WICKHEM MEDICARE INSURANCE

A WIDE RANGE OF LIFE INSURANCE PRODUCTS

PEACE OF MIND

The John Wickhem Agency has been providing insurance solutions to our clients throughout southern Wisconsin since 1985. We are proud to have provided a wide variety of insurance solutions that have given our clients peace of mind further assist with that goal, we are now offering medicare options.

As a Trusted Choice Independent Insurance Agent, we are free to work with our own carefully selected group of financially sound, reputable Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage insurance companies to find the right products at the best price point for your needs.

MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT OR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE – WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

There are many companies offering these insurance plans in Wisconsin. The John Wickhem Agency is proud to offer Medicare Supplement and Medicare Advantage insurance plans through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company.

First, understand that both Medicare Supplement (also called “Medigap” or “MedSup”) and Medicare Advantage are private insurance – you do not get them through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (or CMS for short), the agency of the federal government that administers Medicare.

There are many differences in the details between what these two types of insurance plans offer and how they work, but probably the most basic difference is to whom you pay your insurance premiums:

SUPPLEMENT

As the name suggests, MedSup plans supplement or
work with your federal Medicare coverage, helping to
pay some or all of the deductibles and co-pays that
are your responsibility. You will pay any premium
required for your federal coverage to CMS. You will
pay a separate premium for your MedSup policy to
your insurance carrier (for example,
UnitedHealthcare).

ADVANTAGE

Medicare Advantage insurance plans, on the other
hand, provide the same coverage as a basic federal
Medicare plan, plus they offer additional
supplement insurance, such as dental, hearing,
vision, fitness programs, and/or wellness programs.
In a way, they “stand in” for Medicare in that the
insurance company contracts with CMS to offer
these plans, then CMS pays the company a flat
amount per person that buys their plan.

We strongly recommend that before you purchase any type of private insurance to go with your federal Medicare plan that you download and read the Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare 2018, available on the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) web site, then bring it with you when you meet with one of our insurance professionals. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you make the best choice of plans to help meet your specific needs.

LET’S REVIEW THE BASICS

Medicare is the federal health insurance plan for people over the age of 65 and those under 64 with certain medical conditions. Medicare consists of four types of coverage:

Part A pays for hospitalization. It pays your hospital bills and certain skilled nursing facility expenses. It also provides very limited coverage for skilled nursing care after hospitalization, rehabilitative services, home health care, and hospice care for the terminally ill. It does not pay for personal (custodial) care, such as help with eating, dressing, or moving around.*

Nurse giving senior citizen food
Part B pays for medical costs – doctor’s bills, surgical care, diagnostic tests and procedures, some hospital outpatient services, laboratory services, physical and occupational therapy, and durable medical equipment. It does not cover prescription drugs, dental care, physicals, or other services not related to treatment of illness or injury.*

  • Medicare Supplement policies – Neither Part A or Part B pays for everything. You can get a private Medicare Supplement policy through the John Wickhem Agency that helps pay for some or all of the costs that Parts A and B don’t cover. In Wisconsin, all Medicare Supplement policies contain the following “mandated” benefits:
  • Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • Home Health Care
  • Kidney Disease
  • Diabetes Treatment
  • Chiropractic Care
  • Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center Charges and Anesthetics for Dental Care
  • Colorectal Cancer Screening
  • Coverage of Certain Health Care Costs in
    Cancer Clinical Trials
  • Catastrophic Prescription Drugs

Part C, or Medicare Advantage, are private insurance plans that provide the same coverage as Medicare and also provide supplemental health insurance coverage. Note that Medicare Advantage plans are NOT required to provide the same “mandated” benefits as Medicare Supplement policies. Additional information regarding these plans is available in OCI’s publication Medicare Advantage in Wisconsin.*

Part D is the Medicare program that assists Medicare beneficiaries to pay for outpatient prescription drug costs. Part D is an optional program available to Medicare beneficiaries eligible for Medicare Part A and/or enrolled in Medicare Part B.*

Pharamcy working talking on the phone behind drug counter

* Wisconsin Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare 2018

WORKING TO EARN YOUR TRUST

When you work with a professional at the John Wickhem Agency, you can expect to be treated with respect. We provide full and fair disclosure of all rates, fees, and contract terms, and we make sure you understand your options.