Medicare open enrollment is almost here and just like every year, those who are new to it will be rushed and overwhelmed, and those who are veterans of using the service will literally have minimal concerns because they know what to expect. There’s also a secret weapon the veterans have, an advisor. These men and women provide an amazing and needed service where they provide assistance for all those who need to sign up for coverage.

Their services as independent Medicare advisors is a big reason why millions of American’s are able to easily and successfully file each year without issue. However, every year a new batch of rookies comes in and they make the mistake of trying to work on enrolling on their own or with a specific provider. For those who are not used to the process, doing it alone may not be ideal. In fact, it’s one of the key ways mistakes are made or recipients are left unprepared as they head into the next year.

How Medicare Advisors Can Help

The majority of people who are not familiar with working with an advisor seem to be those who have had their health insurance provided through their employment benefits. While this is a more common way to get coverage, millions of people have to get theirs individually. For that, the best way to move forward is to work with an insurance agent. The same can be said with enrolling in Medicare for several reasons including:

• They work for you: One of the key things to remember about working with an independent advisor is that they work for you, not an insurance provider. Independent advisors worth with several different providers, allowing them to focus on you as a client and always giving them the option to find the best plan or package for you. Because of this, you want to focus on giving your advisor the information they need to best assist you including specific things about your health or financial flexibility that need to be taken into account.
• Free advisement: It doesn’t matter if you email, talk via chat, text or call, this assistance is always 100% free. Why is that? Advisors are paid from the providers, not from you. That’s why it does not matter what provider you work with and if you call the same one directly, you will get the same plans and pricing as well.
• Custom strategies: Do you have excellent teeth? Do you take a lot of prescription medications? Everyone has different needs and therefore the same plan will not work for everyone. Consider that this is exactly why Medicare offers different options that allow you to pick and choose what you want, what you’re willing to pay for and so forth. You can customize your plan based on your needs.
• Stay up on important deadlines: Open enrollment is just one time of the year you need to enroll in insurance. There are several other deadlines that are out there and windows where you can make adjustments to your coverage. Knowing all these windows is important and can also help you to get the newest options and qualify for other advantages.
• Stay updated on changes: It seems that every year there are new tweaks and changes to our coverage. Wouldn’t it be nice to know the ones that impact you and how they will change things for you in the upcoming year? That’s the beauty of having your own advisor. They know what your needs are and they can help clarify the changes you need to be informed about and help you make any adaptations that you may need.
• You can still learn on your own: The web is a great place to learn about the options you have as well as how your coverage can provide you with discounts and additional services you were not aware of. Having someone who you can bounce different ideas off of and ensure that they are giving you the best guidance you can get is a comfort most of us are grateful to have, especially with something as important as health insurance.
• More providers: Again, because you are working with an advisor who is independent, you are actually getting quotes and plans for multiple providers. This is important if you are working with a strict budget and need help keeping your medical costs down. Your advisor can show you how millions on Medicare manage their costs and get the best coverage possible.

When you consider the costs of health insurance and how much it has climbed in recent years, it’s important to remember that any way you can save is a real advantage. Working with your Medicare team, you can learn how to cut costs, whether it has to do with your coverage or not. For example, while you do not take many prescription drugs, the two that you do take are rather expensive. Without the coverage the medication may cost you $300 a month. This is information you were unaware of before you had to decide whether or not to enroll in Part D, a prescription drug plan that offers coverage. Without the exact information, you will have no way of knowing whether the extra coverage would be needed or not.

Having your financial and health coverage needs taken care of even before the year begins is such a benefit and something that many take for granted. Rather than focusing on how to cut costs of your day-to-day life, working with an agent can easily show you new and creative ways to save whether it’s getting updated coverage or removing coverage. That’s another less-discussed advantage to having new coverage. The opportunity to make specific changes without having to change everything is a great benefit to policyholders.

If you have never worked with a health insurance advisor, especially when it comes to Medicare, then you need to understand that these men and women are here to assist you. They work for you and the longer you are happy with your coverage, the longer you will stick with them. That’s why it does not make sense to try to do this on your own or work with anyone who does not have experience and is a trained and licensed advisor.