Medicare Made Simple: Navigating Open Enrollment with Marcia Mantel

1
00:00:00,380 --> 00:00:02,120
Well, if you're like me, you're getting bombarded

2
00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,800
by all these Medicare ads every time you

3
00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:05,440
turn around.

4
00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:08,160
And if you're dealing with these decisions, boy,

5
00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:09,080
can it be confusing.

6
00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:10,820
So we brought in the expert.

7
00:00:11,180 --> 00:00:13,820
We've got Marcia Mantel this week to help

8
00:00:13,820 --> 00:00:17,900
us deal with the Medicare enrollment period.

9
00:00:18,540 --> 00:00:20,580
Join us for something more with Chris Boyd.

10
00:00:21,660 --> 00:00:23,680
Welcome to something more with Chris Boyd.

11
00:00:23,900 --> 00:00:26,720
Chris Boyd is a certified financial planner, practitioner

12
00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,700
and senior vice president, financial advisor at Wealth

13
00:00:29,700 --> 00:00:32,360
Enhancement Group, one of the nation's largest registered

14
00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:33,400
investment advisors.

15
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,820
We call it something more because we'd like

16
00:00:35,820 --> 00:00:37,960
to talk not only about those important dollar

17
00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,140
and cents issues, but also the quality of

18
00:00:40,140 --> 00:00:42,580
life issues that make the money matters matter.

19
00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,340
Here he is, your fulfillment facilitator, your partner

20
00:00:46,340 --> 00:00:49,480
in prosperity, advising clients on Cape Cod and

21
00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:50,520
across the country.

22
00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,340
Here's your host, Jay Christopher Boyd.

23
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:55,420
Welcome, everybody.

24
00:00:55,660 --> 00:00:56,620
Thanks for being with us.

25
00:00:56,620 --> 00:00:57,520
I'm Chris Boyd.

26
00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:58,620
I'm here with Jeff Perry.

27
00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:01,100
Our guest is Marcia Mantel, returning guest.

28
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:02,880
Thank you for being here, Marcia.

29
00:01:03,700 --> 00:01:06,280
Jeff and I are both with Wealth Enhancement

30
00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:08,080
at the AMR team and glad to have

31
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:09,820
you joining us for the show, everybody.

32
00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:12,140
It's Thanksgiving week.

33
00:01:12,660 --> 00:01:16,240
We just we're recording this the day before

34
00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:16,720
Thanksgiving.

35
00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:19,340
This will be on just after Thanksgiving.

36
00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:23,200
We're all thinking about food and recipe and

37
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,980
all that goes into preparations.

38
00:01:27,460 --> 00:01:31,740
Well, what about your recipe for Medicare, your

39
00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:32,540
Medicare recipe?

40
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,980
This is the time of year where you

41
00:01:34,980 --> 00:01:37,800
got to think about Medicare open enrollment.

42
00:01:38,780 --> 00:01:43,680
And so if you don't recall this, Marcia

43
00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:48,020
is an author of many books, but most

44
00:01:48,020 --> 00:01:51,840
recently creating your Medicare recipe, your guide to

45
00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:54,680
enrolling on time and without penalties.

46
00:01:55,380 --> 00:01:58,860
So we thought this time of year is

47
00:01:58,860 --> 00:02:00,420
so confusing for a lot of people.

48
00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,040
And Marcia, lots of things changing in the

49
00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:04,960
world these days.

50
00:02:06,380 --> 00:02:07,660
I don't know about you guys, but I

51
00:02:07,660 --> 00:02:10,200
hate all the damn ads that come on

52
00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,180
for trying to get you to entice you

53
00:02:14,180 --> 00:02:16,460
into their their Medicare stuff.

54
00:02:16,740 --> 00:02:18,900
They're so bad that they're almost funny.

55
00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:23,400
There's one with a woman named Karen that

56
00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:24,520
makes me laugh.

57
00:02:24,740 --> 00:02:26,640
But after I saw it 500 times, how

58
00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:28,320
many times can you watch that before?

59
00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:29,240
It's annoying, right?

60
00:02:29,260 --> 00:02:30,460
First couple of times I was like, oh,

61
00:02:30,460 --> 00:02:31,020
this is cute.

62
00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:32,520
But yeah, yeah.

63
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:34,820
Well, we're going to talk about that.

64
00:02:34,900 --> 00:02:37,160
Of course, if you've heard our show before

65
00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,280
and you recognize having Marcia on, we usually

66
00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:42,480
talk about Social Security.

67
00:02:42,580 --> 00:02:46,300
So we're definitely going to cross over into

68
00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:47,600
that a little bit while we got to

69
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:48,200
here, Marcia.

70
00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:51,260
So lots of things we can talk about.

71
00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:54,100
But and of course, Marcia has written several

72
00:02:54,100 --> 00:02:57,260
books that are helpful in that regard to

73
00:02:57,260 --> 00:02:58,260
Marcia.

74
00:02:58,400 --> 00:02:59,780
You want to promote plug some of your

75
00:02:59,780 --> 00:03:00,020
stuff?

76
00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,000
Well, there's a new book coming out any

77
00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:03,440
second.

78
00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:05,160
Any freaking day now.

79
00:03:05,920 --> 00:03:07,080
What is that?

80
00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:07,360
All right.

81
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:09,160
Thanks for having me on.

82
00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:09,920
I didn't get to mention.

83
00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,300
Yeah, so I've written a new Social Security

84
00:03:12,300 --> 00:03:15,160
book because so much has changed since I

85
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:16,700
wrote the first one five years ago.

86
00:03:16,700 --> 00:03:19,700
This one, though, addresses or tries to address

87
00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:22,880
the grave concern people have about this whole

88
00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,620
program just blowing up and disappearing, which it's

89
00:03:25,620 --> 00:03:25,900
not.

90
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,920
So I titled this book Social Security Lightly

91
00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:31,300
Toasted, Not Burnt.

92
00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,620
So it's hopeful and the cover is cute.

93
00:03:35,700 --> 00:03:38,080
It's literally got like a 1940s toaster on

94
00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,900
it with toast flinging out of the chute.

95
00:03:41,940 --> 00:03:44,580
So, yeah, I have a fabulous designer and

96
00:03:44,580 --> 00:03:46,500
she came up with this graphic.

97
00:03:46,700 --> 00:03:48,180
And so, you know, I just I want

98
00:03:48,180 --> 00:03:51,440
people to to calm down about Social Security.

99
00:03:51,780 --> 00:03:53,440
But it's super hard to do.

100
00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:53,900
Yeah.

101
00:03:54,060 --> 00:03:56,940
All of the it's if if they don't

102
00:03:56,940 --> 00:03:58,800
do something about it, it's frustrating.

103
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,160
Like, get let's get to it.

104
00:04:00,180 --> 00:04:01,060
The sooner the better.

105
00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,700
But but the sooner the better was 20

106
00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:04,440
years ago.

107
00:04:04,700 --> 00:04:05,120
Exactly.

108
00:04:05,220 --> 00:04:06,720
You know, that's why I think all of

109
00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,840
us, you know, younger boomers and the up

110
00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:11,420
and coming Gen Xers, like, you know, we're

111
00:04:11,420 --> 00:04:11,880
mad.

112
00:04:12,460 --> 00:04:12,660
Yeah.

113
00:04:13,020 --> 00:04:13,760
Come on, Congress.

114
00:04:13,780 --> 00:04:14,680
Get your act together.

115
00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,860
Well, and there's they play politics with this

116
00:04:17,860 --> 00:04:19,579
and as if, oh, it's not a problem.

117
00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,940
Well, it's not yet, but we know it

118
00:04:22,940 --> 00:04:24,900
really, you know, it really is.

119
00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,160
And because it's all right.

120
00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:29,600
Yeah, exactly.

121
00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:30,980
It's a problem for those who have to

122
00:04:30,980 --> 00:04:33,580
continue to pay in now and likely will

123
00:04:33,580 --> 00:04:35,360
have to pay in at a slightly higher

124
00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:35,720
rate.

125
00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:37,600
It could have been a teeny, tiny little

126
00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:39,740
rate increase 20 years ago.

127
00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,160
Yeah, well, you know, one of the things

128
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:45,720
I worry about, too, is you know, we

129
00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:47,700
think in terms of, well, no problem.

130
00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,420
We can solve this, you know, and I

131
00:04:49,420 --> 00:04:51,300
think it is it's arithmetic, right?

132
00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:53,560
It's just put money in, money out, right?

133
00:04:53,900 --> 00:04:56,040
There's ways to address it and make this

134
00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:56,420
work.

135
00:04:56,940 --> 00:04:57,140
Yes.

136
00:04:58,540 --> 00:05:01,580
But generally, as it relates to the U

137
00:05:01,580 --> 00:05:04,240
.S. budget, we often do things with a

138
00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:05,360
little bit of leverage, right?

139
00:05:05,380 --> 00:05:06,220
We borrow money.

140
00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,960
And we think of that as always available.

141
00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,520
And not well, that we that we have

142
00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,160
preferable terms because we're the United States.

143
00:05:20,940 --> 00:05:24,300
But we saw a little taste of a

144
00:05:24,300 --> 00:05:26,000
little shock to the system when this whole

145
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:29,880
tariff thing came about, when we saw some

146
00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,540
curiosity about what's happening with Treasuries and why

147
00:05:33,540 --> 00:05:35,040
are they moving the way they're moving?

148
00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,940
And so it starts me thinking, well, you

149
00:05:37,940 --> 00:05:39,560
know, we assume we can do all this

150
00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:40,520
the way we'd like to.

151
00:05:41,260 --> 00:05:44,960
But, you know, there's some unknowns in the

152
00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:45,340
future.

153
00:05:45,580 --> 00:05:50,240
And whether it's the Social Security, Medicare shortfalls

154
00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:52,560
that we deal with need to be dealt

155
00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,420
with or are, you know, growing debt deficit

156
00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:02,080
problems, you know, those also need some attention.

157
00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:02,660
Yes.

158
00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:02,820
Yeah.

159
00:06:02,940 --> 00:06:05,960
Sorry, the added wrinkle with Social Security is

160
00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,580
it is a law.

161
00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:08,980
It is a gigantic law.

162
00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:12,340
And in that law, there is zero provision

163
00:06:12,340 --> 00:06:13,080
to borrow.

164
00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:17,080
So Social Security can't just go and borrow

165
00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,160
from the Treasury, just knock on the door

166
00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:20,460
and say, by the way, I need a

167
00:06:20,460 --> 00:06:21,300
couple trillion dollars.

168
00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:22,120
You got a shortfall.

169
00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:22,880
We need some money.

170
00:06:23,220 --> 00:06:23,520
Exactly.

171
00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:25,740
Just to tide us over for another generation.

172
00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:30,880
We can't do that unless Congress writes a

173
00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,340
new amendment that allows for borrowing.

174
00:06:33,700 --> 00:06:35,440
Well, I hope that's not the only solution.

175
00:06:35,740 --> 00:06:37,740
Yeah, you know, and it isn't.

176
00:06:37,740 --> 00:06:39,220
And actually, I don't think we really need

177
00:06:39,220 --> 00:06:39,980
much of that.

178
00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:41,900
That was what they ended up doing for

179
00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:45,600
one year back in the 1982 bridge into

180
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,140
1983, the last time the reserve fund went

181
00:06:49,140 --> 00:06:49,560
dry.

182
00:06:50,180 --> 00:06:51,700
And so but they didn't borrow from the

183
00:06:51,700 --> 00:06:52,040
Treasury.

184
00:06:52,420 --> 00:06:55,460
They borrowed from Social Security Disability Trust Fund.

185
00:06:55,700 --> 00:06:58,640
They stayed within their three trust funds.

186
00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:00,740
There's SSDI disability.

187
00:07:01,220 --> 00:07:04,160
There's Social Security OASI for us older folks.

188
00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:05,280
And then there's Medicare.

189
00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:07,540
They stayed within their neighborhood.

190
00:07:07,540 --> 00:07:08,160
If you will.

191
00:07:08,900 --> 00:07:09,960
And it was a one year borrow.

192
00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,220
And then we had to pay it back.

193
00:07:13,580 --> 00:07:16,240
So does that option still exist?

194
00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,480
Only because with regard to doesn't don't they

195
00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:22,960
all have shortfalls at this point?

196
00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:24,860
Like their ability does not.

197
00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:26,100
Oh, that's good to hear.

198
00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:26,800
Part A does.

199
00:07:27,020 --> 00:07:27,280
Yes.

200
00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:27,880
Yeah.

201
00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:28,200
Yeah.

202
00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,700
Well, you know, it's both yay.

203
00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:34,200
And are we approving people who are actually

204
00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,020
disabled and making sure they're getting what they

205
00:07:37,020 --> 00:07:37,400
need?

206
00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:40,920
Because the restrictions are very difficult to be

207
00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:41,300
eligible.

208
00:07:41,900 --> 00:07:42,000
Yeah.

209
00:07:42,140 --> 00:07:42,340
Yeah.

210
00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:44,740
And it takes something like two hundred and

211
00:07:44,740 --> 00:07:48,480
fifteen days to have your case reviewed and

212
00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:49,660
approved or denied.

213
00:07:50,180 --> 00:07:54,680
And there's all this lengthy process for reconsideration

214
00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:55,540
along the way.

215
00:07:55,980 --> 00:07:56,180
Yeah.

216
00:07:56,580 --> 00:07:56,740
Yeah.

217
00:07:56,860 --> 00:07:58,640
I've had clients go through that.

218
00:07:59,100 --> 00:08:01,340
I'm sure you have some experience with that.

219
00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:05,220
But it's and it's stress filled for those

220
00:08:05,220 --> 00:08:08,400
people who are at the time disabled looking

221
00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:10,380
to get help.

222
00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:11,700
Yeah.

223
00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,560
You know, it's supposed to be a social

224
00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,560
safety net, but only if we put you

225
00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:17,980
through an obstacle course.

226
00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:18,740
Yeah.

227
00:08:19,460 --> 00:08:19,560
Yeah.

228
00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,880
Well, and in all fairness, we you know,

229
00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:24,280
we want to prevent abuse.

230
00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:26,240
You know, there and there are plenty of

231
00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:30,600
people who have tried to abuse the the

232
00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,380
largest of this safety net.

233
00:08:33,620 --> 00:08:34,260
You know what I mean?

234
00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,700
So it's it's hard to navigate that, no

235
00:08:37,700 --> 00:08:37,980
doubt.

236
00:08:38,460 --> 00:08:42,260
But let's focus on Medicare to start with.

237
00:08:43,340 --> 00:08:48,600
And it sounds like first off, open enrollment

238
00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:49,080
period.

239
00:08:50,020 --> 00:08:52,520
What is our date range that we need

240
00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:53,480
to be thinking about?

241
00:08:54,060 --> 00:08:56,120
We have a few more days left.

242
00:08:56,620 --> 00:09:00,840
December 7th, for most people, ends the annual

243
00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:02,120
open enrollment period.

244
00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:03,240
And this is very good.

245
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:04,260
It's very soon.

246
00:09:04,860 --> 00:09:07,360
It's the time of year when all the

247
00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:10,500
seniors and anyone on Medicare have to reshop

248
00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:13,360
their drug plans, their Part D drug plans

249
00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:17,100
and their Part C Medicare Advantage plans to

250
00:09:17,100 --> 00:09:19,640
make sure that they're going to be available

251
00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,920
and for the best cost the following year.

252
00:09:23,060 --> 00:09:25,600
So that deadline is December 7th.

253
00:09:25,620 --> 00:09:27,360
I think is that a Sunday this year?

254
00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:28,800
Let's take a look.

255
00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:30,040
I think it's a Sunday.

256
00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:32,660
And so and it does not carry over

257
00:09:32,660 --> 00:09:35,980
to Monday, like December 7th, 1159 p.m.

258
00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:37,340
That's your deadline.

259
00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,480
So sooner, you know, is the bottom line.

260
00:09:41,540 --> 00:09:42,580
You got to get it done even before

261
00:09:42,580 --> 00:09:43,920
then is what that amounts to.

262
00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,080
So you've got basically this week to deal

263
00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:49,960
with, you know, right.

264
00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:52,040
Some of the choices aren't there.

265
00:09:52,140 --> 00:09:54,640
This like did Massachusetts, where a lot of

266
00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,100
our listeners are, did they lose some options?

267
00:09:57,100 --> 00:10:00,500
They did, and they lost options on three

268
00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:01,040
fronts.

269
00:10:01,520 --> 00:10:04,720
So just to backpedal for one quick second,

270
00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,060
Part D and Part C plans are and

271
00:10:08,060 --> 00:10:10,220
have always been one year contracts.

272
00:10:10,420 --> 00:10:12,080
You're buying the Part D drug plan for

273
00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:13,760
just one calendar year.

274
00:10:14,220 --> 00:10:17,320
Would you mind reviewing the parts before we

275
00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:18,500
get into these?

276
00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,720
You know, just you might not be clear

277
00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,540
what a Part D or Part D and

278
00:10:22,540 --> 00:10:22,900
all that.

279
00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:23,380
Yes.

280
00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:23,840
Thank you.

281
00:10:23,860 --> 00:10:25,120
I should have thought to do that, too.

282
00:10:25,700 --> 00:10:28,120
We have four key parts to Medicare.

283
00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,180
There's Part A, which is what you're paying

284
00:10:31,180 --> 00:10:32,220
FICA taxes into.

285
00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:33,980
It covers you if you end up in

286
00:10:33,980 --> 00:10:35,600
the hospital when you're on Medicare.

287
00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:40,240
Part B is your medical insurance.

288
00:10:40,320 --> 00:10:42,240
You pay your doctors and outpatient services.

289
00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,560
You pay a premium every month for that.

290
00:10:46,220 --> 00:10:48,140
Parts A and B, you enroll one time

291
00:10:48,140 --> 00:10:49,360
and you never look at them again.

292
00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:50,060
You're done.

293
00:10:50,980 --> 00:10:54,020
But they don't cover all of your expenses

294
00:10:54,020 --> 00:10:56,160
when you're in the health care system, in

295
00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:56,520
Medicare.

296
00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,800
Sort of an indemnity plan of sorts, a

297
00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,620
80-20-ish kind of.

298
00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:02,200
Right.

299
00:11:02,300 --> 00:11:04,220
For Part B, just Part B.

300
00:11:04,460 --> 00:11:07,500
Part A works differently with a deductible and

301
00:11:07,500 --> 00:11:09,180
then day rates if you're in the hospital

302
00:11:09,180 --> 00:11:10,060
or skilled nursing.

303
00:11:10,680 --> 00:11:12,320
But if you have if you have a

304
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:14,380
Part B, that's when you sometimes think about

305
00:11:14,380 --> 00:11:16,740
Medigap or a supplemental plan.

306
00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:17,420
Right.

307
00:11:17,420 --> 00:11:19,860
Because that covers your 20 percent.

308
00:11:19,860 --> 00:11:20,340
Right.

309
00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:21,160
Exactly.

310
00:11:21,620 --> 00:11:22,980
And that's what we have in Massachusetts.

311
00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,160
We have a different structure to Medigap plans.

312
00:11:26,820 --> 00:11:30,000
The rest of the country, 47 states have

313
00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:35,080
plans Medigap A through Medigap N with some

314
00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:35,480
retired.

315
00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:36,740
We just have two.

316
00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,660
Supplement 1A, which covers all of our expenses,

317
00:11:39,940 --> 00:11:41,920
and Core, which covers some of them.

318
00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,480
So we are a little bit differently structured.

319
00:11:44,780 --> 00:11:49,420
But having that Medigap exactly pays for anything

320
00:11:49,420 --> 00:11:51,380
you would have to pay for if you

321
00:11:51,380 --> 00:11:53,340
use and when you use Parts A and

322
00:11:53,340 --> 00:11:53,600
B.

323
00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:55,920
So A, B and Medigap go together as

324
00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:56,540
a little package.

325
00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:58,980
Your drugs still are not covered.

326
00:11:59,380 --> 00:12:00,240
That's Part D.

327
00:12:00,560 --> 00:12:02,720
So you need a separate standalone Part D

328
00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:04,840
plan with this structure.

329
00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:05,660
OK.

330
00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:09,460
The other option, Part C, is where you

331
00:12:09,460 --> 00:12:12,240
enroll in Part A, enroll in Part B

332
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:13,120
and pay the premium.

333
00:12:13,460 --> 00:12:16,000
But then you assign all those benefits over

334
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:17,560
to a private insurance company.

335
00:12:18,020 --> 00:12:19,540
Just hand it all over and say, OK,

336
00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:23,260
UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross, Humana, whomever, have at it.

337
00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:26,100
Now you are offering me my insurance.

338
00:12:26,780 --> 00:12:28,720
And this is more of like an HMO

339
00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:30,780
kind of experience, right?

340
00:12:31,100 --> 00:12:31,560
Exactly.

341
00:12:32,060 --> 00:12:34,480
You're working with a network or you pay

342
00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:36,740
more if you go outside of the network.

343
00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:38,780
But the whole reason to have a Medicare

344
00:12:38,780 --> 00:12:43,180
Part C plan is it's cheaper a lot

345
00:12:43,180 --> 00:12:43,600
of times.

346
00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,220
It's cheaper, but it involves a gatekeeper.

347
00:12:47,980 --> 00:12:50,780
You know, so you don't have necessarily wide

348
00:12:50,780 --> 00:12:51,600
open options.

349
00:12:52,260 --> 00:12:54,600
You go through your primary care first.

350
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:55,600
That's right.

351
00:12:55,660 --> 00:12:57,900
And then they decide if you need to

352
00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:00,800
go to a specialist or something like that.

353
00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:01,320
Right.

354
00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,040
And it restricts your hospital systems, you know,

355
00:13:04,060 --> 00:13:07,540
in New York and L.A. and Massachusetts.

356
00:13:07,740 --> 00:13:10,140
You know, we've got several really good systems.

357
00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,420
But when you pick a certain Medicare Advantage

358
00:13:12,420 --> 00:13:16,480
plan, Part C, you're also restricted generally to

359
00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,160
one of the hospital systems.

360
00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:19,820
So these are the considerations.

361
00:13:19,820 --> 00:13:23,780
If you prioritize, maybe you're in good health

362
00:13:23,780 --> 00:13:25,640
and you don't feel the need for all

363
00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:26,500
these options.

364
00:13:26,920 --> 00:13:30,960
You might prefer that HMO kind of model

365
00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,640
and keep your costs a little lower, but

366
00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:36,020
you don't expect to need it a whole

367
00:13:36,020 --> 00:13:36,360
lot.

368
00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:38,100
But if you had a lot of health

369
00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:40,100
issues and a lot of specialists and you

370
00:13:40,100 --> 00:13:41,060
want to make sure you go to your

371
00:13:41,060 --> 00:13:44,860
doctor, maybe you're more particular that you want

372
00:13:44,860 --> 00:13:46,380
that Medigap approach.

373
00:13:46,700 --> 00:13:48,180
And how much you travel, too, right?

374
00:13:48,420 --> 00:13:48,820
Oh, yeah.

375
00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:49,320
Good point.

376
00:13:49,500 --> 00:13:49,620
Right.

377
00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:50,260
Yeah.

378
00:13:50,460 --> 00:13:50,880
Yeah.

379
00:13:50,980 --> 00:13:53,320
So there are a lot of key considerations

380
00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:57,000
that when people enter Medicare, I think they

381
00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:01,080
don't really understand what they're most people don't

382
00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:02,320
really understand these limitations.

383
00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:03,300
Yeah.

384
00:14:03,660 --> 00:14:07,660
And what they see is Medigap plans cost,

385
00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:09,800
give or take, two hundred and twenty five

386
00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:11,060
dollars a month.

387
00:14:11,560 --> 00:14:14,080
For flexibility, anywhere per person.

388
00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:14,660
Yeah.

389
00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,020
And you can get some HMO Part C

390
00:14:18,020 --> 00:14:20,340
plans for zero dollar premiums.

391
00:14:20,420 --> 00:14:22,040
So that's what they see.

392
00:14:22,140 --> 00:14:24,120
And it sort of doesn't go beyond that.

393
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:24,720
Right.

394
00:14:24,900 --> 00:14:27,720
And then when you get sick, right, it's

395
00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,340
a big issue because now you run into

396
00:14:30,340 --> 00:14:33,080
what everyone is finding out.

397
00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:37,640
This annual enrollment period for going into twenty

398
00:14:37,640 --> 00:14:41,500
twenty six is anything and everything can change.

399
00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,120
In those Part C plans.

400
00:14:43,740 --> 00:14:44,380
And they do.

401
00:14:45,580 --> 00:14:47,740
We had in Massachusetts, Jeff, back to your

402
00:14:47,740 --> 00:14:49,180
question about what has changed.

403
00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,520
We had a Blue Cross PPO shutter.

404
00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,020
So a PPO is a preferred provider organization.

405
00:14:57,760 --> 00:14:59,920
It's a little more flexible in the Medicare

406
00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:00,880
Advantage space.

407
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:07,040
So you can have networked services and doctors

408
00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:08,060
and hospitals and such.

409
00:15:08,540 --> 00:15:10,940
And you pay a certain lower rate or

410
00:15:10,940 --> 00:15:13,000
you can go outside of the network and

411
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:13,920
pay a higher rate.

412
00:15:15,160 --> 00:15:17,700
And people like that flexibility because maybe most

413
00:15:17,700 --> 00:15:20,220
of their doctors and specialists are within, let's

414
00:15:20,220 --> 00:15:22,120
say, the mass general system, but they have

415
00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,660
one person outside and they can still do

416
00:15:24,660 --> 00:15:25,720
that and still have insurance.

417
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,400
The Part D, the drug plans also come

418
00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,860
wrapped in the Part C plan.

419
00:15:31,980 --> 00:15:33,340
So I really have gone to calling it

420
00:15:33,340 --> 00:15:36,280
a Part C plan because that's what you're

421
00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:36,600
buying.

422
00:15:36,660 --> 00:15:38,420
And they're both one year contracts.

423
00:15:38,890 --> 00:15:40,740
So in Massachusetts, we had one Blue Cross

424
00:15:40,740 --> 00:15:42,740
PPO just stop entirely.

425
00:15:43,140 --> 00:15:46,920
And they did inform their many thousands of

426
00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:48,960
residents that you're no longer going to get

427
00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:51,600
health insurance without changing plans next year.

428
00:15:52,020 --> 00:15:54,140
So that's a shock for people.

429
00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:56,640
What do you mean my insurance is going

430
00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:57,000
away?

431
00:15:57,460 --> 00:16:00,420
Yeah, I think that once you buy, you

432
00:16:00,420 --> 00:16:02,040
know, back when you were 65, you always

433
00:16:02,040 --> 00:16:02,580
have.

434
00:16:02,740 --> 00:16:03,700
You don't.

435
00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,200
You only had for one year at a

436
00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:05,600
time.

437
00:16:06,060 --> 00:16:08,220
And the fact that you didn't do your

438
00:16:08,220 --> 00:16:11,020
homework all those other years, like between 65

439
00:16:11,020 --> 00:16:15,320
and 75, those plans were still changing and

440
00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:17,240
you were informed every year, but this year

441
00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:19,000
was different because it was really harsh.

442
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,600
It's we're done with this plan.

443
00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:25,260
The other big thing that changed was many,

444
00:16:25,460 --> 00:16:29,460
many doctors and clinics and hospital systems.

445
00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:31,940
What word would I pick?

446
00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,720
They just no longer take certain plans.

447
00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:36,640
Entirely.

448
00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:38,700
So this is the plan still exists.

449
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,560
There's a UnitedHealthcare PPO that still exists.

450
00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:44,880
And it's a it was zero dollar monthly

451
00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,720
premium this year for 2026.

452
00:16:47,940 --> 00:16:49,780
That premium is jumping to forty eight dollars

453
00:16:49,780 --> 00:16:50,220
a month.

454
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:52,100
You know, not a big change for lots

455
00:16:52,100 --> 00:16:55,600
of people, but that caught people's attention and

456
00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:58,300
they change the rates which they charge.

457
00:16:58,340 --> 00:17:00,220
So this is in Medicare Part C.

458
00:17:00,260 --> 00:17:01,360
It's not an 80 20.

459
00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,280
It's that the insurance company has decided how

460
00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,480
much you will pay for every single service.

461
00:17:08,020 --> 00:17:10,420
So your doctors might be twenty five dollars.

462
00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:12,880
And if you are in the hospital, the

463
00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,380
first seven days are charged at three hundred

464
00:17:15,380 --> 00:17:17,700
and fifty dollars a day in 2025.

465
00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:20,460
But they jumped to five hundred and ten

466
00:17:20,460 --> 00:17:22,740
dollars a day in 2026.

467
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:27,319
So they change every element to using the

468
00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:28,060
health care system.

469
00:17:28,140 --> 00:17:30,000
That's how the Part C plans get priced.

470
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,880
That's my out of pocket cost.

471
00:17:32,020 --> 00:17:32,680
You just described.

472
00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:33,780
Yeah, correct.

473
00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:37,460
So you are paying individually for whatever you're

474
00:17:37,460 --> 00:17:39,900
using all along during the year.

475
00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:41,960
But again, if you're not sick, you know,

476
00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,360
you might pay a hundred dollars or two

477
00:17:43,360 --> 00:17:44,280
hundred dollars out of pocket.

478
00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:45,340
You don't know a big deal.

479
00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:46,200
Yeah.

480
00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:46,400
Yeah.

481
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:47,760
Where it's a big deal.

482
00:17:48,700 --> 00:17:49,420
Excuse me.

483
00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:52,380
It's like the client I'm working with right

484
00:17:52,380 --> 00:17:56,300
now who was diagnosed this past February of

485
00:17:56,300 --> 00:17:57,780
twenty twenty five with cancer.

486
00:17:57,780 --> 00:18:00,080
Boy, as many older people will be.

487
00:18:00,360 --> 00:18:03,000
She had that PPO plan that is, again,

488
00:18:03,060 --> 00:18:06,500
still staying, but changing its pricing.

489
00:18:06,940 --> 00:18:11,700
But more importantly, her oncologists are no longer

490
00:18:11,700 --> 00:18:12,960
in the network.

491
00:18:13,340 --> 00:18:13,780
Oh, boy.

492
00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:14,340
Yeah.

493
00:18:14,740 --> 00:18:19,040
So change the cost structure considerably, considerably, as

494
00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,740
in they're not even taking patients any longer

495
00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:25,040
if they don't have a different insurance.

496
00:18:25,860 --> 00:18:28,000
So we did the mad scramble, right?

497
00:18:28,020 --> 00:18:29,160
We did it several weeks ago.

498
00:18:29,320 --> 00:18:31,400
Open enrollment started October 15th.

499
00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:34,200
So fortunately, we got together very early in

500
00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:37,500
the open enrollment seven week window, and she's

501
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:37,980
all set.

502
00:18:38,180 --> 00:18:41,620
In fact, switching from Medicare Advantage to Medigap

503
00:18:41,620 --> 00:18:43,660
so that she can go anywhere she needs

504
00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:45,840
to, because when you have cancer, you don't

505
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:47,440
know what you're going to need.

506
00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:48,080
Yeah.

507
00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,900
And so it is one of the things

508
00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:53,820
that's great today that wasn't hasn't always been

509
00:18:53,820 --> 00:18:54,420
the case.

510
00:18:55,040 --> 00:18:59,620
Is that opportunity to change carriers?

511
00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,980
Without having proof of insurability or whatever, you

512
00:19:04,980 --> 00:19:07,900
know, existing conditions and all that.

513
00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:10,800
That's a Massachusetts gift.

514
00:19:11,500 --> 00:19:13,620
Let me tell you, there are only four

515
00:19:13,620 --> 00:19:14,260
states.

516
00:19:14,820 --> 00:19:16,560
I mean, I know that people argue, is

517
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:17,800
that really insurance and all that?

518
00:19:17,860 --> 00:19:22,940
But for consumers, it is hugely consequential that

519
00:19:22,940 --> 00:19:26,520
you have that flexibility to what someone who

520
00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:31,020
has a health condition can reassess which coverage

521
00:19:31,020 --> 00:19:34,080
is better for me under these circumstances to

522
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:35,400
go to the doctors I want to go

523
00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:35,660
to.

524
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:36,360
Right.

525
00:19:36,780 --> 00:19:37,020
Right.

526
00:19:37,060 --> 00:19:39,180
Because you really I mean, not that I'm

527
00:19:39,180 --> 00:19:40,780
a doctor here, but I just really don't

528
00:19:40,780 --> 00:19:43,540
think you should be changing your oncologist, you

529
00:19:43,540 --> 00:19:45,080
know, midway through your treatments.

530
00:19:45,660 --> 00:19:48,580
That doesn't seem to be a prudent plan

531
00:19:48,580 --> 00:19:48,880
to do.

532
00:19:49,180 --> 00:19:49,280
Yeah.

533
00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:51,160
But you would have to.

534
00:19:51,220 --> 00:19:52,080
I mean, you can't afford.

535
00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:52,960
I did ask her.

536
00:19:53,060 --> 00:19:53,760
It was interesting, though.

537
00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:55,660
You know, I don't know these people when

538
00:19:55,660 --> 00:19:57,060
I first start working with them.

539
00:19:57,600 --> 00:19:59,340
And I said, do you happen to know,

540
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,160
have you paid anything out of pocket yet

541
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:01,680
this year?

542
00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:03,260
And she was great.

543
00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:05,340
She just told me whatever I wanted to

544
00:20:05,340 --> 00:20:05,520
know.

545
00:20:05,580 --> 00:20:07,560
It's like, well, I paid well over ten

546
00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:09,060
thousand dollars so far this year.

547
00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:12,280
Yeah, of her real money.

548
00:20:12,740 --> 00:20:12,860
Yeah.

549
00:20:13,060 --> 00:20:14,920
You know, where for a Medigap, had she

550
00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,420
had that in place, it would have been

551
00:20:17,420 --> 00:20:20,020
two hundred and twelve dollars a month times

552
00:20:20,020 --> 00:20:20,420
twelve.

553
00:20:20,420 --> 00:20:22,440
Whatever that math works to, you know.

554
00:20:23,020 --> 00:20:25,640
And so it's really hard to put this

555
00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,740
burden on anyone.

556
00:20:27,740 --> 00:20:31,060
But certainly as we get older and then

557
00:20:31,060 --> 00:20:33,400
in 46 states to not allow you to

558
00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,160
just switch from you start with Medicare Advantage,

559
00:20:36,180 --> 00:20:37,640
then you get cancer and you want to

560
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:38,800
change to Medigap.

561
00:20:39,020 --> 00:20:41,640
You can't do that in almost any other

562
00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:42,200
state.

563
00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,040
So we're really lucky here.

564
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,960
And you can't do that even at the

565
00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:47,840
annual enrollment.

566
00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:49,540
No, you cannot.

567
00:20:49,740 --> 00:20:50,620
That's not what I mean.

568
00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,000
It's a I call it a 30 year

569
00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:53,460
decision.

570
00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:55,580
I guess I'm stuck in the Massachusetts rules

571
00:20:55,580 --> 00:20:56,160
in my head.

572
00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:57,520
Yeah, you are.

573
00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,100
So it's only Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and

574
00:21:00,100 --> 00:21:01,340
Maine that allow.

575
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,180
It's called continuous open enrollment, which means you

576
00:21:04,180 --> 00:21:05,920
can start with one plan, then switch to

577
00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:08,500
another or start with one insurance company and

578
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:09,320
switch to another.

579
00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:12,860
I got an email recently last week from

580
00:21:12,860 --> 00:21:15,300
a client in Illinois, and they wanted to

581
00:21:15,300 --> 00:21:18,080
know, could they just switch from United Health

582
00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,680
Care Medigap in Illinois?

583
00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,080
They have a plan G to Blue Cross

584
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,600
because they're not super happy with United Health.

585
00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:27,940
They're not moving or anything.

586
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:29,580
No, staying put.

587
00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:31,860
They just they're unhappy with United Health Care

588
00:21:31,860 --> 00:21:34,700
because of all the issues that company's been

589
00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:35,040
having.

590
00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:36,980
Couldn't they just switch over to Blue Cross?

591
00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,080
And the answer is no, they cannot.

592
00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:41,420
Same plan G.

593
00:21:41,420 --> 00:21:43,700
It has to cover the exact same benefits,

594
00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:45,920
has to work the exact same way.

595
00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:49,480
But in Illinois, as with 46 other states,

596
00:21:49,580 --> 00:21:52,960
you cannot do that without medical underwriting.

597
00:21:53,540 --> 00:21:55,300
Now, if they're healthy.

598
00:21:56,640 --> 00:21:58,780
Maybe they should try it and let's see

599
00:21:58,780 --> 00:21:59,440
if they could move.

600
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:00,180
And that's what I said.

601
00:22:00,220 --> 00:22:01,720
You certainly can give it a give it

602
00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:02,060
a go.

603
00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,840
But you can't just do what we can

604
00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:05,540
do in Massachusetts.

605
00:22:06,820 --> 00:22:07,560
That's huge.

606
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:09,220
I didn't I didn't realize that it was

607
00:22:09,220 --> 00:22:10,920
the case in other in other states as

608
00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:11,800
you described.

609
00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:12,320
Yeah.

610
00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:14,420
And it's a really big deal because, you

611
00:22:14,420 --> 00:22:17,140
know, you don't switch plans when you're healthy,

612
00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,320
you know, from 65 to 75.

613
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:20,280
Everything's gone great.

614
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:20,700
Right.

615
00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:22,660
You're not thinking about it, right?

616
00:22:22,860 --> 00:22:23,940
You're really not.

617
00:22:24,340 --> 00:22:25,660
You know, it's hard enough to get people

618
00:22:25,660 --> 00:22:27,740
to think about their drug plans and figure

619
00:22:27,740 --> 00:22:30,280
out which drugs are covered year to year

620
00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,320
to year because they're not all covered over

621
00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:32,740
time.

622
00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:33,080
Yeah.

623
00:22:33,320 --> 00:22:33,500
Yeah.

624
00:22:33,580 --> 00:22:33,840
Right.

625
00:22:34,380 --> 00:22:38,420
So that makes it increasingly difficult when you've

626
00:22:38,420 --> 00:22:40,620
got to then throw in your doctors and

627
00:22:40,620 --> 00:22:41,640
your health conditions.

628
00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,860
And will they allow you to switch from

629
00:22:44,860 --> 00:22:47,280
a Medicare Part C to a Medigap?

630
00:22:47,420 --> 00:22:49,640
But they'll hold out a six month window.

631
00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,120
Pre-existing conditions won't cover them for six

632
00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:53,420
months.

633
00:22:53,980 --> 00:22:54,080
Wow.

634
00:22:54,340 --> 00:22:55,580
Well, if you're in the middle of cancer

635
00:22:55,580 --> 00:22:56,660
treatments, that is not helpful.

636
00:22:57,120 --> 00:22:57,460
Doesn't help.

637
00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:58,900
That's a big pre-existing.

638
00:22:59,560 --> 00:22:59,660
What?

639
00:22:59,660 --> 00:22:59,780
Yeah.

640
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:02,080
Well, what's what was the deal with the

641
00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:03,040
Affordable Care Act?

642
00:23:03,060 --> 00:23:07,300
I thought that that gave some some eligibility

643
00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:08,220
in this regard.

644
00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:08,960
Is that not?

645
00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:11,220
Not when you're 65 and older.

646
00:23:11,700 --> 00:23:13,200
Isn't that the Affordable Care Act?

647
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:14,440
It's really interesting.

648
00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:16,560
So picture a brick wall, right?

649
00:23:16,620 --> 00:23:18,540
You got a brick wall and you're running

650
00:23:18,540 --> 00:23:20,360
towards it all the while.

651
00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,580
You're not 65 and you slam into it

652
00:23:22,580 --> 00:23:23,740
when you turn 65.

653
00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:24,660
Yeah.

654
00:23:24,660 --> 00:23:26,160
You go, oh, my God, all the rules

655
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,140
that I knew are no longer apply because

656
00:23:29,140 --> 00:23:30,640
now I'm in Medicare land.

657
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:31,100
Yeah.

658
00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:32,960
So what if you move?

659
00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:36,320
I know moving like out of state is

660
00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:38,820
a event, right, that qualifies.

661
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:40,260
Guarantee issue event.

662
00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:40,580
Yeah.

663
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:40,920
OK.

664
00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,040
Are there other things that are guaranteed issues?

665
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:43,900
Yes.

666
00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:47,320
It's when the company shuts down your plan.

667
00:23:47,620 --> 00:23:48,400
Well, that's a good one.

668
00:23:48,500 --> 00:23:49,580
That's the big one.

669
00:23:49,700 --> 00:23:51,840
And you never see that.

670
00:23:51,940 --> 00:23:52,520
I shouldn't say never.

671
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,320
We've never seen it to date in Medigap.

672
00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,280
Medigap plans don't shut down.

673
00:23:57,800 --> 00:23:59,480
Not that they couldn't, I suppose, but they

674
00:23:59,480 --> 00:23:59,900
don't.

675
00:24:00,500 --> 00:24:04,620
Medicare Advantage plans shut down entirely.

676
00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:06,680
So let me tell you what happened on

677
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,120
October 10th.

678
00:24:09,300 --> 00:24:11,220
So open enrollment starts the 15th.

679
00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:13,060
I get an email from a friend of

680
00:24:13,060 --> 00:24:16,180
mine and she says, you won't believe it.

681
00:24:16,260 --> 00:24:19,380
But all the Medicare Advantage plans have shuttered

682
00:24:19,380 --> 00:24:20,000
in Vermont.

683
00:24:21,360 --> 00:24:22,680
No, they haven't.

684
00:24:22,900 --> 00:24:24,040
I'm sure that's not.

685
00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:25,180
Oh, no.

686
00:24:25,540 --> 00:24:28,020
I mean, I'm sure one did because lots

687
00:24:28,020 --> 00:24:29,740
of Medicare plans are shutting down.

688
00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:31,980
Let me start on the Internet.

689
00:24:32,260 --> 00:24:32,880
That's true.

690
00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,760
I hop online and I go into Vermont's

691
00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:37,700
information.

692
00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:39,860
And sure as.

693
00:24:40,660 --> 00:24:41,000
Yep.

694
00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:44,300
Yes, they absolutely shut down.

695
00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:45,960
All but one.

696
00:24:46,380 --> 00:24:48,680
I think it's Humana is still playing in

697
00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,820
Vermont for Medicare Advantage, but only in six

698
00:24:51,820 --> 00:24:52,780
of the counties.

699
00:24:53,620 --> 00:24:53,740
Wow.

700
00:24:54,340 --> 00:24:57,080
And so these people literally woke up to

701
00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:57,920
this news.

702
00:24:58,420 --> 00:25:00,680
It was all over Vermont's TV stations and

703
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:01,540
newspapers and such.

704
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:03,760
Sure enough, if you're in any and we're

705
00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,780
talking Blue Cross United Health Care, Humana had

706
00:25:06,780 --> 00:25:09,420
it was still there and maybe Aetna had

707
00:25:09,420 --> 00:25:10,740
shut down the year before.

708
00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,460
And there was a more private plan between

709
00:25:13,460 --> 00:25:16,540
the University of Vermont and an insurer that

710
00:25:16,540 --> 00:25:17,700
had shut down last year.

711
00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:20,600
They have no Medicare Advantage plans.

712
00:25:21,780 --> 00:25:21,980
None.

713
00:25:22,300 --> 00:25:22,840
Just they're gone.

714
00:25:24,340 --> 00:25:26,680
That is not OK when you are 90

715
00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:27,680
years old.

716
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,860
Yeah, but that is what's going on in

717
00:25:30,860 --> 00:25:31,520
the insurance market.

718
00:25:31,660 --> 00:25:33,960
So in that case, Jeff, they have a

719
00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,320
guaranteed right to buy a Medigap plan.

720
00:25:36,620 --> 00:25:38,740
Well, thank God, because there's no other choice.

721
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:39,740
Yeah, they don't have a choice.

722
00:25:39,900 --> 00:25:40,020
Right.

723
00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:40,780
Yeah.

724
00:25:41,460 --> 00:25:42,580
That's really intriguing.

725
00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:45,940
Well, that will they partner with another state

726
00:25:45,940 --> 00:25:47,920
or like, you know, what happens in a

727
00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:48,640
case like that?

728
00:25:48,900 --> 00:25:50,040
Nothing, nothing.

729
00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:52,280
You can buy a Medigap plan or you

730
00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:52,980
can do without.

731
00:25:53,220 --> 00:25:55,420
It's up to your insurer to be interested

732
00:25:55,420 --> 00:25:57,720
in coming into that space and offering a

733
00:25:57,720 --> 00:25:59,700
plan, which isn't going to happen.

734
00:25:59,940 --> 00:26:03,300
It sounds like there are other pockets like

735
00:26:03,300 --> 00:26:03,520
that.

736
00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:04,960
I mean, there are big pockets out in

737
00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:05,380
the West.

738
00:26:05,660 --> 00:26:07,240
You know, the states out West are gigantic.

739
00:26:07,820 --> 00:26:09,580
So you might get in the cities with

740
00:26:09,580 --> 00:26:10,720
Medicare Advantage plans.

741
00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:14,840
Also, they are zip code and county specific.

742
00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,880
We know they're zip code specific because the

743
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,200
commercials keep telling us that we'll check, call

744
00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:21,220
and check your zip code.

745
00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:22,920
Yeah, that's exactly right.

746
00:26:23,060 --> 00:26:25,860
Where Medigap operates in the state.

747
00:26:27,340 --> 00:26:29,120
Wide versus zip code wide.

748
00:26:29,740 --> 00:26:31,740
Can you just dispel some of the come

749
00:26:31,740 --> 00:26:32,940
ons for a second?

750
00:26:33,060 --> 00:26:34,400
There's like all this, you know, check to

751
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:36,540
see if you have if you'll get these

752
00:26:36,540 --> 00:26:40,180
free food benefits, you know?

753
00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:41,000
Yeah.

754
00:26:41,140 --> 00:26:43,780
Zip code dependent, less.

755
00:26:45,580 --> 00:26:48,480
Income, less lesser income zip codes, get a

756
00:26:48,480 --> 00:26:49,880
little bit more of the extra goodies.

757
00:26:50,820 --> 00:26:52,880
Some of them do work.

758
00:26:53,140 --> 00:26:54,460
So where's the money?

759
00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:55,840
Where's the money coming from?

760
00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:59,140
From the federal government, from your Part B.

761
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,160
So all the folks in Medicare Part C

762
00:27:03,160 --> 00:27:05,180
plans have to pay their Part B premium,

763
00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:07,900
including Irma that goes to the federal government.

764
00:27:08,020 --> 00:27:10,380
Then the federal government pays a per capita

765
00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:13,980
fee for to the insurance companies.

766
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,220
And there's a an arrangement that the insurance

767
00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:18,380
companies must spend.

768
00:27:18,460 --> 00:27:21,480
And I think it's 85 percent of those

769
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,240
monies coming from the federal government.

770
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:27,600
They must spend them on the members, the

771
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,280
people who have Part C plans for the

772
00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:30,960
medical side.

773
00:27:31,120 --> 00:27:33,780
So they don't always need to use all

774
00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:35,580
that money to pay the doctors and the

775
00:27:35,580 --> 00:27:38,860
hospital systems because they've quashed that rate that

776
00:27:38,860 --> 00:27:39,420
they're paying.

777
00:27:39,740 --> 00:27:41,680
So then they can offer these extra goodies,

778
00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:42,680
dental.

779
00:27:43,740 --> 00:27:46,540
Cost sharing one hundred and fifty dollars towards

780
00:27:46,540 --> 00:27:48,260
your eyeglasses once a year.

781
00:27:48,780 --> 00:27:51,200
Maybe you pay up to seven hundred dollars

782
00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:52,260
per hearing aid.

783
00:27:52,260 --> 00:27:53,700
So there's a little bit.

784
00:27:53,900 --> 00:27:55,780
And then there's these food cards or drug

785
00:27:55,780 --> 00:27:58,400
cards, OTC, over the counter cards that have

786
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,640
been popular lately, and they only issue them

787
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:02,800
every quarter.

788
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,700
But you might get 60 dollars towards groceries

789
00:28:06,700 --> 00:28:07,180
or CV.

790
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:08,720
I just call it CVS, but any of

791
00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:09,920
the drug stores.

792
00:28:10,820 --> 00:28:13,060
And you might you might get that, but

793
00:28:13,060 --> 00:28:14,440
they can take them away, too.

794
00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:15,820
So interesting.

795
00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:17,220
I was telling you guys I'm out in

796
00:28:17,220 --> 00:28:17,540
Minnesota.

797
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,000
My kids live in Minneapolis and we're here

798
00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,560
for Thanksgiving and for the big gopher Badger

799
00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,480
game on Saturday when it will be snowing.

800
00:28:25,700 --> 00:28:29,980
Also, I woke up to news here yesterday

801
00:28:29,980 --> 00:28:34,240
in Minneapolis that Blue Cross took away and

802
00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:36,500
they just announced it two days ago.

803
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:39,600
So not before open enrollment started, but two

804
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,080
days ago, they announced Blue Cross in some

805
00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:43,800
of the counties are getting rid of their

806
00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,020
silver sneakers reimbursement.

807
00:28:46,860 --> 00:28:49,140
That's the silver sneakers is a gym program.

808
00:28:49,140 --> 00:28:50,640
You go to a lot of the YMCA's

809
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:51,640
and a lot of other gyms.

810
00:28:51,940 --> 00:28:53,420
And, you know, when you're older and trying

811
00:28:53,420 --> 00:28:55,500
to stay in shape and trying to prevent

812
00:28:55,500 --> 00:28:57,620
illness, going to the gym is a good

813
00:28:57,620 --> 00:28:58,000
thing.

814
00:28:58,220 --> 00:28:58,620
Right.

815
00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:00,440
Well, they didn't do it at the beginning

816
00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:01,160
of enrollment.

817
00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:02,040
Exactly.

818
00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:03,960
So it's bad enough that they're taking away

819
00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:08,500
probably the most popular extra goody and they're

820
00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:10,740
stripping it away and they just announced it.

821
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,800
So you can imagine there's some outrage here

822
00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:17,420
amongst the 80 plus contingency.

823
00:29:17,420 --> 00:29:18,620
You know, it's like, you got to be

824
00:29:18,620 --> 00:29:21,080
kidding me, because now they only have like

825
00:29:21,080 --> 00:29:24,180
10 days left to decide what they're going

826
00:29:24,180 --> 00:29:24,660
to do.

827
00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,140
And it's like, you know, that just I

828
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:30,020
get the P&L piece.

829
00:29:30,140 --> 00:29:32,140
I worked in a big corporate structure as

830
00:29:32,140 --> 00:29:32,860
well for years.

831
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:35,320
You know, it's all about the revenue and

832
00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:35,780
the profits.

833
00:29:36,040 --> 00:29:36,800
I got it.

834
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:37,200
Of course.

835
00:29:37,260 --> 00:29:39,260
But tell the people in advance you knew

836
00:29:39,260 --> 00:29:40,500
this before yesterday.

837
00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:43,180
You know, you really want to just in

838
00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:43,580
the works.

839
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,900
Yeah, that was like exactly October or whatever.

840
00:29:45,900 --> 00:29:46,380
Right.

841
00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:47,000
Right.

842
00:29:47,420 --> 00:29:51,000
So it's this anything can change.

843
00:29:51,380 --> 00:29:53,960
And this is what people don't understand to

844
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:55,440
have Medicare Advantage plans.

845
00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,420
And it just it pains me because it

846
00:29:59,420 --> 00:30:02,400
is our oldest Americans who just thought they

847
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:03,200
had health care.

848
00:30:03,300 --> 00:30:03,460
Right.

849
00:30:03,540 --> 00:30:04,960
I mean, it just gets sick and go

850
00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:05,520
to the doctor.

851
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:08,000
No, that's not how it works.

852
00:30:08,660 --> 00:30:09,040
Yeah.

853
00:30:09,180 --> 00:30:11,420
I mean, this I guess Jeff and I

854
00:30:11,420 --> 00:30:13,560
are both are like, wow, I learned a

855
00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:13,840
lot.

856
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:15,100
I didn't realize this.

857
00:30:15,100 --> 00:30:16,680
I always know a lot when she's our

858
00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:17,100
guest.

859
00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:20,820
I don't think you have to really get

860
00:30:20,820 --> 00:30:21,400
in the weeds.

861
00:30:21,580 --> 00:30:22,860
And this is not something that a lot

862
00:30:22,860 --> 00:30:23,840
of people want to do.

863
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,940
You know, so we do really take advantage

864
00:30:26,940 --> 00:30:28,320
in not in a bad way.

865
00:30:28,340 --> 00:30:29,520
I mean, it's a good thing that we

866
00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:32,120
have, you know, the brokers and the agent,

867
00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,700
the Medicare agencies, a lot of them, not

868
00:30:34,700 --> 00:30:36,200
the ones a lot that you're seeing on

869
00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:36,540
TV.

870
00:30:36,900 --> 00:30:38,900
Call this 800 number and check your zip

871
00:30:38,900 --> 00:30:39,160
code.

872
00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:40,040
Not those people.

873
00:30:40,660 --> 00:30:42,980
These are for my right.

874
00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:43,900
Right.

875
00:30:45,100 --> 00:30:47,320
You know, it's it's unique.

876
00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:48,280
We need a resource.

877
00:30:48,540 --> 00:30:48,660
Right.

878
00:30:48,740 --> 00:30:50,460
We unless you want to do this and

879
00:30:50,460 --> 00:30:51,660
get into the law and get into these

880
00:30:51,660 --> 00:30:53,900
weeds and really it's not what people want

881
00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:54,980
to spend their retirement doing.

882
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:57,860
You need to rely on really good, highly

883
00:30:57,860 --> 00:31:00,660
educated, knowledgeable brokers and agents.

884
00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:05,340
But this year, their commissions are being cut

885
00:31:05,340 --> 00:31:07,020
by a lot of the big players.

886
00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:08,060
I did hear that.

887
00:31:08,380 --> 00:31:08,620
Yeah.

888
00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:10,660
So they're going to go away probably.

889
00:31:11,260 --> 00:31:13,780
Well, you know, we or they have motivation

890
00:31:13,780 --> 00:31:17,080
for different offerings or what they at least

891
00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:18,720
will be promoting.

892
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:19,120
Right.

893
00:31:19,660 --> 00:31:20,740
Well, they're restricted.

894
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,580
I mean, same in the mutual fund industry.

895
00:31:22,580 --> 00:31:22,840
Right.

896
00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:24,580
We have all these laws and rules and

897
00:31:24,580 --> 00:31:28,540
regulatory requirements around what you can sell, what's

898
00:31:28,540 --> 00:31:29,420
on your platform.

899
00:31:29,860 --> 00:31:31,620
That's the same on the Medicare Advantage side

900
00:31:31,620 --> 00:31:32,540
and the part D side.

901
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,880
You are heavily regulated in the insurance industry.

902
00:31:36,340 --> 00:31:39,420
And if a company is no longer paying

903
00:31:39,420 --> 00:31:43,240
you, the broker or his oversight, you know,

904
00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:47,600
the general broker or the agency to distribute

905
00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,580
those products, they're not on the platform.

906
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:51,240
Yeah.

907
00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:51,780
Right.

908
00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:53,260
Can't be the agent of record.

909
00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,360
So you can't sell them.

910
00:31:56,260 --> 00:31:57,440
The well care is a good example.

911
00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:58,940
I happen to like well care their part

912
00:31:58,940 --> 00:31:59,540
D plan.

913
00:32:00,080 --> 00:32:01,380
I like them a lot because they have

914
00:32:01,380 --> 00:32:04,460
zero dollar monthly premiums in most states, not

915
00:32:04,460 --> 00:32:06,780
Massachusetts, but most of the other states.

916
00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:08,520
They continue to zero dollar premium.

917
00:32:09,020 --> 00:32:10,900
And so that's really good for a consumer

918
00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:14,220
and their drug prices or generic drugs and

919
00:32:14,220 --> 00:32:15,880
tier two drugs are really good.

920
00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:18,380
But the brokers are no longer getting commissions,

921
00:32:18,380 --> 00:32:21,100
so they can't show you that as an

922
00:32:21,100 --> 00:32:21,620
option.

923
00:32:22,140 --> 00:32:24,640
What the good brokers do is they do

924
00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:27,820
tell you there are other lower cost options

925
00:32:27,820 --> 00:32:30,040
if you go to the Medicare plan finder.

926
00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:31,880
You know, in other words, there's a do

927
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:32,820
it yourself lane.

928
00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:33,140
Yeah.

929
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:35,660
But that's not right.

930
00:32:35,660 --> 00:32:37,660
And they they still need to make a

931
00:32:37,660 --> 00:32:38,520
living, too, right?

932
00:32:38,620 --> 00:32:39,820
I mean, that's not going to be a

933
00:32:39,820 --> 00:32:42,520
business if they can't sell some product.

934
00:32:42,580 --> 00:32:44,320
They might tell their mother that, but they're

935
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:46,320
not going to call.

936
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:48,900
Well, I would feel not, though.

937
00:32:49,060 --> 00:32:52,120
Do they consult someone like you, Marcia, to

938
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:52,860
get insight?

939
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:54,640
They they do.

940
00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:55,980
But I charge an hourly fee.

941
00:32:56,020 --> 00:32:57,600
And some people don't like that, because when

942
00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:59,200
you work with a broker, you don't see

943
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:00,820
insurance companies paying the broker.

944
00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:02,880
Yeah, I don't sell anything.

945
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,920
So I don't have a commission lane.

946
00:33:04,920 --> 00:33:06,300
So I charge a fee.

947
00:33:06,700 --> 00:33:08,620
So some people, you know, are comfortable with

948
00:33:08,620 --> 00:33:10,060
that and they're happy to come and chat

949
00:33:10,060 --> 00:33:10,460
with me.

950
00:33:10,580 --> 00:33:12,980
But you also have a free resource called

951
00:33:12,980 --> 00:33:18,300
SHIP, the State Health Insurance Assistance Providers or

952
00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:18,540
something.

953
00:33:18,900 --> 00:33:21,240
And in Massachusetts, that's also called Shine.

954
00:33:22,340 --> 00:33:23,840
Florida, it's called Shine.

955
00:33:24,260 --> 00:33:25,780
In California, it's HICAP.

956
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,700
It will have a different name, but we

957
00:33:27,700 --> 00:33:29,900
all start with SHIP help.

958
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:30,760
Ship like a boat.

959
00:33:31,300 --> 00:33:31,780
SHIP.

960
00:33:33,580 --> 00:33:37,220
SHIPhelp.org gets you to the landing page.

961
00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:38,680
You pick your state and then it will

962
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,880
show you what your group is called.

963
00:33:41,140 --> 00:33:42,020
And that's no.

964
00:33:42,020 --> 00:33:42,860
One of these.

965
00:33:43,100 --> 00:33:44,520
Do you think they do a good job

966
00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:45,920
helping people navigate this?

967
00:33:46,260 --> 00:33:49,300
Yeah, they do, because they are they're a

968
00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:51,840
troop of volunteers, mostly older folks.

969
00:33:52,380 --> 00:33:54,400
There are a few paid folks in each

970
00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:56,100
state government, and this is by the Medicare

971
00:33:56,100 --> 00:33:56,520
law.

972
00:33:56,840 --> 00:34:00,180
We have to have this hopeful service available

973
00:34:00,180 --> 00:34:00,900
to the seniors.

974
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:04,780
But, you know, it's a volunteer troop.

975
00:34:05,060 --> 00:34:07,540
So some are better trained than others, but

976
00:34:07,540 --> 00:34:08,920
they're all unbiased.

977
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:10,699
They present to you the same that I

978
00:34:10,699 --> 00:34:14,100
do everything that's a possibility in your zip

979
00:34:14,100 --> 00:34:17,280
code and can walk you through different advantages

980
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,120
and disadvantages of the different types of plans.

981
00:34:21,219 --> 00:34:23,000
I rely on them heavily.

982
00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:24,900
I was surprised to hear from a client

983
00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:31,639
that if you were retired before eligibility for

984
00:34:31,639 --> 00:34:35,739
Medicare, Shine isn't really helpful or SHIP isn't

985
00:34:35,739 --> 00:34:37,179
really helpful in that scenario.

986
00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:42,179
It's only Medicare kind of scenarios that they

987
00:34:42,179 --> 00:34:43,320
are useful in.

988
00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:44,440
You remember that brick wall?

989
00:34:44,820 --> 00:34:45,159
Yep.

990
00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,960
If you're not 65 or have ALS or

991
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,900
one other disease that escapes me right now,

992
00:34:53,060 --> 00:34:54,340
you're not eligible.

993
00:34:54,659 --> 00:34:56,060
You're still on this side of the brick

994
00:34:56,060 --> 00:34:56,320
wall.

995
00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:58,660
So you have to figure out how to

996
00:34:58,660 --> 00:34:59,640
navigate COBRA.

997
00:35:00,020 --> 00:35:01,540
That has a whole different set of rules.

998
00:35:01,680 --> 00:35:04,320
You have to figure out an early retirement

999
00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:05,420
package from your employer.

1000
00:35:05,420 --> 00:35:07,300
If you're leaving, you have to figure out

1001
00:35:07,300 --> 00:35:08,040
ACA.

1002
00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:11,200
Basically, if we go back about 15, 12,

1003
00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:13,440
15 years ago, there was a big effort

1004
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:17,000
underway to have consumer driven health care.

1005
00:35:18,160 --> 00:35:19,100
This is it.

1006
00:35:19,700 --> 00:35:22,280
The consumers have to get in the game.

1007
00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,080
And it's really I liken it to when

1008
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,480
we moved as an industry in the 80s.

1009
00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:28,700
So it's a little longer ago.

1010
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,140
We moved from pension plans to 401ks.

1011
00:35:32,720 --> 00:35:35,300
That's consumer driven retirement savings.

1012
00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:37,800
And it built a whole industry for us.

1013
00:35:37,860 --> 00:35:37,960
Right.

1014
00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:39,840
I mean, yeah, look at all of us.

1015
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:40,120
Right.

1016
00:35:40,340 --> 00:35:40,580
Right.

1017
00:35:41,260 --> 00:35:44,420
We had a whole lot of accumulation strategies

1018
00:35:44,420 --> 00:35:48,040
and investing and such to build on the

1019
00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,200
same thing is happening in health care.

1020
00:35:50,740 --> 00:35:54,600
But because the insurers are so powerful in

1021
00:35:54,600 --> 00:35:57,480
their state, 50 states, 50 sets of insurance

1022
00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,000
rules, it's a little bit harder and it's

1023
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,420
really hard to navigate as a 90 year

1024
00:36:03,420 --> 00:36:03,640
old.

1025
00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:06,460
All right.

1026
00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:08,060
Lots to digest.

1027
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:10,240
I we're going to have you back when

1028
00:36:10,240 --> 00:36:11,400
your book is published.

1029
00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:14,820
I hope you talk about that before we

1030
00:36:14,820 --> 00:36:15,000
do.

1031
00:36:15,100 --> 00:36:16,840
I just had one little social security thing

1032
00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:18,160
I want to squeeze in if you don't.

1033
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,080
OK, anything for you?

1034
00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:24,000
I had had clients in front of our

1035
00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:25,660
prospective clients in front of us.

1036
00:36:26,020 --> 00:36:29,660
And we were reviewing, you know, their financial

1037
00:36:29,660 --> 00:36:30,020
plan.

1038
00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:31,880
We put together their financial plan and so

1039
00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:32,200
on.

1040
00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:37,060
And his benefit, I don't remember what the

1041
00:36:37,060 --> 00:36:39,800
number was, but let's say it was, you

1042
00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,660
know, forty five hundred dollars or something like

1043
00:36:41,660 --> 00:36:41,880
that.

1044
00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:45,140
And her benefit was twelve hundred dollars.

1045
00:36:46,340 --> 00:36:49,940
And I was like, that doesn't look right.

1046
00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,520
Thinking, you know, maybe there's a spousal benefit

1047
00:36:54,520 --> 00:36:59,780
available rather than not, you know.

1048
00:36:59,920 --> 00:37:02,140
So I don't know.

1049
00:37:02,240 --> 00:37:03,280
What do you think?

1050
00:37:03,420 --> 00:37:06,100
Is this a common occurrence where people maybe

1051
00:37:06,100 --> 00:37:10,920
started with their own benefit calculation and does

1052
00:37:10,920 --> 00:37:14,520
it doesn't automatically improve if they're eligible for

1053
00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:16,700
a higher spousal benefit?

1054
00:37:17,660 --> 00:37:18,180
Yeah.

1055
00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,680
So social security, always entertaining, right?

1056
00:37:20,980 --> 00:37:23,240
So it's a great example where you have

1057
00:37:23,240 --> 00:37:25,600
a high earning spouse and a lower earning

1058
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:26,000
spouse.

1059
00:37:26,300 --> 00:37:28,080
And usually we're going to go traditional.

1060
00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:29,260
He's the higher earner.

1061
00:37:29,340 --> 00:37:30,200
She's the lower earner.

1062
00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:31,580
Usually stayed home with kids.

1063
00:37:32,120 --> 00:37:32,220
Yeah.

1064
00:37:33,300 --> 00:37:36,800
On your statement, which is our best tool

1065
00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:38,660
that we all have is to go on

1066
00:37:38,660 --> 00:37:40,900
to my social security, set up your account,

1067
00:37:40,900 --> 00:37:43,240
download your current statement.

1068
00:37:43,420 --> 00:37:45,600
It shows you how much you as a

1069
00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:48,460
worker have earned as a benefit.

1070
00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:50,780
So in her case, it's twelve hundred dollars.

1071
00:37:51,560 --> 00:37:51,780
Never.

1072
00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:53,140
I don't remember the actual numbers.

1073
00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:54,760
It was in the like this, though.

1074
00:37:54,820 --> 00:37:58,500
It's completely reasonable that I see that kind

1075
00:37:58,500 --> 00:37:59,400
of split all the time.

1076
00:37:59,720 --> 00:37:59,940
Yeah.

1077
00:38:00,420 --> 00:38:02,340
So that's what she thinks is her benefit.

1078
00:38:02,340 --> 00:38:04,300
And he gets his forty five hundred dollars.

1079
00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:08,180
But nowhere does it really ever get into

1080
00:38:08,180 --> 00:38:10,400
the weeds of when you're the lower earner

1081
00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,760
spouse, you may be eligible for a spousal

1082
00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:14,320
top up.

1083
00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:15,520
Don't forget to change it.

1084
00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:15,780
Right.

1085
00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:15,980
Yeah.

1086
00:38:16,240 --> 00:38:16,660
Right.

1087
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:17,500
Exactly.

1088
00:38:17,940 --> 00:38:20,920
And so you but it's also hard for

1089
00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:22,840
consumers to do this because they think they're

1090
00:38:22,840 --> 00:38:25,240
going to get half of some of them

1091
00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:27,420
know what the half of half it is.

1092
00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:29,500
So they know they get 50 percent of

1093
00:38:29,500 --> 00:38:30,820
the higher earners money.

1094
00:38:31,780 --> 00:38:32,300
They don't.

1095
00:38:32,460 --> 00:38:35,340
They get half of his PIA, his primary

1096
00:38:35,340 --> 00:38:36,200
insurance amount.

1097
00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:38,740
So that forty five hundred dollars had to

1098
00:38:38,740 --> 00:38:40,800
be the benefit.

1099
00:38:40,920 --> 00:38:43,580
He was his calculated benefit at his full

1100
00:38:43,580 --> 00:38:44,620
retirement age.

1101
00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:45,740
Not his age.

1102
00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:46,680
Seventy benefit.

1103
00:38:47,140 --> 00:38:48,380
Good to good to point out.

1104
00:38:48,540 --> 00:38:50,240
So it's not that's a big early.

1105
00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:55,380
OK, so if maybe, maybe not, it grew

1106
00:38:55,380 --> 00:38:58,240
because of the delay to 70 start.

1107
00:38:58,420 --> 00:38:58,940
Right.

1108
00:38:59,060 --> 00:39:01,120
It may it may be that it's smaller

1109
00:39:01,120 --> 00:39:03,000
than half because of that.

1110
00:39:03,000 --> 00:39:03,480
Right.

1111
00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,620
So it'd be his forty five hundred dollars

1112
00:39:05,620 --> 00:39:07,620
would be actually twenty four percent less.

1113
00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,360
What if she started her benefit at 62

1114
00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:11,020
or something?

1115
00:39:11,100 --> 00:39:11,280
Yeah.

1116
00:39:11,660 --> 00:39:16,120
Would with that, even if it was her

1117
00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:18,840
own benefit, would she then be able to

1118
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,520
at a full retirement age up top it

1119
00:39:21,520 --> 00:39:23,620
off as you termed it?

1120
00:39:23,980 --> 00:39:24,160
Yeah.

1121
00:39:24,280 --> 00:39:26,700
The top up only comes.

1122
00:39:27,380 --> 00:39:29,260
So she could have started at 62 and

1123
00:39:29,260 --> 00:39:32,640
taken a big, you know, on her monthly

1124
00:39:32,640 --> 00:39:33,040
benefit.

1125
00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:35,620
So she is absolutely entitled to do that.

1126
00:39:36,940 --> 00:39:40,120
She cannot get the spousal top up until

1127
00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:41,320
he claims.

1128
00:39:42,180 --> 00:39:45,400
Now, if he claims once she's at her

1129
00:39:45,400 --> 00:39:49,140
full retirement age or older, then her top

1130
00:39:49,140 --> 00:39:50,620
up comes in and she'll get the full

1131
00:39:50,620 --> 00:39:52,560
top up that was calculated.

1132
00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:55,260
It's still less than half of his because

1133
00:39:55,260 --> 00:39:56,080
she claimed early.

1134
00:39:56,220 --> 00:39:58,140
So she took a cut on her own

1135
00:39:58,140 --> 00:39:58,680
on that.

1136
00:39:59,140 --> 00:39:59,380
Right.

1137
00:39:59,900 --> 00:40:02,440
But it can also be part of it,

1138
00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:02,880
perhaps.

1139
00:40:03,260 --> 00:40:03,580
Yeah.

1140
00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:05,580
I mean, of when she started her benefit

1141
00:40:05,580 --> 00:40:06,400
as an example.

1142
00:40:06,720 --> 00:40:07,120
Absolutely.

1143
00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:09,560
And relative to each other, when are their

1144
00:40:09,560 --> 00:40:10,500
full retirement ages?

1145
00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:12,300
Like for Dan and me, we're seven months

1146
00:40:12,300 --> 00:40:12,680
apart.

1147
00:40:12,900 --> 00:40:14,940
So like he could wait seven months if

1148
00:40:14,940 --> 00:40:16,040
I were getting a top up and make

1149
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:17,800
sure we optimize that benefit.

1150
00:40:18,220 --> 00:40:18,400
Yeah.

1151
00:40:18,440 --> 00:40:19,740
But I work with a lot of couples

1152
00:40:19,740 --> 00:40:21,400
who are, you know, I think you guys

1153
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,440
do, too, who are four or five, 15

1154
00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:24,900
years differential.

1155
00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:28,500
They're too often too independent strategies.

1156
00:40:28,870 --> 00:40:31,800
But what's important in your example, Chris, assuming

1157
00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,980
they're only between two or three years difference

1158
00:40:33,980 --> 00:40:36,580
in age, OK, that.

1159
00:40:37,820 --> 00:40:41,520
They need to understand the implication when she

1160
00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:45,720
claimed at 62, let's say she was deemed

1161
00:40:45,720 --> 00:40:48,220
to be filing for all of her eligible

1162
00:40:48,220 --> 00:40:49,660
benefits at that time.

1163
00:40:49,780 --> 00:40:52,060
So she claimed at 62, the only one

1164
00:40:52,060 --> 00:40:54,180
that was open to her was her own.

1165
00:40:54,180 --> 00:40:54,760
Yeah.

1166
00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:57,060
That pop up is not open to her

1167
00:40:57,060 --> 00:41:00,400
until he files, but she cannot delay it

1168
00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:02,600
past the month he claims.

1169
00:41:03,660 --> 00:41:04,760
So she's going to close.

1170
00:41:04,840 --> 00:41:06,520
Does she lose it or just it doesn't

1171
00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:07,580
grow is all you're saying?

1172
00:41:07,660 --> 00:41:09,000
It doesn't it doesn't grow.

1173
00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:11,620
Or said another way, she may be getting

1174
00:41:11,620 --> 00:41:16,960
another penalty on her top up.

1175
00:41:17,020 --> 00:41:18,280
There's really there's two tranches.

1176
00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,380
There's her bucket and there's her top up

1177
00:41:20,380 --> 00:41:20,680
bucket.

1178
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,360
So she may she took a cut, a

1179
00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:26,300
30 percent cut on her own benefit at

1180
00:41:26,300 --> 00:41:26,820
62.

1181
00:41:27,300 --> 00:41:31,200
If he claims when she's 65, she's still

1182
00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,380
two years before her full retirement age.

1183
00:41:33,540 --> 00:41:35,800
So she's going to get another like a

1184
00:41:35,800 --> 00:41:38,840
15 or an 18 percent cut off of

1185
00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:39,660
the top up.

1186
00:41:40,220 --> 00:41:43,180
What if she waited to apply for the

1187
00:41:43,180 --> 00:41:44,600
top up later?

1188
00:41:45,160 --> 00:41:45,840
It doesn't.

1189
00:41:46,220 --> 00:41:47,780
That's the deemed filing.

1190
00:41:47,780 --> 00:41:48,880
That's exactly right.

1191
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,020
That once she claimed at 62, she opened

1192
00:41:52,020 --> 00:41:53,260
the door for everything.

1193
00:41:53,260 --> 00:41:54,760
She's eligible for.

1194
00:41:55,400 --> 00:41:56,920
OK, it's just when do each of the

1195
00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:58,920
pieces become eligible and you no longer have

1196
00:41:58,920 --> 00:41:59,280
a say?

1197
00:41:59,740 --> 00:42:00,580
You made your decision.

1198
00:42:01,300 --> 00:42:04,120
So she can still apply, but she'll be

1199
00:42:04,120 --> 00:42:05,440
penalized again.

1200
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:06,120
Correct.

1201
00:42:06,440 --> 00:42:11,920
Because there's a different reduction calculation for when

1202
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:14,240
I'm looking at this saying, oh, there's such

1203
00:42:14,240 --> 00:42:15,280
a big differential.

1204
00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:20,260
Maybe I'm looking at it and saying, oh,

1205
00:42:20,320 --> 00:42:23,260
maybe she didn't apply for her spousal benefit.

1206
00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:25,480
It may be just the timing of when

1207
00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,540
she started her benefits relative to his.

1208
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:31,820
And he might have done it later.

1209
00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:35,300
Not the 60s, you know, full retirement age

1210
00:42:35,300 --> 00:42:35,680
or whatever.

1211
00:42:36,100 --> 00:42:36,720
So, right.

1212
00:42:36,860 --> 00:42:39,440
But it's not the additional benefit that they

1213
00:42:39,440 --> 00:42:39,880
calculate.

1214
00:42:40,160 --> 00:42:40,260
Right.

1215
00:42:40,260 --> 00:42:41,560
I talk about it, I think, in the

1216
00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:43,360
book, in the Social Security book about riding

1217
00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:44,780
a tandem bike, right?

1218
00:42:44,840 --> 00:42:47,480
For couples that you she starts out riding

1219
00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:48,900
the tandem bike by herself.

1220
00:42:49,020 --> 00:42:49,160
Right.

1221
00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:50,600
Have either of you done this, by the

1222
00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:51,180
way?

1223
00:42:51,180 --> 00:42:52,140
No, no.

1224
00:42:52,140 --> 00:42:53,440
I've done a tandem kayak.

1225
00:42:53,700 --> 00:42:55,820
And I don't know how people do that

1226
00:42:55,820 --> 00:42:57,980
kind of thing because it's it's chaos.

1227
00:42:58,140 --> 00:43:01,200
Anyway, that's kind of a thing, right?

1228
00:43:01,300 --> 00:43:03,120
You know, it's like I didn't know that

1229
00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,940
I claimed my spousal top up also.

1230
00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:07,800
It's like, I know, you know.

1231
00:43:09,260 --> 00:43:11,380
But you can she can still ask in

1232
00:43:11,380 --> 00:43:11,980
this scenario.

1233
00:43:11,980 --> 00:43:12,900
She can still.

1234
00:43:13,260 --> 00:43:13,740
Yes.

1235
00:43:13,980 --> 00:43:16,560
So she's inquiring with Social Security to see

1236
00:43:16,560 --> 00:43:18,280
if there's any additional benefit available.

1237
00:43:19,080 --> 00:43:19,260
Yes.

1238
00:43:19,300 --> 00:43:19,860
And when?

1239
00:43:20,180 --> 00:43:21,600
So if he hasn't claimed yet.

1240
00:43:22,300 --> 00:43:24,240
And with that kind of gap, they're both

1241
00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:24,340
receiving.

1242
00:43:24,340 --> 00:43:27,160
They're both receiving Social Security at this point.

1243
00:43:27,260 --> 00:43:27,360
Yeah.

1244
00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:27,980
Yeah.

1245
00:43:28,900 --> 00:43:30,500
So she should get I mean, even if

1246
00:43:30,500 --> 00:43:32,320
his was let's use a simple number that

1247
00:43:32,320 --> 00:43:32,760
I can do.

1248
00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:36,020
If his PIA was three thousand dollars and

1249
00:43:36,020 --> 00:43:38,780
she's receiving twelve hundred over here, she still

1250
00:43:38,780 --> 00:43:41,740
had a three hundred dollar spousal top up

1251
00:43:41,740 --> 00:43:45,060
available to her in part or in full.

1252
00:43:45,140 --> 00:43:47,380
So she still should have been getting something,

1253
00:43:47,700 --> 00:43:48,600
something more.

1254
00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:49,660
There you go.

1255
00:43:49,780 --> 00:43:50,340
Something more.

1256
00:43:50,660 --> 00:43:52,580
And it's also fun to use the term

1257
00:43:52,580 --> 00:43:55,080
PIA on the on the show without getting

1258
00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:55,540
in trouble.

1259
00:43:55,700 --> 00:43:56,260
You know what I mean?

1260
00:43:58,320 --> 00:43:58,880
Yeah.

1261
00:43:58,880 --> 00:44:00,160
Always informative.

1262
00:44:00,520 --> 00:44:01,320
Always fun.

1263
00:44:01,480 --> 00:44:02,460
Thank you so much.

1264
00:44:02,740 --> 00:44:04,400
I think these are the kind of things

1265
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,900
that clients or listeners learn so much from

1266
00:44:07,900 --> 00:44:10,380
benefit from your expertise.

1267
00:44:11,060 --> 00:44:13,520
And I will say as much as we

1268
00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:15,180
deal with these kind of issues all the

1269
00:44:15,180 --> 00:44:18,580
time, we still learn things from you as

1270
00:44:18,580 --> 00:44:18,860
well.

1271
00:44:19,100 --> 00:44:19,680
Every time.

1272
00:44:20,100 --> 00:44:20,720
I'm so glad.

1273
00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:22,840
Well, thank you for inviting me back.

1274
00:44:22,940 --> 00:44:24,380
I love talking with you guys.

1275
00:44:24,460 --> 00:44:25,600
You always have the best questions.

1276
00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:26,380
Thank you.

1277
00:44:26,460 --> 00:44:26,800
Thank you.

1278
00:44:27,240 --> 00:44:28,460
Let's go on the book.

1279
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:29,020
Yeah.

1280
00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:29,700
Oh, yes.

1281
00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:31,400
You're on my list to send you a

1282
00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:31,680
copy.

1283
00:44:31,940 --> 00:44:34,360
So I just it literally the EPUB came

1284
00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,600
over yesterday for approval.

1285
00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:35,940
So.

1286
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:36,680
Excellent.

1287
00:44:37,140 --> 00:44:38,180
So you're going to be back soon.

1288
00:44:38,580 --> 00:44:40,120
Marcia, tell everyone a couple of things.

1289
00:44:40,240 --> 00:44:41,340
One, your website.

1290
00:44:41,660 --> 00:44:44,000
You have a newsletter people can sign up

1291
00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:45,580
for and learn a great deal from.

1292
00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:47,560
And of course, as we said, you have

1293
00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:50,580
books and been on other podcasts.

1294
00:44:50,760 --> 00:44:51,980
Lots to learn from Marcia.

1295
00:44:52,180 --> 00:44:54,300
So people may want to check out your

1296
00:44:54,300 --> 00:44:55,860
your resources on your website.

1297
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:59,080
Additionally, when if you have a really complex,

1298
00:45:00,340 --> 00:45:05,140
unusual Social Security situation, Medicare situation, obviously you

1299
00:45:05,140 --> 00:45:07,980
can tell there's people we turn to when

1300
00:45:07,980 --> 00:45:09,980
there's complexity in these situations.

1301
00:45:10,820 --> 00:45:12,320
Marcia is one of the experts you want

1302
00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:12,660
to know.

1303
00:45:12,820 --> 00:45:14,280
And if you have that kind of need,

1304
00:45:14,360 --> 00:45:15,340
she'd be a great resource.

1305
00:45:15,620 --> 00:45:18,560
So in any case, share all your information,

1306
00:45:18,740 --> 00:45:20,680
Marcia, and tell everyone how they can benefit.

1307
00:45:21,300 --> 00:45:21,540
Sure.

1308
00:45:21,660 --> 00:45:23,980
So you can go to my business website

1309
00:45:23,980 --> 00:45:27,140
is Mantell Retirement Consulting dot com.

1310
00:45:27,660 --> 00:45:30,160
Sorry, it's long, but yeah, Mantell Retirement Consulting.

1311
00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:31,900
And then I also have a lot of

1312
00:45:31,900 --> 00:45:34,440
free resources on my blog, which is Boomer

1313
00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:36,160
Retirement Briefs dot com.

1314
00:45:36,460 --> 00:45:39,040
So you'll find worksheets and their checklist for

1315
00:45:39,040 --> 00:45:43,400
Social Security and other information and part D

1316
00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:44,460
and open enrollment.

1317
00:45:44,620 --> 00:45:46,760
Info is the lead story right now for

1318
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,960
open enrollment ending December 7th.

1319
00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:52,700
Take advantage of all these great resources and

1320
00:45:52,700 --> 00:45:55,320
benefit from all that Marcia offers.

1321
00:45:55,480 --> 00:45:57,080
Thanks for being with us.

1322
00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:00,100
And until next time, everybody keeps driving for

1323
00:46:00,100 --> 00:46:00,740
something more.

1324
00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:03,620
Thank you for listening to something more with

1325
00:46:03,620 --> 00:46:04,340
Chris Boyd.

1326
00:46:04,640 --> 00:46:06,800
Call us for help, whether it's for financial

1327
00:46:06,800 --> 00:46:10,720
planning or portfolio management, insurance concerns or those

1328
00:46:10,720 --> 00:46:12,760
quality of life issues that make the money

1329
00:46:12,760 --> 00:46:13,860
matters matter.

1330
00:46:14,200 --> 00:46:16,360
Whatever's on your mind, visit us at something

1331
00:46:16,360 --> 00:46:18,940
more with Chris Boyd dot com or call

1332
00:46:18,940 --> 00:46:21,500
us toll free at eight six six seven

1333
00:46:21,500 --> 00:46:24,320
seven one eight nine zero one.

1334
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:26,900
Or send us your questions to A.M

1335
00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:30,180
.R. Dash info at Wealth Enhancement dot com.

1336
00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:32,300
You're listening to something more with Chris Boyd

1337
00:46:32,300 --> 00:46:33,140
Financial Talk Show.

1338
00:46:33,260 --> 00:46:35,740
Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and Jay Christopher Boyd

1339
00:46:35,740 --> 00:46:38,080
provide investment advice on an individual basis to

1340
00:46:38,080 --> 00:46:38,620
clients only.

1341
00:46:38,780 --> 00:46:40,760
Proper advice depends on a complete analysis of

1342
00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:41,980
all facts and circumstances.

1343
00:46:42,220 --> 00:46:44,040
The information given on this program is general

1344
00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:46,080
financial comments and cannot be relied upon as

1345
00:46:46,080 --> 00:46:47,660
pertaining to your specific situation.

1346
00:46:47,840 --> 00:46:49,840
Wealth Enhancement Group cannot guarantee that using the

1347
00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:51,840
information from this show will generate profits or

1348
00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:52,960
ensure freedom from loss.

1349
00:46:52,960 --> 00:46:55,320
Listeners should consult their own financial advisors or

1350
00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:57,420
conduct their own due diligence before making any

1351
00:46:57,420 --> 00:46:58,180
financial decisions.