• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Louisville: 555-555-555
  • Charlotte: 555-555-555
  • Why Partner
  • Our Expertise
  • Resources
  • Get Aligned
  • Broker Portal
Plan Advisors

Plan Advisors

Helping you choose the right health plan

  • Why Partner
  • Our Expertise
    • Meet Your Team
    • Success Stories
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • Care Initiative
    • MedicareCENTER
    • Medicare Marketing Support
    • Promotional Collateral
  • Let’s Talk
  • Broker Portal

Guiding Clients Through Medicare Part B Enrollment

April 20, 2021 by Lance Hoeltke

How often do you get asked, “How do I sign up for Medicare?”

A rehearsed, articulate response could be the difference between gaining and losing a future client. 

We know that to enroll a prospect in a supplemental Medicare plan, you must first ensure that they have both Parts A and B of Medicare. And if you can’t guide them to properly enroll in Part B, they may find someone else who can, which may lead to a loss of business for you.

Assess Their Situation Before Helping Them Enroll in Medicare Part B

When someone asks how to sign up for Medicare, an understanding of their current situation will be needed. Here are a couple key questions that will help you guide your client through Medicare Part B enrollment:

1) Are you currently receiving Social Security benefits?

If their answer is “yes,” then they will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part B. The effective date will be the first day of the month in which the prospect turns 65 (if they were born on the first of the month, the effective date will be the first day of the previous month).

  • If the prospect is under 65 and receiving Social Security disability benefits, they will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part B after receiving disability benefits for 24 months.
  • If the prospect has ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), they will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part B the month their Social Security disability benefits begin.

If the prospect is not yet receiving Social Security benefits, they will need to sign up for Part B through the Social Security Administration. This can be done at their local Social Security office or online at www.socialsecurity.gov/benefits/medicare. They have a seven-month (Initial Enrollment Period) window to complete this process that starts three months prior to the month in which they turn 65.

2) Are you over 65?

If the prospect is beyond their Initial Enrollment Period (the seven-month window described above), they will have to sign up for Medicare Part B using one of the following options:

  • General Enrollment Period: Prospects can sign up for Medicare Part B every year between January 1st and March 31st. The Part B coverage will begin on July 1st of that year. The prospect may also be responsible for paying a higher premium due to the delayed enrollment.
  • Special Enrollment Period: Prospects that are over 65 and covered by group health coverage (through their employer or their spouse’s employer) can sign up for Part B anytime while covered by an employer plan. They also have an eight-month window that starts the month after employment ends or coverage ends, whichever happens first.

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse When it Comes to Selling Medicare

Sometimes as brokers we get so focused on the sale (MA or Medigap enrollment) we forget that some folks need help signing up for basic Medicare. Be the broker that prospects and clients can rely on for all Medicare related information, not just the information that earns you a commission. And if you can’t find the answer yourself, think Plan Advisors first!

Filed Under: medicare supplemental Tagged With: Med Supp, Medicare Part B, Selling

Think "Plan Advisors first!"

Get aligned with Plan Advisors for access to these tools, resources, support, and more!

Let's Talk

Footer

STAY UP TO DATE

facebook instagram linkedIn YouTube


Florida Office
3625 NW 82nd Ave
Suite 100-F
Doral, FL 33166

CONTACT US

  • Phone: 502.228.1308
  • Fax: 502.470.5746
  • info@myplanadvisors.com
  • Serving all 50 states

  • Kentucky Office
    13040 Eastgate Park Way
    Suite 108
    Louisville, KY 40223

QUICK LINKS

  • Why Partner
  • Expertise
  • Resources
  • Talk to Plan Advisors
  • Broker Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

Copyright © 2023 · Website Design by The Marketing Squad

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
__cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gcl_au3 monthsThis cookie is used by Google Analytics to understand user interaction with the website.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the wbsite is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages viisted in an anonymous form.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
_gat_UA-67564884-11 minuteNo description
CONSENT16 years 9 months 23 days 9 hours 2 minutesNo description
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo