ABOUT
As an insurance agent in the Medicare market, I work with Medicare Supplements, Medicare Advantage and Part D. I started out working with one of the big players in the Medicare Advantage market, but I could not live with the idea of ”selling” plans that did not fit the client. Tucson, AZ has had Medicare HMO’s for many years and more than one-third of seniors are in Medicare Advantage plans. What they need is the plan that best fits their needs and circumstance, not the latest plan. So, as an independent agent, representing multiple companies, I see myself as an advisor rather than a salesman.
I’m blogging because there is so much going on relative to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, and I am trying to stay abreast of all the news. And clearly, lots of changes are coming to the Medicare market.
Medicare Supplement changes will take effect in June 2010, and marketing of new plans M and N should start early in the year. These new plans will have lower premiums and should offer strong competition to Plan F and Medicare Advantage plans.
Medicare Advantage plan changes were not drastic for 2010. But what will the 2011 plans look like? Will all private-fee-for-service plans be cancelled? Will co-payments be raised in many plans? Will zero premium plans be history? And how will seniors react to the changes? Will they want to change plans? Will they consider going back to Original Medicare? (If they can.)
Finding out what is changing with Medicare is not easy and requires research through websites, blogs, and news sources. I guess I’ve always wanted to be a journalist/writer (and perhaps “editor” is more appropriate for this blog), so blogging is finally giving me the opportunity to research and write. I hope someone reads my blog.
I hope this Medicare blog will be helpful to Medicare beneficiaries as well as insurance agents.
-Denise Early, Tucson, AZ
