The 25 questions every Medicare class asks.
Collected from years of kitchen tables, phone calls and Zoom screens. Short answers here; personal answers one free call away.
How much does Medicare help from The Medicare Professor cost?
Nothing, ever. Licensed agents are paid by insurance carriers, and your premium is identical whether you enroll through us or directly with the company. With us you simply gain an advisor who answers the phone all year.
Are you affiliated with Medicare or the federal government?
No. The Medicare Professor is a private, independent insurance agency operated by Jason York of Insurance Made Simple in Boynton Beach, Florida. For information on every option available to you, you can always contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
When can I first enroll in Medicare?
Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the three months after. Enrolling in the three months before your birthday month gives you the smoothest start date.
What is the Annual Enrollment Period?
October 15 through December 7 every year. Anyone on Medicare can join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, with changes effective January 1. It is the single most important recurring date on the Medicare calendar.
What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement?
Advantage (Part C) bundles hospital, medical and usually drug coverage into one network-based plan with copays and an out-of-pocket maximum. A Supplement (Medigap) works alongside Original Medicare, covers most of what it leaves behind and works with any doctor in the country that accepts Medicare. The right answer depends on your doctors, prescriptions, budget and travel.
Will I have to change my doctor or pharmacy?
Not on our watch, unless you choose to. Before recommending any plan we verify your doctors are in network and your prescriptions are on the formulary. Plans that would force an unwanted change are removed from consideration.
Do you only represent one insurance company?
No. Jason is an independent broker representing more than 11 national carriers. We do not offer every plan available in your area, and we will say so when Medicare.gov lists something we cannot offer; independence plus honesty is the whole value.
Which states can you help in?
Jason is licensed in 17 states, including Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Kansas. Call (561) 770-7957 and we will confirm your state in about thirty seconds.
I am still working at 65. Do I need to enroll?
If you or your spouse are actively employed with group coverage from an employer of 20 or more people, you can usually delay Part B penalty-free and enroll later through a Special Enrollment Period. Under 20 employees, Medicare generally needs to be primary. This decision deserves a careful look before your birthday.
Do I need Part D if I take no medications?
Usually yes, strategically. Going 63+ days without creditable drug coverage triggers a permanent late penalty of 1 percent per month. A low-premium Part D plan is inexpensive insurance against both the penalty and a surprise prescription.
What are the Medicare late enrollment penalties?
Part B: 10 percent added to your premium for each full 12 months you delayed without other coverage, for life. Part D: 1 percent of the national base premium per month delayed, also for life. Both are entirely avoidable with a calendar and a plan.
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage to a Supplement later?
Sometimes. Outside your first year on an Advantage plan or another guaranteed-issue situation, Medigap carriers in most states, including Florida, can medically underwrite and decline you. That asymmetry is why the first-year decision deserves real care.
What is the ANOC letter I get every September?
The Annual Notice of Change: your plan telling you exactly how its premiums, copays, network and drug list will change January 1. Most people never read it; we read it for our clients and flag anything that matters before AEP.
How can a Medicare Advantage plan charge a $0 premium?
Medicare pays private plans a fixed monthly amount to manage your care, and efficient plans in competitive counties can run on that payment alone. You still pay your Part B premium and per-service copays; $0 refers only to the plan premium.
Does Medicare cover dental, vision or hearing?
Original Medicare covers almost none of it. Many Advantage plans include allowances, and stand-alone dental-vision-hearing plans cover everyone else. If teeth, eyes and ears matter to you, say so up front and we will design for them.
What is IRMAA?
An income-based surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums, keyed to your tax return from two years ago. In 2026 it begins above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint). New retirees can often appeal it with form SSA-44 after a life-changing event like stopping work.
Is there help if I cannot afford Medicare costs?
Yes: Medicare Savings Programs can pay the Part B premium, Extra Help lowers drug costs, and dual-eligible plans serve people with Medicare and Medicaid. Screening takes minutes and is part of every review we do.
I spend winters in Florida and summers up north. What should I do?
Snowbirds usually fit best with a Medicare Supplement, which travels to any Medicare-accepting doctor nationwide, or with specific PPO Advantage plans designed for flexibility. The wrong answer is an HMO tied to a service area you leave for half the year.
Does my Medicare cover my spouse?
No, Medicare is individual coverage. Each spouse enrolls on their own timeline, and a younger spouse losing employer coverage may need marketplace coverage until 65. We help couples sequence retirements around exactly this.
What should I bring to a review?
Three things: your doctor list, your prescription list with dosages, and your priorities like budget, travel or a must-keep specialist. With those we can price every plan we represent for your county, in writing.
How does Jason get paid?
Carriers pay a commission built into plan pricing whether or not you use an agent. That is why our help is free and why the recommendation can honestly favor whichever plan fits you best, including the one we do not sell.
How often should my coverage be reviewed?
Once a year, every year, during AEP. Plans re-file networks, formularies and copays annually, so last year's winner can quietly become this year's mistake. Our clients get this re-check automatically.
What is hospital indemnity insurance?
A policy that pays you fixed cash per hospital admission or day, commonly paired with Advantage plans to offset their daily hospital copays. Small premium, targeted protection, very underrated.
Can you help with life insurance and annuities too?
Yes, through our parent brand Insurance Made Simple: term and whole life, final expense, indexed universal life, annuities and mortgage protection, all handled with the same education-first approach. One advisor, whole household.
Should I double-check your advice?
Please do. Your state SHIP program (SHINE in Florida) offers free unbiased counseling, and 1-800-MEDICARE is open around the clock. Honest recommendations survive second opinions; ours are built to.
Your question not on the list?
That is what office hours are for. Ask it on a free call and get an answer specific to your situation.
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