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Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions
Trying to pick a health insurance plan can be a chore for anyone. For many people, just mentioning the word "open enrollment" sends shivers down the spine. It seems like there's always a nagging feeling that you're wasting money, choosing a plan with poor in-network care, or both. One would think that health insurance gets easier as you approach retirement age, but the truth is that picking an initial Medicare coverage plan can be daunting.
Unfortunately, the confusing process of signing up for Medicare causes many seniors to forego healthcare coverage altogether. After all, Medicare enrollment can involve several federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (or SSA) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS).
At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, our passion is guiding seniors through the confusion of Medicare. That way, they can enjoy retirement with peace of mind knowing they are protected and ready for life after 65. We work with dozens of insurance companies, giving our clients the chance to choose a plan that best fits their lifestyle.
We choose to design our senior insurance plans with a focus on optimal benefits structure, lower costs, and personalized service. Some independent insurance agencies see their aging customers as nothing more than a financial transaction waiting to happen. In contrast, we treat each of our clients with respect and dignity as we help them navigate the confusing waters of Medicare. Combined with individualized service, we help older Americans make well-informed decisions about insurance. Whether you're in need of senior Medicare Supplement Plan insurance in West Ashley or simply have questions about signing up for Medicare, our team is here to help.
- Helping Seniors Make Better-Informed Medicare Decisions
- What is Medicare?
- The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including
- Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in West Ashley
- Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
- Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in West Ashley, SC
- How Medicare Advantage Plans Work
- Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules
- Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance
- The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment
What is Medicare?
If you're approaching the golden years of your life, it's important you understand what Medicare is if you don't already.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program reserved for people older than 65 who have worked full-time for at least ten years. The Medicare program is paid for by a combination of worker payroll tax, premiums paid by Medicare enrollees, and the U.S. government.
There are four parts of Medicare:
This type of Medicare is free for most U.S. citizens. Medicare Part A helps older adults pay for care in a nursing facility, hospital visits, and some forms of in-home senior care.
This tier costs around $100 per month. It covers different outpatient services like lab tests, preventative care, doctor's visits, mental health care, clinical trials, and some forms of surgery.
This type of Medicare is most often called Medicare Advantage. This tier of Medicare allows seniors to choose health plans provided by insurance companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Individuals who use Medicare Advantage commonly use Medicare supplement plan insurance to help pay for health care costs that Original Medicare won't cover, like coinsurance, deductibles, and copayments.
Sometimes called "PDPs," these plans add drug coverage to standard Medicare, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS), some Medicare Cost Plans, and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA).
The amount of money you pay for your health care depends on several factors, including:
- What kind of care you need, and how often it is needed.
- The type of Medicare coverage you choose.
- Whether there are alternative insurance policies that will help fill gaps in your coverage
- Whether a doctor agrees to charge you the same amount that Medicare will cover for a medical service
At Senior Medicare Insurance Services, we offer a number of health insurance solutions for seniors. Two of our most used services include Medicare Advantage plan insurance and Medicare supplement plan insurance.
Senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in West Ashley
Sometimes called Medigap, the purpose of Medicare Supplement Insurance is to help fill in "gaps" that might not be covered by Original Medicare. You can think of a Medigap policy as a supplement for your Original Medicare benefits.
Private companies like Senior Medicare Insurance Services sell this type of insurance right here in South Carolina. While Original Medicare will pay for much of the cost associated with health care services you need, it may not cover all of your expenses. Generally, Medigap policies do not cover costs stemming from eyeglasses, private-duty nurses, dental care, hearing aids, or long-term care.
Depending on the Medicare Supplement Plan that you choose, it may cover out-of-the-country medical services when you travel abroad. Assuming you have Original Medicare coverage, your policy will cover its share of Medicare-approved health care costs. Once your Original Medicare coverage reaches its limit, your Medigap policy will pay its share of the fees.
Our Medigap policies are drafted to meet your specific needs, and can help cover remaining health care costs such as:
Deductibles
Copayments
Coinsurance
Important Information About Senior Supplement Plan Insurance
To dispel some confusion, you should know that a Medigap policy is not the same as a Medicare Advantage Plan. The latter helps you receive Medicare benefits, while the former supplements the benefits you obtain through your Original Medicare plan. As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:
As you begin to explore Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, keep the following important information in mind:
- To qualify for a Medigap policy, you must first have Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B.
- Payments on your Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan will be made to the private insurance company that you choose, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. These payments are made every month and are paid in addition to the monthly payment you make for Medicare Part B.
- If you are the holder of a Medicare Advantage Plan, it is illegal for an insurance company to sell you a senior Medicare Supplement Policy. If you plan on switching back to an Original Medicare plan, you may be able to purchase a Medigap policy.
- If you have health problems as you age, your standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed to be renewable. So long as you pay your monthly premium, your insurance provider cannot cancel your policy.
- Medigap policies only cover one person. If you have a spouse or family member that would like coverage, they must purchase a separate policy.
- You may only buy a Senior Medicare Supplement Plan from an insurance agent that is licensed to sell them in your state. Senior Medicare Insurance Services has been licensed to sell Medigap policies in South Carolina for years. We have helped countless seniors get the Medicare coverage they need and continue to do so to this day.
- In the past, Medigap policies were able to cover costs related to prescription drugs. As of January 1st, 2006, prescription drug coverage is not available on Medicare Supplement Plans. The best way to get coverage for your prescription drugs is to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, often called Part D. Contact our office today to learn more about paying premiums on Medigap and Medicare plans.
For many people, the best time to buy senior Medicare Supplement Plan Insurance in West Ashley is during the 7 months Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This period starts the day you turn 65 years old, so long as you hold Medical Insurance (Medicare Part B). Generally, during the enrollment period, you get more policy choices and better pricing. Once the enrollment period is over, you may not be able to purchase a Medigap policy. Contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services today to determine if you qualify for a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan.
Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance in West Ashley, SC
A Medicare Advantage Plan is a kind of Medicare health coverage designed to provide seniors with all their Part A and Part B Medicare benefits. Many Medicare Advantage Plans will often include coverage of the following:
- Preferred Provider Organizations
- Special Needs Plans
- Private Fee-for-Service
- Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans
- Health Maintenance Organizations
In addition, most Medicare Advantage Plans give seniors coverage for their prescription drug needs. When you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan through Senior Medicare Insurance Services, your Medicare benefits are covered through your plan and will not be paid for by traditional Medicare.
How Medicare Advantage Plans Work
Sometimes called "MA Plans" or "Part C," Medicare Advantage Plans are considered an "all in one" solution to Original Medicare. Senior Medicare Advantage Plans are only offered by private companies that are approved, like Senior Medicare Insurance Services. Seniors who enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan are still on Medicare. However, these individuals enjoy bundled plans that give seniors the benefits of hospital insurance (Medicare Part A), medical insurance (Medicare Part B), and sometimes drug coverage (Part D).
Medicare Advantage Plans are very popular because they cover all Medicare services and make life a little easier for seniors who have trouble understanding the nuances of Medicare.
When you contact Senior Medicare Insurance Services to choose your Medicare Advantage Plan, ask your agent about Medicare prescription drug coverage. Unless you already have drug coverage (Part D), you should seriously consider Part D coverage to help reduce costs associated with prescription drugs. You may also want to consider a Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan to help fill gaps in coverage that Original Medicare will not cover.
Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance Rules
Medicare works by paying a set amount of money to the companies that offer senior Medicare Advantage Plan insurance in West Ashley. That money is used to pay for the care services that you need. Because Medicare Advantage Plans are different, you should expect out-of-pocket costs to vary depending on the plan you choose.
Different plans have different rules for how you receive services, such as:
If you must go to facilities, suppliers, or doctors that belong to your Advantage Plan for non-urgent and non-emergency care.-
Whether you must get a referral to see a specialized doctor
Companies that offer Medicare Advantage Plans must follow strict rules, which are set by Medicare and can change every year.
Paying for Your Senior Medicare Advantage Plan Insurance
How much you pay for your Medicare Advantage Plan varies and depends on a few different factors. In most cases, if you need a kind of medical service, you will need to rely on the doctors and providers in your plan's service area and network to pay the lowest amounts. In some cases, if you choose to use a service outside of your plan's network of coverage, you may have to pay out-of-pocket.
We encourage you to contact our office today to learn more about Medicare Advantage Plans, how they work, what your options are, and how often you will have to pay out-of-pocket, if at all.
The Senior Medicare Insurance Services Commitment
Since our company was founded, we have led the insurance industry by providing our clients with the most valuable, helpful insurance solutions available. We are fully committed to our current and prospective clients by:
Choosing to focus on personalized, one-on-one service. When you work with our team, know that we will always design your health insurance plan with your best interests in mind.-
Listening to your specific needs. -
Responding to all inquiries and questions promptly and with a friendly attitude. -
Providing you with the best customer service in the senior health insurance industry, whether you have questions or are ready to move forward with a Medicare plan.
Our mission is to help give seniors the best Medicare assistance available so that they may understand the Medicare process and make an informed health coverage decision. We have the knowledge, skills, and experience to assist anyone interested in Medicare. Our personal goal is to become a lifetime resource for our clients and give them greater confidence in choosing their insurance plans.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 8 organizations which offer 82 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
Latest News in West Ashley, SC
This West Ashley home flooded so much, Charleston County is buying and demolishing it
Madeline Quonhttps://www.postandcourier.com/news/west-ashley-charleston-county-flood/article_854a496e-84da-11ef-ab98-9f1aa4e6598b.html
Eric Fore and his wife didn’t anticipate that becoming homeowners would be one of the most stressful experiences of their lives.When they bought a home in West Ashley on Boone Hall Drive in 2021, they'd heard the house was prone to flooding — it was swamped during the Great Flood of 2015. But they didn’t realize just how bad it was until they moved in."I was in the military for eight years, deployed and everything, and I’ve never been as stressed as I was about this house," Fore told The Post a...
Eric Fore and his wife didn’t anticipate that becoming homeowners would be one of the most stressful experiences of their lives.
When they bought a home in West Ashley on Boone Hall Drive in 2021, they'd heard the house was prone to flooding — it was swamped during the Great Flood of 2015. But they didn’t realize just how bad it was until they moved in.
"I was in the military for eight years, deployed and everything, and I’ve never been as stressed as I was about this house," Fore told The Post and Courier.
But Charleston County will be taking the house off the Fores' hands — alleviating their stress. On Aug. 13, County Council voted to approve a federal grant of over $414,000, allowing the county to acquire the house and demolish it.
The county is buying the property by using the flood mitigation assistance program under Federal Emergency Management Agency. Sean Dove, county floodplain management coordinator, said most of the grant money — around $343,000 — will be used to purchase the property at just around market value, according to estimates on the real estate website Zillow. The rest will go toward inspections, demolition and site work. He added there's also contingency funding for any unforeseen events.
Fore said the purchase would be enough to cover what's left of their mortgage, and put a little away for their next home.
Dove said while this buyout is a special circumstance, the county is looking into acquisition and buyout programs for anyone whose house is prone to flooding. It's not something widely available to residents, but Dove said if more people want the county to buy out their flood-vulnerable house the county will look into it.
Initially, the county's plan in 2019 was to elevate this house, along with one on James Island using the grant funds. The house on James Island was successfully elevated.
But Dove said the county couldn't find any contractors confident they could elevate the house on Boone Hall Drive.
As a result, the county was left with a house that floods severely, and a homeowner who inherited the grant and the danger of living in an area prone to flooding. While the county wasn't able to elevate the house, they were able to work with the state to change the scope of the grant, Dove said. Now, they'll be able to demolish the house and use the property to help with maintenance to a drainage canal behind it.
It won't be the first flood mitigation project the county has done on Boone Hall Drive. Chris Wannamaker, county stormwater and utility manager, said the county finished installing a pipe from the street to the canal in August to help with drainage. He said Fore had reached out to him after Tropical Storm Debby to let him know that the project was a success and his yard didn't flood.
Building a fortress
Fore said he spent four days preparing for flooding from Hurricane Ian in 2022. He had around 60 sandbags around the house — barricading all doors, and even the inside of the garage door. He described the house as a fortress after he prepped it for the hurricane.
During the storm, floodwater rose up to around 1.5 feet around the house, Fore said.
"The only thing that kept water from coming in was the fact that I had Flex-Sealed the front door shut," Fore said.
Dollar Tree sprouting in a new spot in West Ashley. What you need to know.
Teri Errico Griffishttps://www.postandcourier.com/business/charleston-dollar-tree-bed-bath-beyond-fall-sale/article_9b98c3b2-7a71-11ef-9d4e-f771707a37eb.html
Two months after Dollar Tree closed its Sam Rittenberg Boulevard location, the discount retailer has found a new home not far away.The chain will open a new 23,683-square-foot store at West Ashley Shoppes, taking over the former Bed Bath & Beyond that has been vacant for the better part of a year....
Two months after Dollar Tree closed its Sam Rittenberg Boulevard location, the discount retailer has found a new home not far away.
The chain will open a new 23,683-square-foot store at West Ashley Shoppes, taking over the former Bed Bath & Beyond that has been vacant for the better part of a year.
The retailer will join World Market, Party City, Once Upon a Child, Monster Music & Movies and the West Ashley DMV in the 140,000-square-foot Orleans Road shopping center, across the street from Citadel Mall.
Dollar Tree, which currently operates more than 8,000 stores throughout the U.S., signed a lease with Continental Realty Corp., a Baltimore real estate investment firm that also owns Mount Pleasant Towne Centre .
The chain's Sam Rittenberg store was closed as part of a renovation project.
Home at last
After 26 years, sisters Carlene Browner and Cassandra B. Richardson have a permanent storefront.
The owners of BR Design Co., a clay jewelry company, have sold their wares in the temporary tables of Charleston's historic City Market for more than two decades.
That's two decades of boxing up their handmade jewelry and bringing them home every night, just to begin again the next morning.
"It feels great to be in such a good place, not having to pack up every single day," Richardson said.
On Oct. 5, she and her sister will celebrate the grand opening of their new indoor space at the downtown market, just through the doors past Callie's Hot Little Biscuit.
BR Design replaced a jewelry store that had been situated inside the City Market for 39 years and recently left.
"You just never know when a space will open up in the Market, or where it will be," Richardson said. "But we jumped at the chance."
The sisters will have giveaways, special guests and more to celebrate the opening starting at 9 a.m.
Bargain shopping
Consign Charleston is hosting its fall sale Oct. 5 in its West Ashley parking lot at 1610 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
The secondhand store, established in 2007, will offer discounts from 20 percent to 50 percent off all items. Shoppers can also enjoy bottomless mimosas.
Consign Charleston offers a curated selection of men's and women's clothing, home décor, jewelry, brand-name accessories, kitchenware, art, furniture and more from upwards of 17,000 consignors.
Lunch time!
Savi Cucina + Wine Bar is now serving lunch seven days a week.
The restaurant in Mount Pleasant Towne Centre offers a variety of fresh dishes, including soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Walk-ins are welcome, but reservations are available for those who need to plan ahead.
Savi also offers happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. daily, with a full dinner service at 5 p.m.
Starting in October, the restaurant will introduce weekend brunch to its offerings.
Block party
The Hayes Park community on Johns Island is having a blowout of a celebration Oct. 12.
New Leaf Builders will be showcasing the model home it built in the new neighborhood, while also showing off its new design studio in the shopping center. The Charleston-based company relocated from its offices just down the street to the development.
Enjoy local food truck Big Boned BBQ, a wine tastings by Beth Jeffcoat, and sushi and light bites at the staged Atrium Villas model home and New Leaf's studio.
The event from 12 to 3 p.m. will celebrate all the businesses in the community, including Emily Daws textiles, which opened in September at at 505 Hayes Park Blvd., Somm Wine Bar, High Steaks butcher shop and Opal Aesthetics, Modern Chiropractic and Simple Tree picture framing.
All that glitters
Freshfields Village on Kiawah Island has gained a new tenant.
Hanebrink Jewelers opened its doors at 140 Gardeners Circle on Oct. 1. The veteran- and family-owned jeweler also has a location in Summerville on S. Main Street.
The full-service jewelry store offers ready-to-wear and custom-designed jewelry. Staff can also perform appraisals and change watch batteries.
Owner Frances Hanebrink is a graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America and a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. She has been in the business for more than 25 years and is joined by her bench jeweler who has more than 30 years experience in the industry and is an expert on all things metal.
Another locally owned jeweler, the century-old Croghan's Jewel Box, is having a trunk sale Oct. 5. The owners of the King Street store are celebrating a decadelong relationship with Los Angeles-based family-owned jeweler Single Stone from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Husband and wife duo, Ari and Corina Madilian of Single Stone, will showcase their heirloom and fine jewelry collections of bands, bracelets, charms and pendants, and earrings. They'll also consult on custom one-of-a-kind designs.
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