Medicare EXCESS CHARGES - Who’s At Risk, and Who’s Covered?

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Medicare excess charges are one of those topics that can sound confusing fast, especially when people hear about a possible “15% upcharge.”

On today’s live Q&A, we’re excited to talk through what excess charges are, why they matter, and how to know if this is something you should be paying attention to with your Medicare coverage.

As always, we’ll be taking your calls live and answering real Medicare questions as they come in. We look forward to discussing this topic with you and helping bring more clarity to a Medicare rule that often gets misunderstood.

Transcript

SPEAKER_09 0:03

When you go on Medicare, there are two primary plans that you are going to get. One of these plans is going to cover something called an excess charge. And an excess charge is whenever a doctor charges more than what Medicare says is payment in full. And so one of these plans that you're going to get if you get a Medicare Settlement Plan is going to cover that excess charge, meaning you're not going to have to come out of your pocket. But the other type of plan that is popular that people get is a plan that doesn't cover it. And so when that happens, that is on you to pay those bills. Welcome to Medicare School Daily. My name is Josh Music. This is my dad, Marvin Music. We're excited you're here. There's a lot going on whenever you start Medicare, when you start Social Security. And so you're in the right place. The goal here is to educate you so that you don't make a mistake and you get everything out of the benefits that you can get. In just a moment, you're going to learn all about these excess charges. We've got a lot of callers lined up that have questions about excess charges. So you're going to get to learn through their uh specific questions. But if at any point you have a question, uh maybe you have a concern or a story, something that's happened, maybe you've had an excess charge and you want to share that with us, we would love to talk to you. The phone number to be a part of today's show is 833-824-2004, 833-824-2004. We would love to talk to you. You can get all your questions answered from Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to noon Central Time, uh, every day, right here on this channel. So don't let your questions go unanswered. Get them answered so you don't make a Medicare mistake.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

All right. So first off, uh we want to make sure you're clear that uh excess charge is what they are, uh how often they occur and of course what to do about them. So what is an excess charge? This means this is a doctor that uh takes Medicare patients, but they are not under the contract that requires them to take the Medicare reimbursement rates as payment in full. They have the legal right to add 15 percent to the bill. Now, a doc that doesn't add to the bill, that's called a participating physician. A doctor that adds is called nonparticipating. They take Medicare patients, but of course, uh they are going to add that 15 percent to the bill. So that's uh the excess charge. Now, how often does it occur? Frankly, very rarely. We would never say never, because that would not be true. Now, I want to specify here there are actually eight States that have some special rules about excess charges, meaning uh six of these eight uh uh providers, doctors can't add to the bill. And keep this in mind as well: no hospital can, no durable medical equipment providers can, no physical therapy uh you know uh uh facilities can, uh only doctors, which would be primary care doctors, specialists, surgeons, anesthesiologists, they can add to the bill. And so there are eight states, again, they have different rules. So let me list those off for you real quickly. Number one, New York. Now, New York will allow access, but they will not allow the full 15 percent. They limit it to 5 percent. Uh states that will not allow it at all uh would be Ohio, uh, Minnesota, uh, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, uh, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Okay, those states uh it's not even permissible at all for any provider to add to the bill. And then we have the State of Connecticut. Now, they will not allow it if a provider is seeing a patient that is on Medicaid, but if they are on, you know, meaning they are on Medicare and Medicaid, but then they can't add the 15 percent, which is not going to be most people, of course. So again, these eight states have special rules. And so how often will access charges occur? Again, very rarely. And the reason for that is because 95 percent of doctors have signed a contract called participating a physician, and they can't add the bill. So at the high end, we will have about 5 percent that could do it, but even the 5 percent that could uh don't always do that. And so statistically we tell people there is about a 2 to 3 percent chance that you will see an excess. So it could happen. When do we see it? Well, typically we are seeing it in in in specialty cancer type facilities. Maybe someone is uh just dealing with a very rare condition, so they have a doctor group that specializes in that rare condition, then they could see an excess charge. And so uh even though they don't happen often, there are some people that are concerned about it because it could happen. Uh and uh course now uh most states allow it. Uh and so we know that the you know rules could change over time. So if you want to get coverage for access, uh if indeed that is an issue, then uh you would want to get a plan G. Plan G will cover excess. Uh beyond the um uh uh the excess charges, plan G will cover all gaps except for the Medicare B deductible. That's the plan I chose. Uh so every single gap is covered by Medicare. I mean, excuse me, every single gap is covered by my G plan other than the B deductible. So if I did go to a doc uh where I had excess, my G pays for it. A lot of people today are going with N plans. Uh so if you have an N plan, that's one of the plans, that's a good plan, but it will not cover excess. So you'd want to be very careful on the end plan because again, if you have that excess, that extra 15 percent, that would have to come out of your pocket. Plus, the N also has a couple of co-pays that you are not responsible for if you had a G plan. I think both are good options. You just have to decide, are you looking for the most comprehensive? And meaning getting excess covered, that's G. If you're not concerned about that, you just want a good MetSup plan uh uh and you want one that is a little bit more budget-friendly, then that would be the N plan. I just talked to somebody uh during the program. I think the difference between N and G was about $50 a month, and that's about average, sometimes a little more, or it could be a little bit less. And so again, excess charges can occur. If they do occur, G plan will cover it, N will not. Uh so you have to decide if that's something that uh really is a risk that you're uh willing to take on or a risk that you would like to transfer uh to the insurance company.

SPEAKER_09 5:44

Okay, let's talk to uh Richard in Texas. Richard, welcome to Medicare School Daily. What questions do you have for us? Hello?

SPEAKER_08 5:54

Yeah, hi, good morning. Hi, good morning.

SPEAKER_09 5:56

Can you hear me? Yes, sir. Okay, great.

SPEAKER_08 6:00

Yeah, so uh just a quick question, uh kind of validation of what's going on with me. Uh I have prostate cancer. I had uh uh prospectomy back in 21 and it's now recurred. So uh I'm under some uh prostate uh some cancer medication for that. Um and I'm going on Medicare in September. So my wife is already on Medicare, she's on a high deductible plan G, which works well for her because uh she barely goes to the doctor and doesn't take uh any medication. Uh but I think uh given my my medical situation and um the fact that she's already on a high deductible, we don't want to have that exposure for both of us.

SPEAKER_09 6:52

Double exposure for the case.

SPEAKER_08 6:53

My plan is a yeah, my plan is a regular plan G with a uh prescription drug plan.

SPEAKER_09 7:02

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_08 7:03

Uh I did talk to uh the folks over there at Medicare School.com. Very, very helpful.

SPEAKER_09 7:10

Thank you. Um they all work for us. I'm glad to hear they were helpful. Who would you talk to if you were Steve Steven Swanson.

SPEAKER_08 7:18

Oh, he's wonderful.

SPEAKER_09 7:19

He's a good guy.

SPEAKER_08 7:20

Um and honestly, uh I have to go with a different broker because I have a health reimbursement account. Oh, it makes sense.

SPEAKER_09 7:29

Yeah, like via benefits or something.

SPEAKER_08 7:32

Exactly. Yeah, that's the one. Yeah. Yep. And and so uh, you know, that's that's a lot of money to turn down, it's like 100%.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Hey Richard, I want to answer your question, but let me let me just uh interrupt for just a quick second. Would you do me a favor? Yeah, would you see if it's possible? And I don't know if it is, but I know through the years we've had people that learned that um they didn't have to get everything through uh that broker to get that reimbursement amount. Now you may have to, but we've had many that said, hey, if I just get anything, get a drug plan through another broker, get a dental plan through a broker, then I can they can still use MedicareSchool.com. So uh that's something you may want to explore. It may not have to be all your coverage, and we'd be happy then to serve as your broker and then give you advice and everything. But if you have to get everything through them to get the reimbursement, that's what I would say.

SPEAKER_09 8:21

Yeah, I remember years ago they people would get their dental plan and then they would get the full reimbursement. I'm not sure if that's how it works still or not.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

But I I just want to kind of interject that if there's some if you'd like to use this, that may be a way that you could. Uh but but uh you keep on.

SPEAKER_08 8:36

No, no, that's fine. I did look I did look into that and and it's all or all or nothing. Unless these unless yeah, unless the savings is just uh so much I can make up the savings.

SPEAKER_09 8:51

100%.

SPEAKER_08 8:52

Um recommend a question is uh United Healthcare versus Blue Cross Blue Shield.

SPEAKER_04 8:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_08 9:00

Um the difference the difference on the premium isn't isn't a whole lot. And so uh you know with Blue Cross Blue Shield I get a 10% discount because my wife's on that. Um but uh at the end of the day the difference is probably like 50 bucks. Is there anything that and I'm tending towards Blue Cross Blue Shield right now? The premium is 211, including the discount. I think with uh with uh United it's about 250 something. Um where I live. So uh you know, so any any major issues with one of those companies over the other that I ought to be aware of?

SPEAKER_01 9:44

Oh, the only thing I would say is this. I think they're both fine. So I don't think you can make like a you know terrible mistake here. But I would say as a general rule, if things get kind of back to normal, uh I think long-term uh UHC will probably be uh a little bit more stable than a Blue Cross Blue Shield group, and only because they're they usually don't have a huge market share. Uh so that would be one item I want to you know talk about. You know, obviously they're cheaper now, and they may remain cheaper, but United Healthcare has not been the most stable company in the last couple of years, but we've really got to be historically they've been very good, historically very good.

SPEAKER_09 10:22

Well, none of the carriers have been that stable the last couple of years. Just there's been a lot of fraud, a lot of overuse of benefits uh since COVID, and then a lot of group plans have raised their deductibles so much that everybody's waiting until they go on Medicare to get all their treatment done, which has then driven up the price of everything, at least initially. Trevor Burrus, Jr. And just general inflation.

SPEAKER_07 10:42

I've seen it my case. I mean, yeah I'm on a yeah, I'm ACTA right now, and I can't afford to do anything.

SPEAKER_09 10:50

Yeah, yeah. So you and you and you know, millions of other people, which means which has thrown the Medicare supplement market into a bit of an upheaval because you know that they're everyone's getting their knee replacements done, their joint replacements, you know, all this stuff. Yeah, instead of getting it on their employer insurance or their ACA plan. So that has caused all these Medicare supplements the last couple of years to have to reprice into what is actually sustainable long term. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Do you do you uh by chance go to a certain gym? Uh is there are are you a gym goer?

SPEAKER_08 11:23

Uh not really. I I exercise boom, I exercise at home.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Okay, uh you know, because usually nine healthcare would include a gym membership. Sometimes those are expensive, so people love the option to be able to have UHC pay their gym membership, but if that's a non-issue, um then I yeah, I mean I I would not I would not uh uh discourage you from going with Blue Cross Blue Shield, but I still think long-term.

SPEAKER_08 11:47

And the rate increases haven't been that bad. I mean, my wife's was all of three dollars this year. Yeah. So um that's good. The other question I've got is on on part D. Um right now I'm I'm tending towards uh uh what is it, Health Spring, uh 70 bucks a month. I could go to wealthcare at zero. Um and uh the injection the injection when it's provided by the doctor and administered by the doctor comes under part B, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:23

Correct, yeah. Correct.

SPEAKER_08 12:26

So that's the reason that I might go with wealthcare, because the injection I have is uh discounted rate. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_09 12:36

What medications what medications do you take home at home, like oral or self-administered?

SPEAKER_08 12:43

Oh, just uh under blood pressure and uh pre-diabetes, all of that.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

Like Lacinopril and Metformin Yeah, melodapine, letin Metformin, retrofit all have you have you gone to the Medicare.gov and put your medications in that system?

SPEAKER_08 13:04

Yes, yes I have. Okay, good. And uh the two the two medications for the cancer, I'm gonna get one of them through uh Cuban's company. Um if I do it through the insurance, it's almost two thousand. Through him, it's a hundred bucks. Wow, that's good. And uh and the Lupron, which is the injection, um through through Healthspring, it goes down to 388 from almost two.

SPEAKER_09 13:34

Yeah, I don't I don't see a reason to do that $70 Healthspring plan. I mean, I I just I don't see a reason. It's a two and a half star rated plan, $70 a month. Uh you can get those medications that you rattled off to me, Losarrtinam, Lodipine, Metropolol, and Metformin, they're all zero dollar cost on that welfare plan that has no premium. Yeah. So I don't I don't know why you would I don't think there'd be any reason to do that.

SPEAKER_08 13:58

Well, um it's it's more of uh uh make sure that those uh that injection administered and provided by the doctor comes under plan Part B. So I'll take the health care through the end of the year when I have one injection, I'll watch that go through part B. And if it works out that it doesn't cost me anything because I've already met my Part B deductible, then I'll change it in September down to welfare.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Well, Richard, you're th you're thinking correctly. And so I I I would just ask that provider, uh, that doctor who's gonna administer the the uh the cancer medication, the injection. Is this covered by part B? If it is, then you you've got your answer. Go with that uh lower cost welfare plan. Uh and of course you're only gonna be on it for four months, so you can always switch if you decide you know to do the the other plan. But uh hey, listen, we got a couple other callers. Uh we appreciate the opportunity to better talk to you.

SPEAKER_08 14:49

I appreciate the service you guys provide the community.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

It's fantastic. All right. Well, thanks for the encouragement. You have a great day, Richard. Nice talking to you, sir.

SPEAKER_09 14:58

Hello, Ani and Kentucky. Sorry, my mic was messed up. Welcome to Medicare School Daily. Yeah. What questions do you have for us?

SPEAKER_05 15:04

Thank you, guys.

SPEAKER_09 15:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 15:07

Yes, sir. Oh, my question. Go ahead. No, no, my question is I've been on Medicare for a while. And I'm changing doctors, and I'm realizing uh in getting the uh list that's accepted by the insurance company that a lot of these doctors' offices no longer accept the Medicare Advantage plan that I've always been on since I've been on Medicare. Growing, I'm wondering why that is. Yeah, I wonder why that is. And if I switch over to just matter of fact, the doctor I wanted to go back to, that I switched because of location only. I I like the doctor and the staff. She told me that they no longer accept any Medicare Advantage plans from any company. So I'm assuming they only take Medicare with a supplement. Sure, yeah.

SPEAKER_09 15:50

You're probably right. I mean, you it probably is worth asking, do you take original Medicare to confirm? But that would be the question. If as long as they take original Medicare, they're going to take any Medicare supplement plan that you have. There's no networks or anything related to that.

SPEAKER_01 16:04

So Yeah, now Ani, you live in Kentucky.

SPEAKER_09 16:13

Yeah, no, exactly right. So, but there's a difference between a Medicare Advantage plan that has a network that they have to contract with and or them taking, still accepting original Medicare A and B, right? If they take original Medicare A and B, then they're going to take any Medicare supplement plan. There's no networks associated to that. Does that make sense? Yeah, yeah. That's a lot, it's a lot of words and a lot of charges. But if they if they take advantage plans, they're not going to be but they don't.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

I know. But if they took advantage plans, that tells me they they are enrolled in the original system.

SPEAKER_09 16:46

I mean, 90, what, 7% of dogs take medic original Medicare. So you're good. Yeah. More than that. I'm with you now. I'm okay.

unknown 16:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

The reason this is happening is because Medicare Advantage plans bring so much friction to those doctors' uh offices with pre-authorizations. Um, they have to get everything approved, or not everything, but most things pre-approved, and docs are tired of it. Plus, extra headache for the reimbursement. Yeah. Slow pay. Uh that's that's the that's the reputation that Medicare Advantage plans have, and there's doctors that they don't, they don't they don't need that kind of business. It's not worth it to them. But I do want to remind you though, Ani, you do of course you live in Kentucky, you are gonna have to medically qualify to get off that advantage plan. And so is there anything you're in the last uh three to five years that you're being treated for that would be of a serious nature, uh be it heart, lung, liver, or kidneys, cancer, diabetes, anything like that?

SPEAKER_05 17:41

I have one hospitalization in my uh long life, and that was uh 12 years ago. Okay, and I just thought I had a bad case of the flu, went to an emergency care to get a prescription. They advised me that uh they thought it was uh flops on my lungs, insisted, and talked me into going uh to the hospital. So I did have a hospital stay 12 years ago, and they put me on eloquist.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 18:06

I think I had a bad case of the flu. I could be wrong. I haven't had a they put me on that, I haven't had any reoccurrences of it in 12 years or anything else. Are you still taking eloquence right now? Yeah, and I and I'm wondering about the uh feasibility of continuing to take that for so long.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

Well, most people that take it are are doing it because of some kind of heart issue, typically AFib. So are are they treating you for AFib? No, not that I know of. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 18:33

I've never been to discuss that with a doctor, no.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Okay. Well, we I do know that there are carriers that will uh approve an application whenever someone's taking eloquence, so that is certainly possible. Um uh, some would not. They would they would deny you uh uh you know for sure just with that medication, but some would take it. Um uh what what else are you taking uh beyond that, uh eloquence? What are the meds?

SPEAKER_05 18:55

Uh the centipede that I've been on for maybe 30, 35 years. No issue. No issue.

SPEAKER_01 19:02

Okay. So nothing else going on.

SPEAKER_05 19:04

Only two well, I do have spinal stenosis. My mobility is uh hampered quite a bit standing and walking. I still do both, but it's uh uncomfortable. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

Well, there definitely are companies out there that would not take you because of that. Spinal stenosis is a declinable condition with some companies. So what I'd recommend on on you is this uh as we approach the open enrollment season here just in a few months, October 15th to December 7th, if you would call us at that time and uh speak to one of our agents, we can look at multiple companies to see if we can find a carrier uh that would not take spinal sten that will take spinal stenosis as a diagnosis and some will not, and eloquist.

SPEAKER_09 19:44

So if you can get weaned off the eloquist by then, that might be great.

SPEAKER_05 19:47

Oh, yes. Yeah, if you don't need it to be. But most doctors that I've asked about that said that uh that 10, 12 years is a long period of time to stay on eloquist. Yeah, it really isn't. Yeah, they they tell me most patients stay on it much shorter periods of time than I've been on it. I've been told that by doctors here at Lowell.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Yeah, uh, and I would agree with that. And of course it's uh it's a blood thinner, uh, so that's the purpose of it. I'm just curious why you know that yeah, they've kept you on it that long. But but here's here's my point. If you would like to call us uh around uh the open enrollment season, we'd be happy uh to work with you on this to see if we can find a carrier that would take you. Uh and we'll do our best. Now, let me just give you some quick price. Yeah, if you if you went with the G plan um that right now is uh about about $297 a month for uh your lowest cost G plant in your market, if you went with an N plan, which would also be a good option, and get that down to about $199. And I've rounded up a little bit here, but so G is about uh $297, and uh an N plan is going to be about $100 less than that. Uh and so the N plan uh doesn't pay excess, which doesn't happen often anyways. Uh and then you do have some copay. So you just have to decide uh the difference between the twelve hundred dollars is that if that matters to you, then do an end plan. If it doesn't matter to you, then you know do a G plan. We just want to find someone that can that can approve you.

SPEAKER_09 21:10

Yeah, I think uh yeah, it it's gonna be a little difficult, I would say, but we can give it a shot for sure.

SPEAKER_05 21:16

And if not, we can look and see if there's a lot I'm getting the impression that maybe I just I'd better stick with the insurer and the plans that I have.

SPEAKER_09 21:23

I mean Well, we can always we can always what's your what's your your zip code's 40216? I mean, there's probably a lot of other Medicare Advantage plans, so we can still, you know, what I would probably do is I'd get some if you're trying to switch doctors, I'd probably get some names from some doctors, and then when it comes time to the annual enrollment period, so anytime probably October or after, um call us. Let's see if we can figure out some plan for that that will accept you with the eloquence and the spinal stenosis. But if not, let's see if there's a better Medicare Advantage plan if all of a sudden none of the doctors are taking it. There are thirty Nine different Medicare Advantage plans in your zip code. So we can do our best to try to try to find what will work that you can see some of your doctors, okay? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:10

Just be sure to tell the agent when you call in that you have the smiling system.

SPEAKER_09 22:14

Anytime after October 1st is good. Yeah, anytime after. Okay. All right, sir.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Thank you for that info and I appreciate it. Yeah, good to talk to you. We appreciate you calling. See ya. Thank you.

SPEAKER_09 22:26

Okay, let's talk to you, Dave in Minnesota. Dave, welcome to Medicare School Daily. Uh, what questions do you have?

SPEAKER_03 22:34

Good, good day to you, also. I have a question on Deadpooling. Um, I'm in Minnesota basically. I'm looking right now at making the big move on to Medicare here. And I pretty much have said that I want to go with not with an advanced plan, but go with a Medicare plan of some kind. And I'm in Minnesota, so I don't have the G's and stuff. We have the basic plan, the extended basic plan. But I still have a concern about you know getting into a plan, then they close the plan off for new applicants dead pooling it, and then we are raising rates because of that emitting new fresh blood, shall we say, into the plan, and therefore rates go higher. But I guess while I hold, I think Minnesota's a community-rate state anyway, so pride doesn't matter as much. Am I reading that correctly?

SPEAKER_01 23:24

Okay, well, number one, I um hmm boy, I wish I could remember. So did you are you are you confident that Minnesota is community rate? I think you're right about that.

SPEAKER_03 23:35

Yeah, it's a community-rate state. Okay. So be a community rate state, it shouldn't matter then. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_01 23:40

Yeah, exactly. Well, the Q yeah, it could still uh uh deadpool because you're you're still gonna be in in a group uh plan that uh will eventually, you know, could be one year, could be three or four years, where they're gonna they're gonna close that that group out and start another group up. So that's going to happen with all the carriers. The question is, how often do they do that? So I think you can go with companies that tend to have uh the reputation of keeping their groups open longer to kind of fill those up. That's really what you want. And the way to do that is to look at the market share that a company has in your area. You know how many how many policyholders do they have? That typically tells us if it they have a good market share, then they're not opening up blocks or you know, on a regular basis where they're doing it every year. Uh so that's what I would be looking at if I were in your position. So the 67-year-old U pays as much as the 87-year-old does. That's the community rating. Right. So you know, it's not gender, it's not AT.

SPEAKER_09 24:40

That doesn't mean it can't go up.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

Yeah, exactly. Right. It's still everybody go right. Pardon me?

SPEAKER_03 24:45

Yeah. But it goes up consistently for everybody across the market, though, right.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

That's right. Yeah, everybody go up the same. So there's no difference at all.

SPEAKER_09 24:52

Um, but uh yeah, but the thing to remember is it can, you know, depending on the size of that book, the healthiness of that book, you know, you can still just I don't think the community rating really does a lot of impact there. Because it's not like the this insurance commissioners being like, everybody has to pay the same exact price, always, forever, and ever. Okay. But there will be price variants.

SPEAKER_04 25:14

Right.

SPEAKER_09 25:15

Um so look for market share.

SPEAKER_01 25:17

That's what I would want. Market share is what we want to look at then. Yeah, that that's what I'd be paying attention to because I think it's gonna give you your your your greatest probability of of rate stability.

SPEAKER_09 25:27

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, and Minnesota's a big become a very difficult place. Um for insurance. Yeah, I don't I don't I I don't envy envy affin to go through Medicare on that. Um I was gonna look at one thing real quick.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

So are you just getting ready to retire, Dave, or are you already on Medicare?

SPEAKER_03 25:45

Hey, 30 days.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

30 days. Okay, very good. Uh have you already got your paperwork set up for your Medicare B?

SPEAKER_03 25:53

I got the B card yesterday.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

Okay, good. That sounds great. Well, you're ready to go then.

SPEAKER_03 25:58

Just a man now pick which plan I want to go with and get the ball rolling on that part. Good. So um Yeah, I'm just kind of leaning toward the basic with riders. Yes, sir. Uh-huh. Because it looks like that comes up a little bit cheaper than doing the extended plan would be.

SPEAKER_04 26:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:13

Although I lose 20 days then of um skilled nursing. But that's about the only difference, really.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

Okay. That's good. Uh, we'd love to help you with that. If I don't know if you've got appointment with uh any of our people here, but uh Josh. Did you have our office number? Yeah, Josh can give you our number, and we are a lot of business in Minnesota. Okay.

SPEAKER_09 26:31

Yeah, yeah. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 26:32

What do you think with him, Josh? Did you look up something? Okay, we're good to go. Okay. Well, Dave, anything else?

SPEAKER_03 26:39

No, I think life is grand, but I just kind of wanted to get an idea of what how that worked exactly. I think that you answered that question. Okay. So basically look for a bigger company, most likely has bigger market share. That's what I would do, sir.

SPEAKER_09 26:48

I have a curious question. Where did you hear the term Deadpool?

SPEAKER_03 26:53

Um, just I listen to a lot of media, a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_09 26:58

Okay, okay. Somebody's out there calling it Deadpool. I've just never heard that term until yesterday. Oh, really? Yeah, it's just I somebody probably made it up as a way to you know describe it. I've always called it a death spiral, which maybe Deadpool's a little better. I just we keep hearing that, so there must be somebody on YouTube or somewhere talk using that terminology.

SPEAKER_03 27:18

So yeah, interesting, huh? Yeah. Well, guys, keep up the good work and keep in the public, and that's a really good thing. Thank you. Appreciate it. Take care.

SPEAKER_09 27:27

Let's talk to Dorothy in Colorado. Well, what? Dorothy, welcome to Medicare School Daily. Understand you have some questions about Medigap plans.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Yes. What are we? We do. Okay. We're in the process of selecting. Yes.

SPEAKER_09 27:41

Okay. You're at the right place.

unknown 27:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Are you new to Medicare, Dorothy, or are you uh coming off an advantage plan already? What's what's your situation? So we're clear.

SPEAKER_00 27:54

My husband is retiring uh July 1st. And so we are signing up for Medicare. Actually, we did sign up for Medicare. We have A and B, although we didn't get our target for B. Um, so now we're of course looking into the supplemental. We're not interested in the Medicare vantage as far as what we know about it. So we're trying to pick a good supplemental plan that would fit our lifestyle.

SPEAKER_04 28:25

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 28:25

Okay, so as far as Medigap, are you looking at uh the G versus the N or are you looking at something else?

SPEAKER_00 28:33

We are. After listening to your podcast, um we are now considering N. Um and so I guess the two differences that you pointed out, the uh copay for emergency uh visits and specialist visits, right? Those are the only two categories that copay would apply.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

That would be right, and not necessarily specialists, it could actually just be a regular doctor visit as well. I think you'll probably see Oh, okay. Yeah, so yeah, any doctor, there's actually uh about 15 different doctor visit codes that were you're gonna be subject to paying a copay. Uh and all that means yeah, all that simply means is this is when when you know everything on the doc visits are 80-20. Medicare pays 80 and you're responsible for 20 percent. If you had the G, it would cover that full 20 percent coinsurance covers it all. So you're not out of pocket anything but the B deductible. But on an N, uh Medicare pays their 80 percent, and then the 20 percent is covered by your supplemental plan after you've paid your $20 co-pay. That's the difference. Okay, so it's still good coverage either way. Uh I think uh, you know, then the other thing, Dorothy, is uh, you know, rarely will someone ever see an excess charge, but if you saw one, then your uh G plan covers it and does not. So if there's a cancer special that you went to or you had some kind of a rare condition that you had to go some, you know, somewhere it's very specialized, they may charge access to that 15 percent uh they add to the bill would be your responsibility on the N. Uh it is a low risk, but it is still some risk. Um but that'd be that'd really be the difference. And and a premium. So Joshua, we look at it in in their market between G and N, about $50 a month or so?

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Right.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Yeah, he's gonna look up some rates for you.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Oh, okay. Um, can I ask you a question concerning the excess charge? I know that was one of the differences.

SPEAKER_04 30:29

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 30:30

And the question is, um, are these facilities or um doctors that are not in the Medicare network? I mean, how do we know if they can charge the excess charge?

SPEAKER_01 30:46

That's a good question. You ask them. Yeah. There have been through the years some websites that the government uh has published about which doctors are participating and not, but we have just found those not to be very reliable. So you just ask the provider, and all you have to do is ask them, do you take assignment? Uh and they'll know they'll know exactly what that means. Yeah, do you take assignment? And that means they're they they're a participating physician. They have agreed under contract to accept the Medicare reimbursement rates as payment in full. They don't add to the bill. And if a doctor uh doesn't take assignment, they call that a non-participating physician. They take Medicare, but but they're going to add the 15% to the bill. That's the difference. So doctor, what are we looking at, son?

SPEAKER_09 31:31

Yeah. So uh a plan N, like I'm just looking at Cigna, which is actually what my dad has. Um well he has a Cigna G. But the plan N on Cigna, because you guys would get a multi-insured discount because you would both be on the s on the plan, be about 85 for you and about 105 for your husband.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Yeah, so $85 a month for your N.

SPEAKER_09 31:51

And then the G would be for you about $135, and I'm kind of rounding, $135, and then for him about $160.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

Okay. So about looks like about $50 more for a G for you, $55 more for uh your husband.

SPEAKER_09 32:04

Aaron Ross Powell, Jr. So you'd save about $1,200 a year by doing the plan N over the plan G. So what's the difference, right? You're gonna have a $20 doctor co-pay, $50 if you go to the emergency room, and then in the off chance that there is an excess charge on the plan N, you'd be responsible for that, which is gonna be rare. But you could ask your doctors.

SPEAKER_01 32:21

Yeah, on both of those plans, Dorothy, you are gonna have to have to meet your B deductible. So regardless of what you know, either one of those plans, you pay the first $283, and then after that, if the on the G, you're done. If you go to the N, you're not done. You just have these copays of you know $20. So I think they're really both good options. But here's my view. If if the twelve hundred dollars difference is gonna make uh you know a a substantial you know help for you in your budget, then do the N. If you're saying, hey, we're not gonna sweat $100 a month, then I would do the G. That's that's the way I viewed it. Uh I'm not saying you know, $100 is nothing, but if it's not a big deal in your budget, uh do the G, it's most comprehensive, and you'll have it then the rest of your life. So that's that's my thinking. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Yes. Now the excess charge is that set by the government. So, but can that go up? Can that increase with inflation? No. Instead of 15%?

SPEAKER_01 33:15

No. The Medicare system has allowed it for a lot of years, so they have they set the ceiling. Uh so that it's actually called a limited uh upcharge. So that's the most they can add. Um so then uh what you do is you just ask your doctor. Um you know, I know you'd asked me that originally, but just be sure to ask the doc if if they do add excess. And so there's like about a 95% chance they're gonna say no. Uh because uh most don't. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:43

Okay. So just ask them, do you take assignments? Do you take assignments basically if they're in the network with Medicare?

SPEAKER_01 33:49

Yeah, you can say it that way. That's fine. But but here's the reality, Dorothy. Uh e even a doctor, even a doctor that doesn't take assignment would still be considered to be a Medicare doctor. So we we don't say Medicare network. Networks are advantageous. Original Medicare really doesn't have a network. But uh I know I know what you meant, but uh whoever you talk to may not, so you may just want to say, do you you all take assignment? Do you take what Medicare agrees to pay as payment in full?

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Okay. Okay, okay. Um, my next question is I know from your previous podcast too, it sounds like if you look in the future for what may happen, it is safer to go with the standard G, uh Medicap G, uh rather than the high deductible one. Is that what you guys would recommend?

SPEAKER_01 34:42

Absolutely. And and the reason for that is because a lot of people that take high Gs right now, they're looking in the mirror today and they're saying, hey, I'm I'm healthy. Well, that could change in six months. Uh and so unless the company has some kind of a provision for you to to to go to regular G, now you're gonna have to go through underwriting to be able to switch from a high G to a regular G. I just wouldn't take that risk at our H. I mean, things happen. We just uh talked yesterday about heart attacks happening, what, every 40 seconds and a stroke every 40 seconds, and so no one's anticipating that. So I would rather say, hey, what what's the probability uh and get a regular G.

SPEAKER_09 35:16

And then think about think about it this way. Let's say it's 15 years down the road, right? If you are in a hot if you're in a regular plan G, you know, you're gonna have to answer some health questions to switch to a high deductible G, right? You can probably do that. Uh, but maybe you can't. So but if you think about on the reverse way, what if you're in a high deductible G 10, 15 years down the road, and you want to get to a better plan, you're gonna have to answer health questions to do that. And maybe you can't. So it's all about like where are you gonna like you're limiting your options if you go with a high deductible G now, right? Because down the road you want to switch up to something better, you may not be able to. I don't think you're gonna have a lot of people switching from a regular G plan to a high deductible G plan as they get older, start using more care, all of those sorts of things. So you really have to kind of think a little bit long term.

SPEAKER_00 36:05

Okay, so uh so I take it, um, let's say if we went with Cigna, well, yeah, and ours, I think it's almost uh Mutu of Omaha offers the high deductible G. Let's say we we opt to do that, but after the six months, we opt to stay with the same company but go with the standard uh G, they would still do underwriting, correct? Even if you're with the same company as well.

SPEAKER_09 36:35

You're switching, you're switching policies, absolutely. Exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

Yeah, you're gonna have to go underwriting uh on that unless uh the company has some kind of special provision. Some some do. But as a general rule, once you be on beyond six months of your B date, you can make that move without underwriting.

SPEAKER_09 36:51

And we will see every once in a while some carriers allow you to move without underwriting, but it is almost always when you reduce coverage. So you go from like a plan G down to a plan N, or you go from a plan N to a high deductible. We've never seen it where people can go up in coverage, you know, from a lower plan to a better plan. Like the insurance company may be okay sometimes with letting you go down, but they're rarely going to give you better coverage because you're you're signaling that you are needing to be. Yeah, you're wanting better coverage, probably because you have a health condition. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

Right, right, right. Anything else, Dorothy?

SPEAKER_01 37:27

Are we good?

SPEAKER_00 37:28

Yes, uh, just enough uh just a couple more. Um, I know the government regulates the coverage that each one provides, so it is the same. I mean, in terms of the providers have to cover the same things if you're in that plan. Do they regulate anything else, like the inflation, the rate, uh, the premiums? No. The deductibles that they can charge.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

No, no. The plans, those those are already uh have been established. So the way the plan is going to work, uh, G, uh, you're responsible for the deductible. That's all you'd be responsible for for the rest of your life. Now that deductible can can go up. Uh that happens just because the the market. Uh but uh the government has standardized the plan so the actual coverage itself cannot change. The only thing the government doesn't do is they don't set the premiums. Insurance companies do that.

SPEAKER_00 38:20

Okay. And so like high deductible G, the deductible of 2,900, I'm not sure what 2950. Is that is that set by the government? So each company has to that is the deductible for the high deductible G?

SPEAKER_01 38:37

Yes, ma'am.

SPEAKER_00 38:38

And can they and the government can only change it, can't you?

SPEAKER_01 38:42

Exactly exactly right, because it has to go go across the board. No company is gonna have a different deductible. Medicare establishes that. So it's $29.50. Okay. So regardless of the carrier, you would have that on a high G.

SPEAKER_00 38:56

Okay. So if we go with the Medigap uh G, let's say uh we sign up, uh ours would start July 1st. Once it comes to open enrollment in October of this year, do we need to renew it? No, no, no. That's yours for as long as you want it.

SPEAKER_04 39:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 39:12

No. The only thing you have to look at is long as you don't want to change it, you don't have to do anything. It auto-renews, that's yours. It's a contract for life. The only thing you may have to do, and you should do, is log into Medicare.gov, put in your most recent medications list, and confirm the plan you're on for the drug coverage is still the right plan for next year. If it says, hey, you should be on this plan, it takes two seconds to switch it.

SPEAKER_01 39:35

Yeah, because that's annual. Drug plans are annual plans. So you want to review those every year. And Josh said, Mets up plans lifetime. So okay. Well, Dorothy, we got just a couple quick. Sorry.

SPEAKER_09 39:47

That's okay. Yeah, hey, we we're we're up against, we got one minute left on the show and two callers to get to. So you can call back in tomorrow and we'll go through it. Okay, Dorothy. We'll see you.

SPEAKER_01 39:58

Thank you. Okay. Okay, bye-bye.

SPEAKER_09 40:01

Let's talk to Roy in New York. Roy, uh, welcome to Medicare School Daily. I understand you're calling from New York. You're on part A. You're over 65. You're on your wife's coverage, but she switched jobs, and you want to have some questions about timing. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_03 40:20

That is correct. Good afternoon.

SPEAKER_09 40:22

Yeah, good afternoon. What is your what's your specific question? And we'll get her knocked out here.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

Okay, so when I was 65, I signed up for part A just to sign up for it because there's no cost and I wasn't planning on using it. Um, and not the rest of Medicare is I've been on my wife's creditable coverage ever since. She was between jobs for a 58-day period from April 4th until June 1st of this year. Um, on June 1st, she went back on a different but still creditable plan. During that time, we didn't sign up for Cobra because of the loopholes, which we fortunately didn't need, so it didn't matter. Um, so my question is um does the period without coverage trigger my eight-month SCP for Medicare without penalty? Uh, because I've been under the impression that um uh because um I was less than 63 days, there's Medicare doesn't consider it to be a gap in coverage.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

Yeah, that's understanding correct. No, no, Roy, you you have you have triggered your SCP. So you you trigger the SCP when your wife stopped working. So whatever day she stopped working, um uh your SCP begins. So in my opinion, you need to you need to exercise at SCP and go and pick up B. Because what's gonna happen if you now recover by her her new plan and you're gonna try to get an SCP to a later date, you're gonna have these couple months where she did not have an active employment provided plan. Uh so I I think you need you need to uh see this as your eight-month window from the time she stopped working uh to to pick up Medicare B. Otherwise, I think you're gonna have problems in the future. Problems meaning um there will be a lifetime penalty? Well, meaning you'll only be able to come into Medicare using the general enrollment period, uh which is the first three, you know, first three months of the year. So you may be able to time it that way uh uh you know when she stops working. But I I think uh so what let me ask you this real quickly. When was the last day she st she she had coverage at work? Uh was it was it uh you know March 30th or March 31, or is that what happened? Uh the last the um the last day she had coverage was April 3rd, and then she had coverage again starting June 1st. Okay, okay, sounds good. So if you want to pull up the L564 form, you pull it up, L564, it's gonna ask you, uh it's gonna ask uh the you know the employment dates, uh when employment stopped, all that. And so so this is gonna be April 3rd. And so what I'm saying to you is that um uh from that point in time now, did her did her insurance company cover her for the whole month of April, or did they stop it the day she stopped working?

SPEAKER_02 43:14

She was a contractor, so they stopped it on the day she stopped working.

SPEAKER_01 43:18

Okay, that sounds good. So I believe that that that began your your eight-month window. So if we look at it and say May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, uh, I think you're all the way through December, you're gonna be in your uh SCP window. Um and so what I would do if I were you, uh just to be safe and and and let me explain. I would I would do um if you want to continue to be covered uh by her plan, I would still enroll in Medicare B uh in November uh with an effective date of December 1 of 2026. That's how I would handle that. Okay, so you can put it off because you know she has coverage right now, so uh we know that you're fine. But I think you're gonna have problems if you don't if you don't have to be able to do that. Take action with a B effective date of December 1. So if you decide not to do that, it doesn't mean that you can't come into Medicare with no penalties still. You could use the GEP the first three months of any year. But that would be it, because you would not be eligible for an SDP, only the GEP. Now you're not going to be penalized because you never went more than 12 full months without Medicare when you were eligible. So I'm not worried about the penalty. I'm worried about you. Let's say she she quits her job or loses insurance in May of some year. Now you're going to have to wait until uh the the following first quarter of the year to come into Medicare because you don't have an SDP any longer because you went without those two months. Okay? I see. So the question is not a matter of penalty, it's a matter of timing. That's right. Yeah, because the only people that are penalized are those that go without B uh for 12 months. Every 12 months we got a 10 percent penalty. If I go 11 months without, I don't have a penalty. Uh but your issue is coming into Medicare getting the B. Your SDP has started. And so uh that's the way I'd I'd handle that. So and I'm not trying to scare you at all because you can still come in, but it's only the first three months of the year. So you're you're somewhat limited. Okay. Gotcha. Okay. Well that makes sense. Uh just wanted to clarify. Yes, sir. Sounds good. All right. Yeah. And hey, hey, let me tell you this, Roy. So if you had talked in advance, what I would advise you to do, I would I would have started my B April 1, uh, it had been on April and May and then June, and then I would have canceled the B, disenrolled from B, then that when she went back to work, and then you wouldn't have this issue. So uh then you'd have you know an uh an SEP in the future, but you don't uh beyond this eight-month window. Right. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 45:43

Yep, gotcha.

SPEAKER_01 45:44

Understood. Well I appreciate the time and your advice.

SPEAKER_09 45:46

Yes, nice talking to you. We appreciate the call. Have a good one. So even if the gap was only a couple months, the clock starts and it doesn't stop. Yeah, that's not like eight cue cumulative months. You could have a few gaps. It's from the moment. That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_01 46:00

Yeah, yeah. Exactly right. I I that that's my interpretation of that, son. I'm pretty sure I'm right too.

SPEAKER_09 46:07

Okay, let's talk to uh Kent in Oregon. Kent, welcome to Medicare School Daily. Uh what questions do you have for us?

SPEAKER_06 46:15

Marvin?

SPEAKER_09 46:15

Uh Marvin and Josh. Marvin.

SPEAKER_06 46:17

Hi there. Marvin. I'm Marvin and Josh. I've seen you guys for two years now on YouTube. Oh, well, awesome. Nice to talk with you. Good to meet good to meet you. I've been tuning into YouTube. Yeah, Kansas. You're in Kansas City. We are. Oh, I'm in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon. Don't confuse me with Portland. I'm not Portland.

SPEAKER_09 46:40

We won't get you confused. What's your Medicare question?

SPEAKER_06 46:45

Well, I want to I had first of all two I have three questions, and then I have my positive uh experience to report to you about uh getting signed up through MedicareSchool.com the other day. Okay. Okay. The questions are the dental premium that we got signed up for on June 9th, I believe it was, um, with Mutual Omaha, it looks like they've already taken out a premium, but it's not set to start until September.

SPEAKER_09 47:18

Yeah, that's that's very common. Generally they'll most companies will take a premium, not all, but most will take a premium that gets applied toward your first month of coverage, and then your next premium will come out the second month of coverage. So they do that in order to issue the policy mail out the cards, all that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 47:34

It just it just locks in your plan. That's why they did that. Without without premium, you really don't have a locked-in plan. Once you paid premium, it it is locked in. Meaning the coverage will be set um you know for whatever effective date you chose. So like Josh said, that's not uncommon. Um good to know. Yeah, pretty normal. And then you won't have to worry about another premium then until October. Yeah, okay, great.

SPEAKER_06 47:58

I think Jaden, who helped sign this up, uh, did tell us that. I just couldn't remember.

SPEAKER_04 48:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 48:04

Okay. Community rating versus birthday rule. We're in Oregon, we have the birthday rule here. Um excuse me, I'm confusing things. Okay, versus age rating. Community rating versus age rating. Um am I correct in understanding that in Oregon they don't have any supplemental plans that do community rating for premium increases?

SPEAKER_01 48:31

Yeah, I do, and uh there's nine states that have community rating required by the commissioner. I don't think Oregon is one of them. Uh yeah, I know there's nine of them. Um so I do not think you have community-based rating, which, hey, I'm I'd I'd be grateful. Uh the you know, the 85-year-old is thrilled, the 65-year-old is is bothered because that's what community means. Everybody pays the same, regardless of age. Uh and that just means people that are older, they're they are truly getting a bargain. And it's the younger group that's, you know, that's kind of making up the difference. So uh I like I like age-based, which is I think what you're saying is issue-age. Now, uh I think if I'm not mistaken, in the state of Oregon, uh the insurance commissioner uh uh will allow uh the uh the insurance company to decide what they want. So insurance companies do not decide to go community rating you know on their own. They're forced to do that in nine states. Otherwise, they're gonna use attained age or issue age.

SPEAKER_06 49:27

Okay, good to know. Yeah. Yeah, that's the way. Now, the birthday rule. Okay, thank you. The birthday rule, we both signed up for the end plan. Now, with the birthday rule, can you explain how that works? And and the other question embedded in that is are we subject to underwriting if we want to change our N plan provider to another N plan or maybe even go up to a G? Can you go up to a G?

SPEAKER_01 49:55

Well, you birthday rule. Well, you can't in a birthday rule state like Oregon, you can't move from an N to a G because then you'd be improving your your your coverage. You're you're getting a better plan. Uh so you can't make that kind of a move without underwriting. But in Oregon, as long as you move from N to N, then you can change carriers around the birthday uh months um without underwriting. So that's what a birthday. Birthday rule states are almost always we just say it this way, like to like, end to end, g to g. Or some birthday rule states are are like to less. So you can move from a G down to an N, but you couldn't move from an N up to a G without underwriting. Okay? Like to like or like to less.

SPEAKER_06 50:41

Thank you. So this is supposed to all kick in September 1st. Uh-huh. Do I what should I do each year when we come back to well what should I know about checking on whether we can get a better deal through a different provider moving N to N without underwriting during our birthday? Should we check in with MedicareSchool.com? Jaden, maybe?

SPEAKER_01 51:09

Yeah, just you which Jaden is part of a pod, so uh we've got agents and then uh um customer care managers that work together. Uh so you just call in, we would know it's you, and we would uh direct the call to your pod uh and they would look those rates up to see if we can improve your position. So all you have to do is call us, and we're happy anytime to take that call and check rates for you.

SPEAKER_06 51:31

So is it three months before and three months after the birthday, or is it just what is it?

SPEAKER_01 51:36

No, and it what is it in Oregon? Do you have you know, Josh? Usually it's 60 days uh from your birthday moving forward. Every state's a little bit different, but uh he's gonna look it up real quick if we can see what what the exact dates are for Oregon's birthday rule.

SPEAKER_09 51:49

Yeah. Uh equal or lesser benefits starting 30 days before your birthday and lasting until 30 days after.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

There you go. 30 before, 30 days after. Well, glad to hear it, Kent. Uh I'm glad you had a good experience with Jaden.

SPEAKER_06 52:02

Go ahead. I did. And uh so I from I follow your Facebook page. I follow Kim. She's really good on Facebook. Is it Kim Thompson or Thomas? Kim Thomas, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 52:14

Kim.

SPEAKER_06 52:15

Yeah, I follow her, I watch for her answers, I learn from what other people post. I think that's a great thing. And then I found you guys maybe two years ago, and I've been learning through your YouTube videos and Facebook page ever since, and I'm so glad I did that. I know so much more than my peer group. Oh, yes. You're you're the resource for everyone, huh? I am, and I post great things about Medicare School.com. Yeah. And I just think it's so great that you offer the service of helping us sign up for Social Security benefits too, because and Jaden did a great job because we had to get those forms in for creditable coverage and part B. And Jaden was very patient with both Lynn and I, he had two of us, to do both Social Security, a supplement, a prescription drug plan Part D, and the dental. And I think that about covered it.

SPEAKER_04 53:15

Good.

SPEAKER_06 53:16

That's a lot, though. And he did that really well with a plomb. Good.

SPEAKER_01 53:20

Well, yeah, he's a pro. He knows the business and loves helping people. And hey, we're glad we get to serve as your broker, Kent. Anything we can do, you just stay in touch and let us know, okay? I will. Yeah, thanks for the encouragement as well.

SPEAKER_09 53:32

That's kind of you. Take care. We'll see you. Medicare is full of deadlines, Medicare is full of penalties, it's full of ways that you can make decisions that you don't know have a lasting impact. Uh just a big challenge, really, because you're coming off an employer plan, many of you, and you were given three options. But now it's a big challenge to figure out what to do. Tomorrow we're going to be talking about the three biggest challenges we see people face when starting Medicare and show you how to navigate through them. We'll see you tomorrow.