Congratulations! Medicare is the silver lining for many turning 65. For many this will be the first Health Care insurance they have ever had. And other financial relief from rising cost of a group or independent health or drug plan. Give one of our brokers a call we are happy to help.

Medicare is available for certain people with disabilities who are under age 65. These individuals must have received Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months or have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). There is a five month waiting period after a beneficiary is determined to be disabled before a beneficiary begins to collect Social Security Disability benefits. People with ESRD and ALS, in contrast to persons with other causes of disability, do not have to collect benefits for 24 months in order to be eligible for Medicare. Are you approaching 24 months of SSDI or you are currently undergoing a transplant of some kind?

This can have many moving parts. Give us a call we can help you understand your options.

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that:

Helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources

Offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, like nursing home care and personal care services

Individuals at least 65 years of age, individuals who have been on disability for at least 24 months, and individuals with either ALS or ESRD are eligible for Medicare.

Medicare isn’t part of the Health Insurance Marketplace®, so if you have Medicare coverage now you don’t need to do anything.

The Marketplace won’t affect your Medicare choices or benefits. No matter how you get Medicare, whether through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO), you won’t have to make any changes.

An O’Neal Insurance Group Broker/Agent can assist in reviewing all your Medicare options available to you in your state and plan service area.

The Medicare program was established to provide healthcare benefits in retirement. Prior to the program, retirees who lost coverage provided by their employer’s group health policy had limited options for health insurance.

No, Medicare supplements or medigap plan work with Original Medicare coverage to provide coverage for their members. Medicare Advantage plans operate independently from Original Medicare and Supplements.

Medigap insurance plans are also referred to as Medicare supplements or Medicare gap insurance. It has this name because it fills in the “gaps” that Original Medicare leaves for the beneficiary to pay.