What to Have Ready When You Call the Insurance Agent

When you’re ready to enroll in Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap), there is some information that your licensed agent will need to ensure you’re being matched with a plan that makes sense for you. Before you pick up the phone, make sure you have the following information handy.

Personal information

• If you are 65 years old and are enrolling in Medigap during your six-month Medigap open enrollment period, insurers cannot use medical underwriting to determine how much they’ll charge you for a Medigap plan. They also cannot use medical underwriting to deny you coverage altogether.
  
  
• When you call an agent during your open enrollment period, he or she will likely ask for your zip code to determine which Medigap plans are available in your area. They may also ask for your phone number and email address in case any further questions arise throughout the application process.
  
  
• If you are outside of your open enrollment period, your agent will be able to tell you more about your Medigap options and how much you could end up paying for coverage.
  
  
• If you are younger than 65 and qualify for Medicare because of a disability or medical condition, there’s a chance you may not be eligible for Medicare Supplement Insurance. And even if you live in a state that requires insurers to offer Medigap plans to people under the age of 65, they could charge you more for your plan.

Medicare card

• In order to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, you must first be enrolled in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). Having your Medicare card handy will help the agent verify your Original Medicare enrollment via your Medicare card number.

List of Medicare Supplement Plans you may be interested in

• If you’ve already done some research and have an idea of which Medicare Supplement insurance plans may be a good fit for you, feel free to have the list with you when you make that call. If you want to research the different plan options beforehand, you can do so using the plan comparison chart. If not, the agent will be happy to walk you through the available plans and help identify the best one for your needs.

*Remember that not all plans may be available in every area. Plans in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin are standardized differently.

List of doctors and health care facilities you frequent

• If a doctor or health care facility accepts Medicare, they must also accept Medicare Supplement Insurance. If you are unsure whether or not some of your local health care providers accept Medicare, an agent can help you determine their participation.

List of health conditions or medical records

• Providing the agent with an idea of your health care needs can help them better identify the best Medicare Supplement insurance Plan for you. Each plan provides coverage in different areas and being able to project your health care needs can help the agent suggest the right plan for you.

List of any questions you might have

There’s a lot to know about Medicare Supplement insurance, so it can help to compile a list of questions you have before you call. Some things you may want to ask include:

• What are the most popular plans in my area?
• How much are the monthly premiums?
• Will the premiums increase as I get older?
• When will my Medigap coverage begin?
• Is the plan I want available in my area?
• What will I likely have to pay out of pocket for care?

Preferred payment method

If you are ready to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, it will be helpful to have your payment information ready. An agent can help you enroll in Medigap over the phone in just minutes.

Christian Worstell is a health care and policy writer for MedicareSupplement.com. He has written hundreds of articles helping people better understand their Medicare coverage options.