Medicare and Annual Enrollment Period

0:00 The information contained in this podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for individual professional legal advice. The podcast information was carefully compiled from vetted sources and references. However, Rose Resources Outreach to safeguard the elderly cannot guarantee that you will not fall victim to a scam. Let's talk about scams. It's the must-listen show for anyone who wants to protect themselves and their loved ones from scams. Every Tuesday at 8 a.m. Pacific Time on K4HD Radio, Joyce Petrowski, founder of Rose, and her guests will provide valuable insights and practical tips on how to recognize and protect yourself from scams. And now, here is your host, Joyce Petrowski.

0:49 Well, hi. Welcome back, everybody. I'm Joyce Petrowski, founder and board president of ROSE, Resources Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly. Go on our website at roseadvocacy.org. At the top of the homepage, you'll find all of our social media links. You can go to letstalkaboutscams.com and get all the information on the show. And all of our episodes are not only on that website, but they're also on our YouTube channel. And you're going to want to click subscribe to the YouTube channel so you get notified of all the upcoming episodes. At the bottom of the homepage, you can sign up for our newsletter. We have one we send out in the mail at the beginning of the month. We have one that we do via email. The great thing about the email one is you're going to get some information you didn't already know, but it's also going to reinforce your scam prevention habits because, unfortunately, we're at a time in today's world where we have to make scam prevention a habit. So the more we read it, see it, hear it, say it, write it, all of that stuff, we make it a habit. So today we have Alicia Rosenquist with us, and she is a Medicare agent with Arizona Medicare and Insurance Specialists. So let's welcome Alicia.

2:06 Hi there. Hey, how are you? I'm doing fantastic. Thank you. Good. Did I get the name of the company right, Arizona... Medicare and insurance specialist. Okay. Solutions. I got the S right. Solutions. So it says Medicare and insurance. So do you guys sell other types of insurance as well? Yes. Yes. So our main focus is Medicare, but we do things like pre-planning. For funeral insurance. We also do long-term care insurance, life insurance, annuities, things like that. Nice. Nice. Um, all right. So, um, how long have you been in the, in the industry with selling or as a Medicare broker?

2:47 So I'm coming up on seven years. Oh, wow. Okay. All right. Have, have you seen a lot of changes in the last seven years? Oh yes. Yes. Definitely a whole lot. So what about this year? I know it starts annual enrollment starts in two days. Yes. We got a lot of changes this year. You know, I think that, um, It seems like a lot of changes in just the sense it's changing all the. Time, especially with costs. We have seen high utilization of medical. We've seen, obviously, the costs rising for everything. And so I think that's one of the biggest things we'll see. And, of course, as the economy changes, as administrations change, too, I mean, they're adding their own stamp on what's going on with Medicare and trying to just overall make improvements.

3:38 Oh, that's good. That's good. Is there anything noteworthy that, you know, I guess maybe, and I don't know if this is the right way to say it, but that maybe would be beneficial for a lot of people on Medicare? Yeah, so really it's the focus I've seen is more on chronic care. care or chronic special needs. So that's kind of the big one. Of course, costs are changing and we don't have all the official numbers quite yet from Medicare. And that's things like the Part B premium. And that's kind of the big one there. And of course, there's. The income-related monthly premium costs, too, we're waiting on those.

4:22 But we have seen the prescription drug numbers come out, and that's specific to the deductible and the maximum out-of-pocket. Okay. But, yeah, so it's really, I've seen a lot around the chronic special needs like diabetes and heart conditions. Okay, that they're doing a lot more for those conditions? Yeah. Yeah, so specifically there's the BRIDGE program, and I don't know if you've heard of the BRIDGE program. No, I haven't. Yeah, it's around the GLP-1s. And so there's three different GLP-1s that the Bridge Program offers. And there's some specific criteria. But yeah, it's. Something that's going to give people more access to those. It caps it. At $ 50 and allows people to release.

5:05 Wow, $ 50 a month? Yeah, yeah. Wow, and those GLP-1s I've heard from people are pretty expensive. Yes, yes. Yes, they are very expensive, and especially someone on a fixed. Income, right? Right, right. Yeah, absolutely. I had someone from an in-home care association on three months ago, I think, and they had mentioned a new program. I believe it came out a couple years ago, the GUIDE program, which is respite help for caregivers, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So yeah, there's, again, there's like certain criteria. And one of the biggest things I'll mention, and there's another program that's a different type of program, but there's some similarities.

5:51 And so basically you have to be on original Medicare. You can't be on a Medicare Advantage plan. So, you know, a large percentage of the population is on a Medicare Advantage plan. And of course- It really depends on that person's circumstance if they're really needing that care. And there's also the ACCESS program, which is a new care model around chronic conditions. So that's another chronic condition change. And so, again, that's based on original Medicare. Again, that's Part A, your hospitalization, Part B, your medical coverage. So it's basically the foundation program. of your coverage. And so some people may think that it's worth it to no longer be on Medicare Advantage to access those programs.

6:34 And some people might find the costs can really skyrocket for them depending on their health. Got it. So Medicare A and Medicare B are what's considered the original. Yes. And Medicare... We call it straight Medicare as well. Oh, okay. So which Medicare A isn't going to kick in unless you're in the hospital? So how that works actually is so either you turn 65. Sometimes it's for people that are younger, depending on their health situation. But for a majority of the population, when you turn 65, if you've worked in the United States more than 10 years, you're eligible to. to start receiving Part A and Part B. Part A being generally, for most people, no extra cost. Part B having a premium depending on your income.

7:26 Okay. All right. And that premium usually, doesn't that get deducted out of your Social Security benefits? It can. If you're not taking social security, then when you turn 65, you can sign up for it. And then you. Don't have to obviously take social security to get that benefit. Got it. Okay. All right. But then they have, and so that's the, I guess one big thing that's confused me is, I've heard about Medicare A and B for the longest time, but then you hear about Medicare Advantage. But if you have Advantage, then you don't have Part B. Is that correct? So basically part A and B is your foundation. And so again, that's something that's earned. And then like I said, A is hospitalization, B is medical coverage. And so beyond that, you can go three different ways. So once you have your foundation, like your.

8:22 Ticket into Medicare, you. Can just simply add on a prescription drug plan because that's not a part. Of A or B. Okay. Or you can choose Medicare Advantage or a Medigap or Medicare supplement. And so those are two distinctly different types of coverage. And it's interesting. I actually just recently talked to someone that said that they were not going to go on Medicare Advantage. So is there a medical... need that would make you want to choose advantage, an advantage plan?

9:05 So usually when I'm talking somebody through, you know, when they're going into Medicare for the first. Time, I usually, you know, I'm always, not usually, I'm always looking at their situation. So I mean, their living situation. Their health, their income, you know, and then of course looking at their doctors, prescriptions, things like that. So we really want to take a look at all of those things because it's very dependent on the person's first, their needs. And of course, income plays a huge role in that, right? So if somebody is not able to afford a supplement, it's a little bit different. Many Medicare Advantage plans don't have a monthly premium, whereas Medicare supplements or Medigap do have a monthly premium.

9:50 Okay. All right. It seems like every year it just gets more confusing. I think it can. I mean, especially, you know, know, if you've been on Medicare for a while and then things are constantly changing, but even if you're new to Medicare and you're used to your health insurance from work, it's, it's very different. Yeah. We're going to have to navigate that this year. Um, my husband, I've got a few years, but, uh, before I have to navigate it, but, uh, Yeah, so that'll be interesting. So, you know, one of the things we talk about in our presentations, you know, we do have a page on Medicare, you know, where we tell people it's really good to look at those explanation of benefits that you get, read through them, make sure that the claims that are on there are actually yours. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to that It seems like catheters is a big one. They get billed for catheters that they've never had. So somebody's fraudulently billing on their account. But it's good to report it. And some people have even said that because they've had multiple instances that they've been issued new Medicare cards. with it.

11:05 But when somebody wants to report that and they use a Medicare agent, can they go through their Medicare agent or is it you have to go directly to the 1-800-Medicare and talk to them to file the report? I definitely like to coach my clients if they want me to be there. You know, that's the thing is obviously it's protected health information. And so, um, they're required in some, not all cases, um, to be there. Um, well, depending on the situation. So when it comes to calling Medicare, you know, I, I don't mind coaching. And of course, um, Medicare will ask if it's okay that I'm on the line with them. Um, and so generally that's, that's what I'd like to do, offer that to them.

11:49 Okay. All right. Um, and then, um, Another thing that we talked to him about is, you know, it's because it can get confusing. You can go to Medicare.gov and you can read through all of the changes, the updates, all of that stuff. But I would imagine, and to be honest, I've not done that. But I would imagine it in certain areas might get technical as far as you know, certain medical diagnoses and terms and things like that. But I actually had one person recently say when I, you know, suggested that it might be good to work with a Medicare agent because they're required to know all of this. And, you know, every year they're required to, you know... And I don't know if you guys have to take tests or what you have to do in order to show that you know the updates and all that stuff. And they said, well, we could just go to Medicare.gov and read it. And I'm like, yeah, you can. I don't know.

12:59 To me, it just seems something that if there's already an agent out there and I trust them and it's a free service to me that, you know, I... could find better use of my time than going on Medicare's website and reading everything myself. But some people choose that. Yeah, for sure. And I think it's always good to have, you know, some level of understanding. But yeah, like you said, it's very confusing. I mean, even understanding Part A, B, your options. I mean, when you go on to Medicare.gov, it's a wonderful resource, but it can be very overwhelming. And there's little nuances for plans and your health and things that you don't consider or even being in a senior community whether assisted independent you know memory care there's a lot to think about when it comes to those situations and of course generally when people are going into those especially assisted living it's not really something they've been thinking about for years it's it's something that's kind of happened as a necessity so that's where if a a licensed insurance agent that has that experience, like myself, you know, I'm in the senior communities quite a bit.

14:13 I understand those needs. Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, you mentioned one thing, like going into an assisted living, it's not something that people have been thinking about and necessarily planning for for years. It ends up being medically necessary to do it. So, yeah, Is something like that an exception where if you have to go into an assisted living that you could mid-year change because there's this exception? You don't have to wait for annual enrollment? Not necessarily. So that's where it can be a little confusing.

14:58 And so what happens is, you know, you're going into assisted living, which is not a skilled nursing 24-hour care. And so it's a little bit different. So sometimes when someone is going into that situation, we can look at other things. That might have come up. Like maybe they never realized, you know, they could get a plan because they have diabetes or they. Have a heart condition. So that's where it's really important in any situation that changes, you just talk to somebody because they understand all of those special enrollment periods and can help through that and see if there's a possibility. Yeah. Because you don't, I mean, you don't want, if it's, if you have six months till annual enrollment, but yet you meet one of the special requirements to get into one of these special plans, you know, that could be, um, could cost you more money in those six months. You might not be getting the specialty care that you need to get. You know, you might have to pay more out of pocket for that. So yeah, there's, I just, I'm a bit, I'm a big advocate for the trusted Medicare agents and using them because that's what they're there for. Right.

16:11 And just as, just as a placement agent is to navigate the senior living communities and, And it's a free resource to the consumers. The Medicare agents are a free resource to the consumers. And so there's a lot of different insurance companies that offer Medicare plans. So is pretty much every agent going to be contracted with every insurance company or is it by choice? Not necessarily. So yeah, it is by choice. And, you know, obviously like in different counties, well, I guess maybe not so obviously to everybody is different counties with specifically with Medicare Advantage, but then with the supplements or Medigaps, I mean, there's a lot of insurance carriers that are not your traditional, you know, insurance carriers you think of when you.

17:07 Think of Medicare. And so, so yeah, so that's where, again, where somebody can, you know, guide you through that, but it doesn't necessarily mean that they offer that particular plan. Okay. So, well, that brings up a good point. So they can help you, guide you through it, but it just, like with those Medigap plans, it's just not a plan that they offer. But if it fits you, I would imagine they would refer you to somebody that could offer that plan to you. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's definitely the right thing to do because And just kind of to piggyback off the Medigap Medicare supplement, and I use those terms interchangeably because, you know, different parts of the country, I like the term Medigap because I, it reminds you that it fills in the gaps.

17:56 Right. Those are the cost gaps that Medicare itself doesn't cover. And so with that, sorry, I was like trying to think of. Where I'm going. It's, it's early. Okay. But yeah, so with Medigap, the thing is there's really no difference in how they're offered. So what I mean by that is let's go with Plan G. So Plan G is the one that fills in the most gaps for consumers. And so with that, every insurance company can't deviate from what that cost coverage looks like.

18:37 That's regulated. Okay. So it doesn't necessarily mean that maybe it's not going to be one is better than the other as far as coverage goes. So they can't be different. The difference is going to be. In the company and the cost. Okay. So- So a lot of times, you know, you have equal costs. But maybe even equal companies that are offering plan G, but I might not be contracted with that particular company. Now, if you choose that company, you've had experience with them or. You know about them or you like them and you want to go with them, definitely, you know, I would refer them out. But in general terms, it could be very equal and you could just choose to go with the company I offer, if that makes sense.

19:21 It does. Yeah. And they're already up to G. In the alphabet. I mean, we're going to be all the way through the alphabet here soon. Well, we used to have F, but that was actually, you have to be grandfathered and you have. To have been born before 2020 to have F. And that basically covered everything that Medicare didn't cover. And so they have phased that one out. And so just... is the top letter, at least for now. Yeah. I didn't say top letter, I mean the top in cost coverage. You said that F was in 2020. Was that more around the COVID and things like that? Or is it just timing? It just Yeah, I.

20:11 Believe it was more timing and, of course, you know, cost-related. Okay. All right. One of the Medicare scams I hear about a lot is that, you know, someone is convinced to change their policy to something else. And it could be, you know... So it's a plan that, you know, doesn't really work for them. They end up maybe having to change a lot of their medical professionals or they're having more out-of-pocket costs. And then they realize that it wasn't a good change. Do they normally have to wait until annual enrollment again before they can then go back?

21:03 It's quite possible. So it really depends. I mean, we, you know, I have done this with clients before where we've contacted Medicare and, you know, specifically because they were very unhappy and it's, you know, it didn't necessarily mean it was a change, but they were able to at least file a complaint, which I think is really important because people should be randomly. Calling you to change your plan and convince you. And, you know, there's a lot of confusion, you know, around that and tactics that they use. Right. And so that's the hard part is it doesn't necessarily mean you can change your plan the following month, but, you know, your agent should be working diligently with you to figure it out.

21:46 Right. So that's a good point. You know, filing a complaint because there are very strict rules that Medicare puts out as to how you can contact somebody, when you can contact them, what you can talk about. So let's... let's go through that right now. For sure. Yeah. So yeah, unsolicited calls or contacts in general. So the main thing though, are the phone calls, right? That's, that's the tactics people want to use to be able to get somebody on the phone and encourage them to give up private information so that they can make the switch.

22:26 So there's all sorts of tactics and I'm sure there's new ones coming out all the time that we're not aware aware of. But a lot of times, you know, they may have their name and birth date, you know, that information can be sold, especially if they put it in the internet or, you know, someone's gotten a hold of it. And so then a lot of times the senior will think, oh, they know my information or they really are from this insurance company. And so then they start divulging more and more information. And then all of a sudden that senior is now on a completely different plan. Whether they knowingly wanted to go on that plan or not. They just got switched. Exactly. You know, sometimes they're coerced, right? I mean, it's like, oh, all of these wonderful benefits. And, you know, there are some great benefits, you know, and this really pertains to Medicare Advantage, just to clarify, because, you know, a Medicare supplement works very differently, but it doesn't mean that if someone's on a Medicare supplement, they wouldn't be put on a Medicare Advantage.

23:24 I've had that too. And that is not okay because they can't have both Medicare supplement and a Medicare Advantage plan. So really, though, these scammers, in all cases I've. Seen, putting them on a Medicare Advantage plan that's very different from theirs, not checking their doctors or prescriptions and making sure really, truly this is the right plan for them. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure they're getting paid by commission. And so every sale that they make, they get a commission. off of it. Um, or some sort of, yeah. So commissioning kickbacks, kickbacks, something like that. Right. Yeah, absolutely. So, um, let's say it's April, May and you, Medicare doesn't allow you to just call people.

24:15 Yeah. They have to any time of the year, any time of the year. Right. They have to initiate the, they have to say, I want to talk to you. about this. So say it's April or May and someone says, you know, I'm looking for a new Medicare agent. I'd like to talk to you. So that gives you permission to talk to them. But are you able to then talk to them about specific Medicare? Like, well, you wouldn't at that point know what the new stuff is going to be. Yeah. For the following year. Right. Yeah. So they can either call An agent directly, or they can get permission to.

24:58 Contact, whether that's, you know, you know, I, you. Know, someone sends them like, well, for example, for me, it's like, if I go out to an event, so I'm out in the community quite a bit and I have these little forms that they can fill out if they want me to reach out to them so they don't have to initiate the call. So those are generally the options. And so, but yeah, nobody should be calling you without your permission and Medicare will never call you unless you've contacted Medicare and you're waiting for a call back, but they won't ever initiate a phone call. So it's, it's so important that anytime somebody calls you that right there, you know, unless it's your agent, you know, or again, you've given them permission, that should be a red flag.

25:43 A red flag. Right. Right. Um, When is it that you're able to talk to, let's say, your current clients about upcoming changes that are going to start, like, on Thursday? Yeah, October 1st. October 1st, okay. And that's when, you know, Medicare.gov has all of the new plans for the following year. Okay. Information is readily available online. So for us to talk about that, but again, we need permission. And before we even talk about the plans too, here's another thing is we need them to sign. So not only do we need permission to contact, we also need them to sign a form ahead of time stating that it's okay. We're actually talking about the different plans and what specifically we're talking about. So whether it's a Medicare advantage, a prescription drug plan, a hospital indemnity plan.

26:36 A supplement. Interesting. All right. Have you, with all of the, you know, aggressive organizations trying to get you to change, or maybe it's an outright scammer, and people file complaints, do you guys ever as agents hear about when, you know, people are prosecuted? Or do they even get prosecuted? Or, I mean, maybe you guys don't hear anything about it. We have heard of call centers closing down. Okay. Again, I don't know beyond that, you know, obviously other organizations that are billing fraudulently, we have seen quite a few of that, you know, quite a few of those cases in the news and those situations going.

27:22 To trial and so on. So, but yeah, with the scammers that are specifically calling and changing plans, not in particular, but again, we've, we've seen some, we've definitely seen some changes and some processes being put into place to to help mitigate. All of that. But that's good. They'll continue. So yes, there's new tactics. So one thing I just want to mention too, is a lot of times when people are calling you, they're actually not licensed agents. So that's kind of how they can get around the role. And then they can transfer you to a licensed agent when you do say yes, but really that's a shame tactic because again, you're, you know, you're in a sense, coercing or trying to convince that, you know, that senior.

28:06 To, Because then all that person has to say is, yes, I'd like to talk about this and I want to talk. And then that's, in essence, permission that's then given. And then they can get to a licensed agent. And that is very shady. That is very shady. And I didn't think about that, but I'm sure it happens all the time. Because if you're not a licensed agent, then those Medicare rules don't apply to you as far as... you know, because you're not licensed through Medicare. But is there a department within Medicare or something that you can get on and say, is this person a licensed agent through Medicare?

28:50 And do they have any complaints against them? Or, you know, just to kind of check them out. Yeah, you can definitely go on to the national website. Insurance producers, uh, site. And I can, I don't know if there's a link we could give, um, NIPR is just. An easy way to, to remember it. Um, and yeah, you can do a search. And so people, um, you know, should be asking for license numbers if they feel concerned. And now somebody could fake a license number, but you could be on the line with that person and looking at now, granted it is a website. So you would have to do a little bit. Of research, but I mean, you can you know, always pause the conversation, but I always tell people don't talk to strangers. That's my mantra, especially this time of year is just don't talk to strangers because even if you verify their license agent, it doesn't mean that they're following.

29:42 Exactly. You don't know them. Um, all you've done is verify their licensed agent, but are they just trying to make a sale or do they really have your best interest at heart? Um, so that's why we, you know, tell people, you know, get a referral from someone that you trust. who do they use? Right. And, you know, like we, we've done a lot with, um, Archwell health and they have, um, Medicare agents that they have vetted, um, that they can refer out and stuff like that. But, um, um, I was thinking of something and it just went out of my head as quick as it came in. And I tell people interview your interview.

30:23 True. You know, you don't have to, you know, the first agent that's referred to you. I mean, if it's a trusted. Person, you know, that has worked with you before, like, you know, one-on-one, not just, you know. Of, I mean, though that's, you know, you can interview them, ask them questions. I've been interviewed many times and, you know. I just look at it like it's an opportunity to show them, you know, that I'm a trusted advisor and, but it, you know, obviously too, you know, they don't have to work with me and, There's plenty out there, but it's really important they do their due diligence. And interviewing would be great because sometimes you just get the gut feeling that something doesn't seem right. Or, you know, then during the interview, you find out they only work with certain, you know, insurance companies. And that's not where you're at. And you want to stay with the company that you're at. So then that tells you that they wouldn't be the best person for you. Right. Yeah, no, interviewing is great. And I like how you said that you don't mind being interviewed, right? No licensed Medicare agent should mind being interviewed because somebody is just doing their due diligence. They don't know you. And if you want to be their trusted, you know, Medicare advisor and have their best interest at heart, there should be no issue with you getting interviewed at all because you learn more about them as well. you know, during the interview process.

31:54 So your current clients, for you to call your current clients to talk about new things that you think, new plans, changes, you know, that you think it might benefit them to maybe add something on or go to a different plan, you're allowed to contact them after October 1st, but if they're your current clients, do you still have to have the, get permission to talk about all that? If they're your current client, you don't need permission. Okay. You know, if you, if they're not your client, you need to gain permission again. Um, you need to, you know, go through the process.

32:37 Like I told you to get before you're talking about plans, you know, in particular, um, And so that's really important too. And, you know, just something else that's important is like, I am generally following up with my. Clients throughout the year. And specifically as we get closer to October, just to make sure that they're reviewing their annual notice of change. I know a lot of people, you know, as they've been on Medicare year after year, maybe the same plan, they're like, Oh, you know, I'm not, you know, I know what to expect or I, you know, I'm happy with this plan no matter what, but the reality is plans can really drastically change and plans can go away too. And so it's really, really important that especially, you know, I mean, really you're reading all of your mail from your insurance company and from Medicare, because it could tell you that a plan is going away. It could tell you that the costs are changing dramatically. And so, you know, this might be the time you want to actually review and determine if you need to make a change.

33:37 Right. So there's also a time period that starts after the first of the year. But that's different than annual enrollment. Right. So explain what that is. Yeah. So a lot of times people will maybe not make the change, you know, that October through December, October 15th specifically through December 7th. And then they'll feel like, you know, the first of the year rolls around, especially if they didn't read their annual notes of change and. They're like, I didn't realize this had changed. And, you know, sometimes things, you know, aren't very clear to you until you actually are using your plan. You go to the doctors and you find out that it's more expensive or maybe they're not covered or, yeah.

34:22 Right. Or maybe you didn't realize there's no longer some extra benefits you wanted or they're reduced or something along those lines. Right. Or sometimes people will start a new plan and they're just realizing, nope, it's not going to work for me. So yeah, so from January to March, you do have an opportunity to make a one-time switch with Medicare Advantage. And so, yes, that's definitely a great opportunity to also try out the plan. So I always tell people, use your extra benefits if you can, your dental, vision, hearing, any over-the-counter, your fitness benefits, and see, of course, your specialist and fill your prescriptions because then you have until March 31st to make that one-time change.

35:05 And is that just with Medicare Advantage? With Medicare Advantage, yes. That's it? So January 1st through March 31st, that one-time change is Medicare Advantage only. Yeah. And there are some other things too. I mean, I don't want to say it's just Medicare Advantage, but that particularly is the big one. So you can't change your prescription drug plan in that timeframe. So that's what I really want people to understand. And so. To make it more clear, Medicare-managed plans, many of them have prescription drug plans embedded into the plan. And so for some people, though, if they're on a Medicare supplement, they have a standalone prescription drug plan.

35:48 Or if they're on original. Medicare, they have a standalone. And so that's a time that you would be able to make that adjustment. And not have to worry about your prescription supplement. being entangled with that policy? Because you said you can't change your prescription plan in those three months. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drugs, you wouldn't have a standalone plan because it's part of it, right? But if you, let's say you're on a Medigap plan and you decided, oh, my prescription drug plan is kind of expensive. I need to change it from October to December and then January rolls around, then you wouldn't be able to make that adjustment. again, with the prescription drug plan, but with the Medicare managed plan specifically. Now, I'll just say that there are a lot of different types of enrollment periods.

36:41 And so those, I know we don't have enough time. To go through all of those, but there's your initial enrollment when you turn 65, there's a general enrollment, and then that also falls within January to March. And so Again, that's where a licensed agent can really help you understand that because it is really confusing. And that's what we do is we spend our time going through all of those. And every single year, we take a test with all of those same rules. And a lot of times with every insurance carrier, they repeat a lot of that. And so it can get very embedded. And it's obviously something that most people on Medicare aren't reviewing over. And over again. Right. So. That makes sense for someone who might be 63, 64, coming up where they know for that initial enrollment, they've got the three months prior to the month of their 65th birthday, the month of, and then the three months after, as long as they don't have comparable insurance coverage through an employer. If they have that, then they just have to get some sort of letter from their employer stating they've got that coverage. So when they do sign up for Medicare after they retire, don't have that coverage, whatever it is, they're not going to get penalized. But it's good then to... talk to a licensed Medicare agent as you're, you're like, okay, well, you know, I just turned 64.

38:10 Maybe I should be talking to somebody to figure out that, you know, to confirm that I have the right timeframe that I need to sign up for, because, you know, some people might think they have to sign up, but they're still working and they still have that comparable insurance coverage. So they don't really, that delays when they have to sign up and then and they won't get penalized, but then other people don't get sign up until they're 67, 68. And they don't have that insurance coverage or comparable, I guess, insurance coverage, the right insurance coverage. And now they're penalized. Yeah. So I recommend honestly, fifties, you know, in some cases it might not make sense, but I mean, even if you have, a parent that's on Medicare and you're not quite there is start getting involved.

39:01 I mean, if they're comfortable with it, I work with a. Lot of power of attorneys, family members who are giving their parents care. Or loved one care. And I love educating them because then they're more prepared because at minimum, you should be talking to somebody about Medicare when you're like 65 And I say that because as people's income grows, so can what they have to pay. Grow on their monthly premium. And so, you know, again, that's, you know, a lot to consume at this point in time, but talking to somebody so they can help you understand what your share will be when you turn 65 or when you start taking Medicare, because it's a two-year look back on your income and you could be paying you know, hundreds of dollars on top of that. And maybe that's not an option because you can't, you know, and that's also a tax specific question too, but having your team, your financial advisor, your insurance agent, and your CPA to be your team early on to help you kind of figure that out, what retirement looks like, because it's more than just, do I have enough money to pay for you know, my living.

40:14 Expenses, my expenses as I get older. It's also what is going to be my share of costs with my medical and how can I offset all of that? Yeah. Medical is a big part of your retirement. I mean, it's just unfortunately inevitable that the older we get, you know, I'm not, it might not happen, but you just have a higher likelihood of maybe coming down with a chronic illness and right? Being diagnosed with something, you know, and it, we all like to think we're going to live forever and we're not going to get sick. We're not going to get cancer. We're not going to get this, but at some point something happens. And so being prepared for that is, is great.

41:01 Right. And, and yeah. And so like you said, even in the fifties, right. You have somebody that you're, you're caring for and whether you have power of attorney or not, as long as the person gives permission for you to be involved, then, you know, that can really help. Because one thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is, you know, I still think I'm pretty good at retaining information, but sometimes it'll be like when something jogs my memory, I'll be like, oh yeah, I completely forgot about that. And that happens more the older we get. It's just part of life. I think our brain gets so full of information that it's like, okay, I've got to start picking and choosing what's going to stay in here.

41:51 Yeah. Yeah, definitely. So yeah, it definitely gets harder and it doesn't hurt. I mean, again, if you're comfortable to have somebody to help you, because it's a lot, a lot of information and you know, and if you're not one who is comfortable with the internet too, there are so many resources on the internet, especially logging into your account with your insurance company and having access to all of that real time, your claims, like you were talking about earlier and making sure there's nothing fraudulent in there. Those are all so important because letters. It's easy to dismiss them or lose them, but everything is online and it can be very valuable information. Yeah, absolutely.

42:31 Wow. All right. So if people haven't already that are currently on Medicare, they need to get in touch with their agent to talk about what's happening, this annual enrollment. So they can make a determination. Are they staying on their same plan or is there a better one out there? Or if they don't have a Medicare agent, you know, talk to your friends and family and find out who they use and trust. And then go interview the person. You know, doing a Google search is one thing, but you really have to be careful who you choose on a Google search.

43:13 Right. Right? Um, so now that I brought that up is can, can you go on medicare.gov and is there something on there that says like looking for an agent and you can put like your zip code in? I mean, I haven't seen it and that's a great question. And I was, I was just going to take a look. I don't believe that they do that because you know, They can't really, I mean, obviously they can track your license, but they. Don't really know who you are and what. Okay. It's so specialized. Yes. Yeah. And so, I mean, just, you know, I'm looking to see for sure, but I don't, I don't see any place that they do it. And if they did, I would have my name on there for sure. But yeah, there's, I mean, there's lots of resources to out there. You can, you can go, like you were talking about Archwell and Centerwall.

44:06 They have, you know, they work with, with trusted Medicare. Yeah. I was just going to say, you could ask your, your, your primary care doctor. Your primary care. Yeah. I work with a lot of primary care doctors, dentists, things like that. And so, yeah. And, You know, too, like, just so you know that, you know, any trusted Medicare agent, you know, when you're interviewing them, ask them their experience, you know, ask them, you know, what, you know, they, you know, if they know about changes that are upcoming, ask them, you know, what, how they work with their clients, you know, specifically, are they in touch with them just once a year when it's annual moment? Are they involved, you know, and of course, again, talk to your friends that's, you know, or people specifically that have worked with a Medicare agent. Of course, you can always get a referral like, oh, I know this Medicare agent, but people that have worked with them one-on-one will know what their track record is like.

45:02 Nice. All right. Well, that's some great information. And, you know, they can always call Alicia Rosenquist as well. Because Alicia is trusted with a lot of doctors, dentists, primary care doctors. Do you specifically do Maricopa County? I actually am all over Arizona. I have clients all over Arizona. I'm licensed in other states as well. So California, Michigan, Utah, and more. So yeah, so basically where family and friends are. Soon to be Tennessee, where I have some friends that would like my help. But yeah, so I'm happy to help or have team members that you can trust that I can send your.

45:46 Way and share their information. All right. Well, thank you, Alicia, for being on and sharing all of this. And hopefully annual enrollment goes very smoothly and you are able to get some sleep in the next 45 days or almost 60 days. Yes, I'm going to try, but yes, it's important that I take care of my current clients and anybody that needs help because it is, like you said, it's overwhelming, confusing, and more importantly, there's just so many scammers out there that are taking advantage. Of people and And really ruining their lives. You know, that's what bothers me. You know, ruining their lives that they're, you know, they can't get to their doctor's appointment. They can't get the benefits they need.

46:29 You know, even if it's just for a month or two, it's still, and there's still a lot of stress on them. Absolutely. The stress is awful. It just begins the whole domino effect. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, I hope I see you out and about to different communities soon. Yes. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah, you're welcome. It's been an honor. All right. Thanks, Alicia. Take care. All right. You too. All right, everyone. So, wow, lots of information. Get with your trusted Medicare agent. Annual enrollment starts on Thursday the 15th and runs until December 7th. Don't have a trusted agent? Get a referral from a family or friend that you trust on who they use.

47:12 reach out to Alicia. She's trusted with a lot of different primary care doctors in Arizona and those few other states that she talked about. Don't forget, go to our website, roseadvocacy.org. All of our social media links are at the top. All of our radio show episodes can be found on our YouTube channel and also the letstalkaboutscams.com website. And scroll down to the we need to be making scam prevention a habit. We're at that day and time that it really needs to be a habit. Because if you haven't been contacted yet by a scammer, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when and how often because they just are relentless. Brian will be here next week and then I'll be back at the end of the month. So I'll see you in a couple weeks.

48:06 Well, that's all the knowledge for this episode. Tune in every Tuesday at 8 a.m. Pacific time on K4HD Radio at K4HD. com as Joyce explores a variety of knowledge so you have the power to make scam protection your healthy habit. And until then, feel free to reach out to Joyce and let's talk about scams.