Ron Bliss: Going on Medicare disability? See a pro to help with decisions

If you have been approved for Social Security Disability you have some decisions to make.

For one, you cannot get Medicare Disability until you have had your Social Security Disability for two years. If you do not already have a health plan, you will likely qualify for ObamaCare and can get a subsidy.

But once you have served two years on Social Security Disability, you must choose to go on Medicare Disability or refuse it and stay on Social Security Disability. Only then can you keep your ObamaCare plan. When you go on Medicare, you are considered to be subsidized and the government will subsidy you through Medicare or through the Marketplace, but not both.

If this is your case, come see a broker who can help you navigate and make the right choices. The cost is zero. We charge you nothing to help you get on the Marketplace and advise you free of charge when it comes time to go on Medicare Disability.

At Affordable Healthcare Pros we can first help you get coverage on the Healthcare.gov Marketplace, with a subsidy to make it affordable. Then – when you get your Medicare cards – we can help you make the transition to Medicare Disability by helping you look at options and find a Part D drug plan, if necessary. We can then help you get Medicare Advantage coverage through one of the companies we work with, if that turns out to be your best option.

Medicare Disability will cover 80 percent of your medical costs, less Part A and Part B deductibles, but you will be responsible for the other 20 percent with no limit on what you might owe. Getting a Medicare Advantage plan gives you a safety net since it limits out-of-pocket expenses.

In the past month, two clients that I helped sign up for Healthcare.gov have gotten their Medicare card and came to me for assistance on what to do next.

After advising them of their options, I referred them to someone who could give them supplemental help that would give them a safety net, advised them on a drug plan and helped them terminate their Healthcare.gov accounts.

Come by our office at 2307 N. Carson Street in Carson City or call me at 775-883-3414 or 775-224-7169. I will be glad to help you – even if Affordable Healthcare Pros did not previously help you with your health plan.

If you are turning 65, it is also important to come see me. I will explain the advantages of getting a Medicare Supplement as opposed to Medicare Advantage. We can give you a choice of up to 10 Medicare supplement plans and can also recommend you for a Medicare Advantage plan – if that is what is best for you.

Ron Bliss is a former long-time sports writer who has been doing health and life insurance since 2009. He is certified on both Covered California and the Nevada Health Link and can sell products on and off both exchanges. Affordable Healthcare Pros also offers a variety of dental plans to include dental-vision-hearing plans in both states, as well as a wide variety of Medicare supplements and other health supplemental products to include critical illness, disability, plans to cover in-home or nursing home costs, accidents and hospital indemnity policies. He can also give you the choice of a number of Life Insurance carriers.