Medicare Guidance: Save Yourself Time, Stress, and Money by Staying Local

When it comes to fruit & veggies, music or art sometimes your local experts just do things better. You look for local help when it comes to your home repairs, auto care and legal advice, shouldn’t you be looking for local guidance for your insurance as well? In conjunction with the diversity in talents and skill sets in Southwest Washington, one usually doesn’t have to look far to find quality professionals who know how to treat their clients like more than just a number. You’ve probably seen plenty of insurance advertisements over the past few weeks and you’ll be seeing more in the weeks to come.

This time of year, folks get inundated with Medicare ads! Next time you come across one vying for your Medicare business, take a close look at the phone numbers listed. Do you know what state your call is going to? Do you know if the person answering has any idea what our local medical environment is like? If you can’t answer those questions, you may want to think twice about calling. Although the big insurance companies you’ve been seeing ads for have excellent plans, enrolling through those 1-800 numbers may not be such a good move. Often, these numbers ring to out-of-state call centers with representatives trained to field your call and enroll you in a plan as quickly as possible. While convenient to dial, using these call centers to sign up may result in you being enrolled on a Medicare plan that doesn’t cover your medication properly or allow you to access your healthcare team.

Using a local insurance broker is more than just supporting small businesses, it also helps ensure you’re getting unbiased, transparent guidance from someone who knows the “lay of the land”. They will know which network your doctor or preferred hospital is in, thereby guiding you to a plan where you can feel comfortable knowing you have the access you need.

When you’re looking for Medicare advice, be sure to look for someone who will look at your lifestyle, health needs, medications, and doctors when recommending a plan. Local brokers will take the time to sit with you, thoroughly explain your options, and check provider and medication directories to ensure all your needs are met. Ultimately, using a local broker means forming an ongoing relationship so you always have someone to call when you need guidance.