Why help with Medicare insurance is needed
San Diego Medicare Broker
My name is Kathe Kline, and I created MedicareQuick because San Diego Medicare insurance customers needed help exploring complex Medicare options to figure out the best solution for them. I was a Financial Planner for 25 years, and during this time I was able to help thousands of clients work toward having a financially sound future. During my tenure here I learned how to break complicated subjects into easily understood snippets of information.
I really enjoyed my work but then something happened that made me want to change the way Medicare insurance was sold, especially where I live.
How we started with San Diego Medicare:
My husband was turning 65 and had done an extensive amount of research about Medicare. He thought he knew what he needed to know. About 3 months before his birthday, he started collecting what I call MedicareMailTM. He called the first Medicare agent who sent him a postcard to come to our house in San Diego County.
The Medicare agent asked him what he wanted, and he told him, a Medicare Supplement Plan F. This was supposed to be the best San Diego Medicare insurance plan that was available. It was also the most expensive.
The agent signed him up for the plan, and then casually asked him if he took any medications. He didn’t. The agent said that since he didn’t take any medications, he didn’t need to sign up for a drug plan. That sounded good to us, and so the agent left. We never saw him again. So the fact that he was also in San Diego didn’t mean we were going to see him or talk to him again.
All was fine until I found out that my father’s prescription drugs cost about $5000 per month.
Woah! I did some quick math and figured out that when I retire at 65, my husband would be 85. There was a pretty high likelihood that my husband would need medications at age 85, and I didn’t want to go bankrupt, so we figured it was time to sign him up for a prescription drug plan.
I started doing some research and found out that we could NOT sign him up because it wasn’t open enrollment. We would have to wait until October, and the drug plan wouldn’t take effect until the following January. All the while, a penalty was racking up!
By the time we got the Medicare prescription drug plan, it had been five years since he was eligible, and now my husband will pay a penalty for the rest of his life. At this writing, that penalty actually costs MORE than the plan premium here in San Diego.
Since I’ve been working as a San Diego Medicare insurance agent, I’ve found others who have made this same mistake.
Medicare will NOT waive the penalty because you “didn’t know.”
Medicare can be complicated!
All the available Medicare insurance options and terminology confused the heck out of me!
I thought, “Wow! If a seasoned financial planner is confused by this subject, I wonder how my clients are feeling right now.”
And that’s how MedicareQuick was born. I started working with my own clients in San Diego to help them with their Medicare Options, and I realized how important Medicare insurance agents are. So I’ve expanded my help to people in other cities, counties, and states.
I decided to dedicate more time to helping people with their Medicare insurance needs. Although it’s not as lucrative as financial planning, for sure, I feel like I’m providing a needed service. And, medical bills are a leading cause of bankruptcy, so having the right insurance plan does matter!
I created a free online course on Medicare that is just for people who are either on Medicare now, or who are about to go on Medicare.
You can access that course any time at http://MedicareQuick.com/Class
This will give you the Making Medicare Decisions class, along with free access to my other classes on Medicare topics.
I do realize that you might just want a quick answer here. That’s OK too. But keep in mind that finding the right San Diego Medicare Insurance Plan for you might take a little while. It’s important to make the right decision because when you are turning 65 and newly signed up for Medicare Part B, you have options that you might not have in the future.
Here in San Diego, you’ll basically have two options for your Medicare Insurance.
The first option is to stay with Original Medicare.
When you stay with Original Medicare you are not limited by networks. You can see any doctor or medical provider you want, even if they are in a different city, county, or state. You’ll have full access. However, you’ll also have deductibles and coinsurances to pay. Medicare Supplement Insurance, or Medigap, helps you pay these amounts.
Most people who choose this option get a Medicare Supplement Plan and a Stand Alone Drug plan. This is because Medicare doesn’t cover everything and you could be on the hook for a lot of money if you get sick or injured and that’s all you have. The Medicare Supplement Plan will help fill the gaps or fill them entirely, depending on which plan you select.
Medicare Advantage is the name of the second type of plan.
This type of Medicare insurance actually replaces Medicare. Medicare Advantage is a type of Privatized Medicare insurance. These plans typically give you extra benefits that Medicare doesn’t offer, but they also can restrict your care. An example might be that you won’t be able to see the doctor you want to see this type of Medicare insurance plan.
On the plus side, your insurance is all-inclusive, and you only have to carry one card. And most of the plans offered in San Diego include drug coverage.
I highly recommend that you start by taking the free class called “Making Medicare Decisions“.
It’s only 15 minutes long and will significantly reduce the amount of time you’ll need to spend researching before you speak with an agent or broker. (And of course, I hope you select me to be your broker!) If you don’t want to take all my classes, you can review just this one class at MedicareQuick.com/MMD
And even if you don’t select me as your Medicare broker, my materials are here for you to use, for free.
This website is here to give you more information about General Medicare Information, Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Supplement Insurance Policies and Prescription Drug Plans.
Remember, if you’re turning 65, don’t wait ’til you’re sick….call your friend Kathe at MedicareQuick! (866-445-6683)
I really hope you like MedicareQuick, and we hope to see you here often! Don’t forget to refer your friends who are turning 65 to this site!
Give us a call! We’re here to help. 866-445-6683
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options
