Why Should You Use a Medicare Advisor?

Medicare. It’s something you always knew would come around one day, but never actually believed would happen. But it’s here, and it’s time. Now you have to face that giant puzzle box of a government program and figure out how to make it work for you.

Well, don’t lose heart. While it might seem more confusing than your middle child’s moods, you’ve got one advantage: There are real people who don’t work for Medicare or any insurance company that understand Medicare and can help you through.

Let’s take a look at how an advisor can take the stress out of Medicare and help you be confident you’ve got the best coverage for your needs.

Medicare Knowledge

Medicare rules and options can be complex and overwhelming (understatement of the century). A Medicare advisor is someone who’s made it their job to know everything there is to know about Medicare—all the little intricacies and extremely important details you can only find in some 900-page PDF file on a government website. A Medicare advisor can guide you through the process so you can get the most value out of Medicare.

Personal Touch

Remember shoes from the 1700s? Just kidding, we know you’re not that old. But 18th-century shoes weren’t shaped to fit right and left feet. Cobblers didn’t care. Like Cinderella’s stepsisters, they just jammed the shoes on no matter what. Well, that is not how you want your Medicare plan to work. You want a plan that fits like a modern shoe—maybe one of those fancy ones that are shaped like your toes. An advisor can make that happen.

Not only do they know Medicare, but advisors also learn your personal situation so they can give you the best advice. They’ll look at your specific:

• Healthcare needs (Do you have chronic arthritis and need medication?)
• Financial situation (Do you qualify for Medicaid?)
• Preferences (Do you want more options for where you go for care? Do you prefer ketchup or mustard with your fries? . . . Scratch that. The condiment question’s better suited for your SilverSingles profile.)

By looking through all this stuff, advisors can recommend plans that best fit your individual circumstances. This personal touch means you get coverage that meets your needs without paying for unnecessary features.

Plan Comparison

Have you ever had to make a decision—like whether to buy green tea from the little Japanese store or from Whole Foods—and wished there were someone who could compare them for you? Well, there probably is someone who could. But the good news is, advisors can do that same thing for you when it comes to Medicare!

Advisors can help you compare different Medicare plans (such as Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Supplement plans) from several insurers. They can explain the differences in coverage, costs and provider networks, allowing you to make an informed decision.

Annual Review

Unlike Ronco’s Showtime Rotisserie & BBQ, Medicare isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing. Medicare plans can change annually, including costs, coverage, and the list of drugs covered (called a formulary). A Medicare advisor can review your plan each year during the open enrollment period to make sure it still meets your needs and recommend adjustments if necessary.

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Cost Savings

If someone could show you for free how to save money on something you have to buy, would you take them up on it? That’s probably a no-brainer—who wouldn’t? Well, that’s what a Medicare advisor can do for you. Advisors can help you put together a cost-effective plan by finding options with lower premiums, copays and deductibles while making sure it still gives you enough coverage for your situation.

Be careful picking an advisor though. Insurance agents and advisors can be incentivized to sell a particular plan—and that won’t save you money. In most cases, these people push Medicare Advantage plans no matter what your situation because they make more money if you buy that type of plan. We’re not saying Medicare Advantage is never the right plan for you (but more often than not it isn’t). Just make sure you work with an advisor who will pick a plan based on your needs, not how much money it will make them.

Help With Claims

One of the most confusing things you might be worried about is using your Medicare benefits! If you need help with a claim or you’ve been denied coverage, an advisor can help you navigate the ins and outs of these including figuring out the appeals process and resolving issues with your Medicare plan.

Saving Time

Instead of researching and comparing plans on your own, you can hand that off to a Medicare advisor and get on with doing what’s really important—like making your famous turtle fudge, reading book number 159 to the grandkids, or just stalking that old classmate on Facebook. So skip the time-consuming and confusing research and let an advisor streamline the process for you.

Ongoing Relationship

Advisors aren’t just for finding a plan. They’re a valuable resource all along your retirement journey, helping you adjust your coverage as your health needs change and making sure you remain informed about any updates or new options in Medicare.

Earlier we mentioned most agents and advisors try to sell you plans that make them more money. That’s why it’s really important to pick the right Medicare advisor. But it would be pretty lousy if we just left it there and said Good luck! So we won’t. We found some awesome Medicare advisors who are worth trusting with this big decision.

The folks at Chapter are incentivized to get you coverage—not get you a specific plan. That means they want to find you a plan that fits your needs and won’t sell you a Medicare Advantage plan if it’s not right for you.

After you’ve got a plan, Chapter will send you quarterly email updates and check in annually about your plan. And Chapter’s member advocate team can help you understand your plan and activate benefits throughout the year.

Before they started Chapter, the founders were just as confused as you about Medicare. So they went and learned everything there is to know about Medicare. Now Chapter advisors are here to help you navigate the ins and outs of Medicare with confidence. And by the way, there’s no cost to you to work with a Chapter advisor.

There’s no need to stress over Medicare (unless you really want to!). The good people at Chapter can give you peace of mind knowing you’ve got a trusted advisor in your corner.

Chapter Advisory LLC (“Chapter”) is a private health insurance agency. In California, Chapter does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691). Chapter is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity. While Chapter has a database of every Medicare plan option nationwide and can help you to search among all options, it has contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, Chapter represents 43 organizations which offer 16,706 products in your area [nationwide]. That said, Chapter searches and recommends all plans, even those it doesn’t directly offer, and the number of carriers and plans Chapter offers in your specific zip code may be different. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period or you are in your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.