objective is to sell you a Medicare plan. It’s perfectly okay to sign up over the phone – but, if you have a problem with the plan you enrolled in, your agent may be in Florida or Cali
Some of the most frequently asked questions we get from people under the age of 65 concerns the relationship between the Marketplace (Obamacare) and Medicare. There seems to be a great deal of confusion about how these two insurance programs work. Here are this week’s questions: Will my Marketplace insurance end automatically when I become eligible at age 65 for Medicare? The short answer to this question is “no.” You must go to healthcare.gov or contact your Marketplace insurance carrier to cancel your plan. Can I keep my Marketplace plan after I become eligible for Medicare? Yes, you can keep your Marketplace plan after becoming eligible for Medicare. This will not, however, exempt you
Alabama Health Guidance local agent Dan Stevens and his team in Cullman, Alabama, now have a new social media page for service in that area. Follow their Facebook page to stay up to date on the latest information for that market, including special events and Medicare classes.
I will be turning 65 in 2017. Will I automatically be signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B? If you are already getting benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), you will be automatically signed up for Part A and Part B of Medicare. Your Medicare will begin on the first day of the month you turn 65, unless your birthday is on the first day of the month. In this case your Medicare will begin the first day of the month prior to you turning 65. If you choose to not keep Part B because you are on employer insurance, or for any other reason, you will need to notify Social Security of your wishes. Will I automatically be signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B if
