Medicare Insurance Articles
The Benefits of Conducting an Effective Medicare Needs Assessment
When you conduct a Medicare needs assessment you are on a fact finding mission to gather all the pertinent information needed to recommend the plan that best meets your clients’ needs. In order to be consistent and ensure you don’t miss any questions, you should use a...
CMS 2026 Final Rule: The Top Six Things You Need to Know
CMS released its Final Rule for Medicare Advantage and PDP plans on April 4, 2025. These changes will be in effect January 1, 2026. Here are the top six things you needs to know: 1. No Cost Sharing for Adult Vaccines $0 cost share for any adult vaccines recommended by...
Medicare Extra Help Income Limit
You help you clients find the best Medicare plans for their needs, but some of them might need a little extra help paying for their prescription coverage. Even with the 2025 $2,000 cap on prescription drug costs, many seniors find their prescription drugs can be...
Who Should Buy a Medicare Supplement Plan?
Medicare is far from free. The high cost of health care in retirement can be anxiety inducing for seniors, especially those with limited income and chronic health conditions. A 65 year old who retired in 2024 can expect to spend $165,000 on healthcare during their...
Texas Medicare Sales Agent Career Opportunities
It’s a new year and an ideal time to think about making a career change. If you don’t know where to look – or even what field you might be interested in – you should seriously consider a career as an Independent Medicare Sales Agent. It could be just the opportunity...
FAQs for New Medicare Agents
Starting out as a new Medicare agent might feel a little overwhelming at first. Partnering with the right FMO will make all the difference in the long-term success of your business. When you align with PTT Financial, you receive support and guidance from an FMO who...
How to Discuss Star Ratings with Your Clients
Most of your clients are probably somewhat familiar with Medicare’s star ratings. But they may not fully understand how the plans earn these ratings and how much weight they should be given when choosing a plan. You can help educate your clients on the star ratings...
When Does Medicare Pay for Home Health Care?
Most seniors want to stay in their home as they age, but what happens when they need more care? Medicare does pay for some home health care services in specific circumstances for those who meet the criteria. Here’s what your clients need to know about Medicare’s home...
Update on D-SNPs and the Great Unwinding in Texas
In April 2023, after the federal government declared the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, states began the process of disenrolling Medicaid recipients who did not meet eligibility requirements. In the state of Texas, this has led to the removal of millions...
Medicare Agent’s Guide to OEP
CMS has very specific guidelines on the type of marketing activity agents can initiate during Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP) that runs each year from January 1 through March 31. OEP is only for Medicare beneficiaries currently enrolled in a Medicare...
Your D-SNP Clients May Be at Risk of Losing Coverage
Approximately 12.5 million people are dual eligible: enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. Some of these dual-eligible beneficiaries are at risk of losing their Medicaid coverage, meaning they will no longer qualify for their D-SNP plan. If you have D-SNP clients,...
AEP Crunch Time: How to Maximize Results in the Last 3 Weeks
You have another AEP under your belt – almost. The last three weeks of AEP are crunch time. To make sure this year is your best year (or if this is your first year, to make sure that your Medicare insurance career has a stellar start), you need to maximize your...
Understanding Medicare Cost Changes for 2023
Prices seem to be going up everywhere and everything is getting more expensive. Consumer prices continue to rise and are up 8.2% from a year ago. For seniors on a fixed income, this is hitting especially hard. Many are watching their retirement savings dip while the...
Ready-Set-Launch: Preparing for a Successful AEP
Medicare’s Annual Election Period officially kicked off on October 15. To make the most of this once-a-year sales opportunity, Medicare sales agents need to be ready with their A game. Don’t just let AEP happen. Take control and prime yourself for a successful AEP....
Medicare First Looks and Annual Notices of Change
Every year, prior to AEP, important information goes out to both Medicare agents and Medicare members about the upcoming year. Agents receive First Looks from major Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D carriers, which give them an early glimpse at changes for the...
Understanding Medicare Cost Savings Programs
Many Medicare beneficiaries who struggle to afford the cost of their coverage do not realize there are programs that can help them offset their out-of-pocket expenses associated with Medicare Parts A, B and D premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. These...
Data Security for Medicare Sales Agents: Your Responsibilities Under HIPAA
As business associates of covered entities, Medicare sales agents must fully comply with HIPAA’s Privacy and Security rules. By nature of the business, some personal information must be exchanged for things like plan enrollment. HIPAA makes sure your client’s data...
Changes to CMS Guidelines Require New Disclaimer and Recording of Agent Calls
CMS recently released their 2023 final rule which includes two requirements that will have a significant impact on independent agents and brokers who sell Medicare Advantage and/or Part D plans. Effective Date While the marketing guideline changes are for calendar...
Your Guide to Annual Medicare Certification Requirements
Every year, Medicare agents and brokers need to meet annual training and certification requirements. This needs to be done ahead of the annual election period that happens every fall, so summer is the natural time to focus on Medicare certification requirements. What...
Second Chances: What If You Don’t Like Your Medicare Plan?
In a recent article, we looked at the Medicare enrollment periods. We saw that most people enroll when they turn 65, but some people might delay enrollment without paying a late enrollment fee if they have eligible insurance from current employment. What we didn’t...