Latest / Get Savvy...Demystifying Healthcare / Episode 145: Stop and Compare: Don't 'Just Keep' Your Medicare Plan Without Doing This First

Transcript

Episode 145: Stop and Compare: Don't 'Just Keep' Your Medicare Plan Without Doing This First · Get Savvy...Demystifying Healthcare

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_02: If you're calling, let's say, United Healthcare Cignar Aetna, that's called a captive agent.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_02: So those folks are employed directly by the insurance company, and their goal is to keep you on your plan in their company or change you to a plan within their company.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_02: Uh independent brokers like myself and the folks that I work with, we actually are contracted with many of the plans in our area.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_02: Some people all of the plans in our area, but there are quite a few.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_02: And so we have the unique opportunity to look at all of the insurance companies with you in all of their plans and really drill down by many, many criteria into what it will be the best fit.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: If healthcare has ever left you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or stuck, this show is for you.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Get Stabby, the mystified healthcare weekly podcast, where we take complicated healthcare topics and make them simple.
• 0:56
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• 1:08
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• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: Hello everyone, before we get into the show, just a quick 90-second update.
• 1:23
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• 1:28
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• 1:31
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• 1:36
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• 1:38
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• 1:48
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• 1:56
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• 2:10
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• 2:27
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• 2:31
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• 2:33
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• 2:35
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• 2:41
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• 2:44
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• 2:48
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• 2:50
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• 2:56
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• 2:58
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• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: Let's demystify AI together.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: And now on with the show.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: Hello everyone, and welcome to the show Stop, Drop, and Compare.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: Don't just keep your Medicare plan without doing this first.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Is your Medicare plan still working for you?
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: Or are you about to get hit with a surprise you didn't see coming?
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_01: Or are you already dreading Medicare open enrollment for 2027 and the nonstop annoying commercials promising money back, Visa cards, extra benefits, and a plan that sounds like it should come with a Superman cape?
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_01: Well, today we're going to cut through the hype and demystify Medicare open enrollment.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: What to check, what questions to ask, the power of having a broker before you say, yes, I'll just keep what I have.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: To help us get into this topic, I have Krista Hugenberg on the show.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: Krista has over 15 years of experience working for health plans and provider groups in Colorado.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: Krista's healthcare knowledge is deepened by her role as a medical mom, caring for her own child who faces medical challenges.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_01: Through her personal and professional experience, she has developed a profound understanding of the complexities and obstacles individuals and families encounter while navigating the healthcare landscape.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: This firsthand knowledge further ignites her passion to help others in similar situations.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show, Krista.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Andy.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for having me.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get into it.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: I talked a little bit about your story, but share with us more and how it's led you on the journey you were on today.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I, like you said, I worked in corporate healthcare on the administrative side, supporting doctors and just a lot of the process that goes into end-to-end a member showing up at the medical office building and then getting their clan paid, right?
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_02: And everything kind of in between.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_02: So I did that for a long time.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: As you mentioned, um my daughter was born and she does have some profound medical issues.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_02: So I made the choice to actually leave corporate America and I am a certified nurse assistant that can actually that provides home health care and medical advocacy for my own medically complex child.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_02: So I've, you know, just gotten a little even more of a front row seat into what it's like out there dealing with insurance companies and trying to help people navigate the ins and outs of their benefit structures and advocating for services they need when maybe the doctor doesn't agree or doesn't say it.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, kind of gotten both looks at it.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_02: So then I became a Medicare agent because I thought, why not help other people navigate this?
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_02: I can do it so I can make people feel like they're also a part of my family and we can do it together and hopefully make some decisions with a little more confidence.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_01: So well, I'm so glad to hear that.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for sharing.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: You and I used to work together, so I know your experience well, which is why I'm so glad to have you on because you bring such a unique blend that really helps when a very complicated decision-making process.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, open enrollment.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know anybody who says, Oh my god, this is my favorite time of the year.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: Favorite time of the time.
• 5:52
  unknown: Yeah.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't happen.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_01: But with that, we hear every year that everything is changing.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: And at some point in time, I think it falls on deaf ears.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: But help us understand the truth on that, why people do need to pay attention every year when they're evaluating their plans.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: So obviously, like we we know um we can't talk about many specific changes until October 1st.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, that's the law.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: But the thing is, especially with the political landscape as it's been the last, you know, I would say three to five years, there's really a lot coming down, especially, you know, insurance companies, provider groups, drug plans.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that the goal is to protect, you know, our Medicare aged or Medicare eligible citizens, right?
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's the goal, um, and make sure that there's cost transparency and things like that.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: But what it's looked like is just a lot of change.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_02: So the healthcare companies are trying to figure out how to manage this money, manage these changes.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_02: So they're, they're, it's coming across in a lot of plan changes.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_02: That might look like a copay change, that might look like a benefit change, an additional supplementary benefit that they may or may not, you know, take away or include or change.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_02: Or we've seen a lot in the drug plan space.
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_02: They eliminated the donut hole for 2026.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_02: We all saw that.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_02: It was a great change because after spending that initial$2,000, you went into your catastrophic coverage and the drug plan helped pay for your drugs.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_02: So it's really benefited a lot of people that are needing some expensive drugs.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_02: And now we're seeing as we go into 2027, some of the legislature that's actually made drug companies work with the Medicare fee schedule, right?
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_02: So we're going to see some of those higher price drugs actually have to come down.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_02: And so things like that, right?
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_02: What we don't want our friends doing that are in Medicare is spending days and days and days researching all these changes and trying to figure out what's real, what's AI, what's, you know, just an advertisement to get me to change my plan.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: But we want them to be able to come to a source that just aggregates all that information for them and can speak some truth into what's changing.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: So well, let me ask you this.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_01: That is is so true to pay attention to that because it sounds like it's not only legislature changes being made, but health insurance companies are making changes to their plans.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: And the truth also is Medicare recipients, uh health may have changed as well.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really those three things all in one that really just I think support that.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's always smart to go through and to check that.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_01: Now tell us more.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: We always hear the acronym ANOC.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: What's an ANOC and why should people pay attention?
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, well, especially because of our kind of move to email and sometimes getting overwhelmed with junk email.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_02: But your ANOC is your annual notice of change.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_02: Whether you're on a supplemental plan or you're on a drug plan or you're on a Medicare Advantage plan, they're required to send you out a notice of change.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_02: Annual notice of change kind of speaks to what it is.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_02: Any changes that they're making to your plan, they're gonna tell you about it.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_02: And in fact, by this time, most people should have received their ANOC already.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_02: And so I always encourage people to read it.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: Again, it can be a lot of information, it can be hard to digest, which again is why you want to find a friend to help work through that with you.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: But I'm always letting my Medicare folks know that's important to know if heading into annual enrollment, you need to be cognizant of now my provider's not in network, now this benefit changed or this copay, and is this still the right fit for me?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_02: And as you said, Sandy, my my health this this time around.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, definitely.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_01: You've done this for a while now, and there are typical questions that you probably get asked every year.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: What are those top three questions and how would you answer them that might help listeners understand as they get ready for that open enrollment?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think the top question I get is do I need to change?
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_02: Do I have to do anything actually?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, in most cases the answer is no.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_02: You don't have to do anything.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_02: If you're on, especially if you're on a supplemental plan, you know that supplemental plan is gonna go with you for life unless you choose to change or stop paying.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_02: So no, you don't have to do anything.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_02: I always say that to folks, but again, as a good educated consumer, I always encourage people to at least check, right?
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: To at least check.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_02: So that's number one.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_02: Number two, I think people want a synopsis of the major changes in the industry, right?
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: So what what is changing?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: And again, like we've kind of touched on, there are some high-level changes, the the drug plan changes, the top-tier amounts and things like that.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_02: But realistically, every person, if you're asking the question, but what's changing this year?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: It is looking at your specific plan and looking at the industry and saying, okay, is my carrier, so my insurance company still working in my area?
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_02: Are they still contracted with my providers?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_02: Are they still gonna pay for my drugs?
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_02: Did my drug formulary change and now all of a sudden the drug that I was, you know, you know, approved to get in 2026 is no longer on formulary in 2027.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_02: So and then I think number three, I think overall it's like what else can I do to reduce my costs?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: So I think realistically all of us are in a position where we're seeing high r rising healthcare costs.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_02: And even when you do have good coverage, there's additional costs to be aware of.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's looking at things before you need to change, right?
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_02: So it's maybe looking at other pharmacy coupon programs, it's maybe looking, you know, out of the country at a Canadian pharmacy.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: It it's looking at long-term care policies and understanding what Medicare covers and what they don't, or maybe a cancer policy or hospital indemnity.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: So I think again, thinking about your whole health landscape and what it's gonna look like for the next hopefully 40 years of your life.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_02: Everybody's living to 110, and really thinking about how to answer those questions holistically.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I appreciate that.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk about the power of a broker.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I want to talk about that because if I'm listening to this, in fact, when I was doing the role of a broker, that I was not only getting Medicare recipients, but I was getting a lot of caregivers who are caring for their senior loved ones as well.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_01: So if people are listening and saying, wow, Krista threw out a lot of things, how am I supposed to answer that?
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: How am I supposed to consider what am I supposed to do?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think what I tell people, they don't have to do it alone.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_01: So with that, help us really understand what are the advantages of working with a broker.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_01: Really two-part question.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: Advantages of working with a broker and what is that process in working with a broker actually look like.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I was gonna actually say the same thing is you know, the biggest thing for me that I tell clients to is you don't have to do it alone.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I think all of us are are better together, right?
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: Meant to do life in a community, if you will.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_02: So Medicare brokers are licensed.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: We have to go through a lot of training, both initially to make sure we understand Medicare, we understand the law, we understand how to appropriately support people.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: And then every year we also have to go through additional training, right?
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: So we're spending hours and hours making sure that we are prepared to help the people that come and ask for help.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_02: I think another advantage is again, we're getting the information ahead of the general public.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: So October 1st, the general public's able to see the changes, but we've been hearing about them already.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: So that's been allowing us to ingest the information, to really think holistically about how best to support our clients.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_02: And it gives us a chance to, you know, prepare and get ready.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_02: So this is not new news.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's that.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_02: And then I and I also think, like I said, you know, as a Medicare broker, we're not pigeonholed into any sort of plan or option.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_02: So we really can talk with each client about their unique circumstance, like what drugs they're taking, what providers they're saying, like what diagnoses they have today or their what surgery is upcoming.
• 13:19
  SPEAKER_02: And then we can actually fit that into the plans, right?
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: Because we've seen them all.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_02: We're getting all this information and we can help you find that instead of just calling you one of our, you know, major insurance companies and have them trying to put you in the plan that they want to put you in, right?
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_02: So overarchingly, I, you know, I think it just makes everything easier and makes you feel a little more confident standing, you know, stepping out of the process going, okay, you know, I I thought through it all with with support, and this does make sense.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: Additionally, you know, and this is what I do for my clients, and I think many brokers do the same.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: I've already reached out to my clients and said, hey, let's schedule time.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_02: Uh annual enrollment's coming.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: It starts October 15th, runs till December 7th.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: We have a month, you know, a couple months to make these plan changes if you want them.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'm reminding my clients that this is it's the time of year to look at that, get your information together, and let's have a chat.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: So again, it's not even on you to remember to do it once you have a broker in in place.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: So that's nice.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_01: And so tell me again, just to reiterate, just in case as someone's out jogging or planting in the garden, let's talk about the difference between an independent broker and calling that 1-800 carrier number, whether it's Humana, Cigna, Select Health, whatever.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: What's what's really the difference between the two?
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_02: So again, I think if you're calling, let's say, United Healthcare or Cignar at a, you know, that's called a captive agent.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_02: So those folks are employed directly by the insurance company, and their goal is to keep you on your plan in their company or change you to a plan within their company.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_02: Independent brokers like myself and the folks that I work with, we actually are contracted with many of the plans in our areas.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_02: And so we have the unique opportunity to look at all of the insurance companies with you in all of their plans and really drill down by many, many criteria into what it will be the f best fit.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_02: So maybe this year, Sandy, you're on United Healthcare, but next year you might want to try Kaiser, right?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: Because we can talk through the pros and cons of every insurance company and every plan.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: And and tell me, does it cost anything to work with a broker?
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's great.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_02: No, it doesn't, or it shouldn't.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_02: And if it is costing you something to work with a broker, then you should definitely give me a call and we should talk about that.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: But no, brokers are actually compensated by the health insurance companies.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: So it's built kind of into the infrastructure of Medicare.
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: So if a broker signs you up for a plan, then they will be compensated by that enrollment.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: So no cost to the consumer.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: So why not take uh free help?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, definitely.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_01: And and so I have to throw this in here too, why I think a broker is so important.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I take care of my 85-year-old.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: I call her my sassy loving mama, and I take care of her.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I had her one time actually check off a list and how many commercials or calls that she got during the open enrollment period.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: Oh man.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, between I mean, we all see them, the annoying commercials, call now, check your zip code, all of that stuff.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: And she used to get so annoyed with it.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: And I understood that because it it's just annoying and it's confusing to people.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: But I would add, I think with AI coming in, I predict, because that's my new world of working with and helping people understand AI, but that piece of it is just really going to, I think, magnify the phone calls and the commercials to further confuse people.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I always say that to make sure that you have a broker to talk to for sure.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: I get that from my clients too, Sandy.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_02: It's the worst time of the year.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: That and turning 65 for the first time, I say uh burn everything that you receive as kindling in your fireplace.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_02: Hopefully it's not electric.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um, otherwise, you know, tuck it in the recycling bin or tuck your cell phone in a in a cabinet and don't pick it up again until after December.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_02: No, you can't do that.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_02: You need you know your cell phone.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, it's hard.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_02: And again, you know, so my clients actually all get calls and maybe you did too, saying, Do I need to do something?
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_02: I I got a call from United.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_02: I thought we were good.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_02: We did my plan change, we settled, but United called me again.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Do I need to do something?
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: So again, it's confusing.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: You're getting lots of calls.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_02: The response I tell them to give is no, thank you.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: Please add me to your do not call list, right?
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: So there is a do not call national registry.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_02: You can say that every time, and it will help cut down on the calls you get.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_02: But that said, they're gonna be calling.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: So well, now tell us more about H5 Healthcare Consulting, about how you work with clients, what makes you different, and how people can reach out to you.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so like I said, we are a small company.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_02: I started this because I really want people to feel like they have a friend or a family member in the fight with them.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I when clients call me, I I work basically mostly on referrals, right?
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_02: So when clients call because, you know, I worked with their sister or whoever.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: And what I like to do again is we we always go through education first.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: So whether you think you know or or you've been down the road or you're new to it or you're somewhere in the middle, we really like to talk through the specifics of Medicare.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_02: And that may be revisiting it every year.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: And I know that sounds crazy, but again, things change and people don't remember what we talked about last year, or they weren't, it was too much at the time.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: So really education focused, number one, so they can feel like an educated consumer, even if they're not doing it all by themselves.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_02: So we're meeting and having those meetings, and then like I said, we're we're doing a specific, you know, plan review.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_02: You're telling me these are the doctors I see, these are the medications that I take, and this is what I'm looking for.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: Either I want to save money or I'd rather just have a set monthly fee and not worry about it anytime I go to the doctor.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you're kind of guiding me in what your priorities are, and then I'm able to tell back to you within that framework, you know, what the best fit might be.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_02: And then we kind of whittle that down till we pick your plan.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: And like I said, then we stay friends forever.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, besties, we continue to work together every year as needed to revamp where we're at because again, maybe you got an MS diagnosis, you know, maybe now you have cancer.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: And that plan may need to look different based on what might have changed within the last year.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_02: So I also do love reconnecting with my clients every year to just see how things are going.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: And so, again, my whole goal, our whole goal is to really make people feel like family and know that, you know, you're in the skilled nursing facility and your your daughter's taking care of you.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_02: She can call me too, right?
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_02: She can call me to ask how do I navigate this claims process?
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: What should I be paying?
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_02: Can you help?
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, and I think that's the approach we always want to take.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate that.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_01: And that is so incredibly important, especially I think these days.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: And something I would add, and maybe you can help me with this.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: I do think that the broker landscape is changing a little bit.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, some are moving on, some are retiring.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_01: There's some definitely some changes in that industry too.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: So I often hear when I used to do the job that people's brokers left or whatever it may be.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: So if that's the case, you know, it's always good to find another one and don't feel lost if your broker is no longer working or serving.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_01: We'll make sure and put uh the link to H5 Healthcare Consulting so they can reach out to you.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_01: Now, speaking of that, I know you serve Colorado only.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: What if I believe has that changed by the way?
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: Or yeah, uh a couple other states, Florida, New Jersey, but primarily Colorado, that's where I'm focused.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, Colorado.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_01: But if somebody needed help or maybe they're listening to this in Arizona or something, could they reach out to you and you could maybe direct them or find it?
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, totally.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: Again, we're one big family.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_02: We know that uh karma is good to all of us as we support one another.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: So what I've done in the past is if someone reaches out and they're moving to California or they live in Arizona, like you said, Texas, you know, their mom is somewhere in Idaho.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: I would reach out to my network of brokers and just say, hey, can you help Sandy's mom?
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_02: She's in Idaho and I'm not licensed there, but we'll just get you with somebody that feels like a good fit.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: Oh gosh.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I love everything that you've said, Krista.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's so helpful and it would just put such an ease.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: And I appreciate your approach to that.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I just have to put in a little plug.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: You do life insurance as well.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: We can't cover it in this podcast, but we are gonna have you and your partner on in a few episodes to talk about that.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: But as we close this episode on our fun topic of Medicare and open enrollment, what are some final tips that you would like to leave listeners with?
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so again, I would get prepared now.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_02: And the best thing you can do heading into October 1st, but really October 15th, which is the first day you can enroll in a different plan if you want that.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: Get your medication list together.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: You know, get your provider list together.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_02: Maybe you haven't seen all your specialists, but you know, get them on a list and get ready to look at your plan when you do get that annual notice of change.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't receive a letter, uh it should be available to you in your portal online.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: So again, if you're feeling not tech savvy, feel free to give me a call.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: We can get on there together, but it should be available to you and your plan.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: So you may get notified that your plan's going away.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: The carrier will put you in a new plan, or you will have what's called a special enrollment period where we can get you moved over.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: But just knowing that the more prepared you are coming into this season, the better I think you'll feel about any changes that need to be made.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd say that.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I appreciate that, Krista.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: You again, your wealth of experience and knowledge is so helpful.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we will again link to your website so people know where to find you.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: And thank you for being so kind, your knowledge and expertise in helping people navigate and demystify Medicare and open enrollment.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: Really appreciate your time today.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: No, thanks so much.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: I enjoyed having Krista on the show.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: Such great tips and recommendations you can follow to get the health care you deserve.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: And remember, you don't have to do it alone.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: And working with a broker has so many advantages and doesn't cost you anything.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure and check out H5 Healthcare Consulting.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_01: The link is in the show notes.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: To reach out to Krista, she is an amazing resource.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_01: In our next episode, could releasing tight overworked muscles be the key to moving better, feeling stronger, and taking back control without those expensive medications, injections, or surgery?
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_01: I am bringing on Butch Phelps to discuss this further.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: Butch is a functional massage therapist, award-winning author, and creator of the stretch and release technique.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_01: He helps people 45 plus reduce those chronic aches, improve mobility, and move better without relying on meds, injections, or surgeries by teaching people how to release those tight, overworked muscles and take control of their own bodies.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_01: Butch has helped thousands of people online and in his office to gain the mobility they have missed from chronic pain due to aging or injuries.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: I have to say this, I actually purchased Butch's book and it is amazing.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I've used it myself for those tight back muscles and shoulder muscles from sitting at a desk often, or too often, I should say.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I have to tell you, the stretch and release program is amazing, and the book in general certainly has been helpful to me.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: So make sure and check it out, and in fact, join us on the next episode.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, get savvy.