What kind of Medicare supplement should I get if I’m going to be traveling a lot? Which Medicare Part D plans cover my newest medications? Is my coverage going to change?

These are just some of the questions health insurance agents get this time of year during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), the window of time that allows Medicare enrollees to make changes to various aspects of their coverage for the following year.

There is no charge to use an agent, and there are many benefits to working with one. A trusted agent can help you understand the different parts of Medicare and find the most cost-effective coverage that fits your needs. He or she can also assist you with any claims issues that arise at any time during the year.

Your Medicare consultant

Medicare.gov  is the official website for Medicare. While it provides lots of information, it can also be overwhelming.

Many agents, including husband and wife team Pat and Molly O’Keefe of O’Keefe Insurance Agency, will meet with you in your home and break it all down.

If you’re new to Medicare, they will start by explaining Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. For current Medicare members who need to renew or make changes to their plan during AEP, they will sit down and discuss things like your new premium amount, what benefits will be changing, or what to consider adding the coming year.

“There’s just a lot of industry knowledge that an agent provides to clients who are signing up or looking for health insurance,” says Molly.

“Some people need to buy a plan for the first time. Others want to update an existing plan based on a change in cost or what benefits are included. Either way, we do a lot of consulting,” adds Pat.

Your one-stop shop during AEP

“Using an independent agent is a one-stop shop because your agent is unbiased and knowledgeable on a plethora of plans from different insurance companies,” says Molly. “We relay that information to the client, versus the client going to five or six different websites or calling five or six different numbers.”

For example, the O’Keefes are certified to sell plans from Blue Cross, along with other insurance companies in Minnesota.

Your Medicare renewal expert

Each fall, insurance companies are required to send an annual renewal notice to inform members of any plan changes for the next year. An agent can review and/or help you to adjust your Medicare coverage each year. Simply by adjusting your mix of policies, you may be able to improve coverage, save money, or both.

“If you see your premium change drastically or a benefit that’s important to you is changing to something you don’t like, that’s the time to call your agent,” Pat says.

Your advocate

“It’s important for all of our customers to have someone who can decipher and break down some of the language and confusion. So, we really become, from the time they sign on with our agency, their advocate,” says Molly.

That includes straightening out any service needs— like working through a claim or understanding what hospitals are in your plan’s network—  that may come up.

“We want to give our customers a peace of mind knowing they are OK, and that we are here should anything come up either during open enrollment or the course of the year,” says Pat.

Find an agent

Blue Cross works with independent agents across the state. Click here to learn more or find an agent near you.

Medicare resources from Blue Cross

Blue Cross has a variety of resources that may be helpful to look over before meeting with your agent. Visit the Learn About Medicare section on bluecrossmn.com for more information on topics like:

• How do I change or renew my Blue Cross Medicare plan?
• How to choose a Medicare supplemental plan
• When to enroll in Medicare