Because every individual is different, everyone is going to have a slightly different story about their Medicare enrollment. There are, however, a few types of scenarios and questions that seem to be more common. Many of our clients may be able to relate to Ginger’s experience, and how she decided to call Keys to Medicare for unbiased advice after a frustrating start with an insurance salesperson.
Meet Ginger:
As a registered nurse for 43 years, Ginger has plenty of experience working with health insurance companies on behalf of her patients. Throughout her career, she has seen some reimbursements go worse than others. That’s why she made the decision early on about the types of Medicare products she wanted to avoid when it came time to enroll. But she wasn’t quite sure when that time would come. She initially thought she would retire later. Then things started to shift.
In her own words, “I thought about retirement for a long time, but I was afraid to take the next step.”
Ginger continued working her regular schedule until she turned 68. Then the burnout set-in. “I tried to wait longer or do part-time,” she said. But when she started take stock of her work days, they just didn’t feel right anymore. She was ready for the next chapter of her life.
Concerns About Medicare Enrollment:
Despite being a person who will “tend to overthink everything,” Ginger didn’t end up planning her retirement months in advance. She found herself in a situation where everything was pretty rushed. That put some extra pressure on her Medicare enrollment process. She needed to get set up—and get set up quick.
Of course, there were some lingering concerns. Ginger was leaving a career where she was dealing with insurance companies “all day, every day.” She had watched countless people get into trouble with their coverage, and she didn’t want to face those problems herself.
Keys to Medicare Introduction:
Ginger knew she wanted help navigating the Medicare process, so she reached out to her financial advisor for a Medicare advisor referral. But when Ginger contacted that person, she learned that they had retired. Another individual had taken over the company, so Ginger began talking with them instead. Unfortunately, the phone call was “a typical sale” experience. Ginger quickly felt like she was getting pushed into a plan that, based on her background, she didn’t want. She realized she needed to go in another direction—and that’s when she remembered Keys to Medicare.
A few years back, Ginger had attended a Keys to Medicare event at her local library. “The objective wasn’t about selling, but education,” she said. These presentations are designed to give people a better understanding of the options available with Medicare enrollment, and that approach made Ginger feel better.
“I held onto the card because I was really, really, really, impressed,” she said. When her other referral fell through, Ginger knew just who to contact. She let her financial advisor know about her reaction with the other company. Then she dug up the business card to make her next call.
Feedback on the Enrollment Process:
After a quick initial phone consultation, Ginger went ahead and scheduled an in-home meeting with Jason Newby of Keys to Medicare. Even being on a time crunch, Ginger said the enrollment process was relatively simple. “It went really quick,” she said. “He had his laptop and sat at the dining room table and we went through each product and the implications of each one.” The unbiased approach helped Ginger know that her best interests were the top priority.
“I just can’t be more pleased with the way it went,” said Ginger. She and Jason ran the numbers to figure out what the cost per month would be and when she could expect her cards to come in the mail. Since then, Ginger has even been encouraging her coworkers to throw the Keys to Medicare name around when other people need a referral. Even with her “overthinking” tendencies, she feels good about her choice because they covered all of the details together.
Now that she’s officially retired, Ginger has been able to get some well-earned relaxation time. She’s not waking up at 5 am anymore or working 10-hour days, plus, she’s been “sleeping better than ever.” After a rocky start, it’s nice to know everything is now on-track.
Dealing with something similar for your Medicare enrollment process? Keys to Medicare is here to help! We love working with clients on a personal level to make sure you get the right Medicare plan for your needs and lifestyle. Please contact us to schedule your consultation!