Enter your ZIP code and a licensed agent will review your options with you
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Many plans offer low or $0 monthly premium options, depending on your area
Plans may include annual physical exams, lab tests and preventive services
Many plans include coverage for routine dental, vision and hearing exams
Plans may offer telehealth options for medical and mental health visits
Some plans include over the counter, wellness and everyday support allowances
Certain plans reward members for completing healthy activities
Medicare Advantage plans allow for enrollment throughout the year for reasons like aging into Medicare or qualifying for a Special Enrollment period if you:
Medicare is built from four parts. You do not use all four the same way, and two of them you choose between rather than add together.
Part A covers care you receive as an admitted patient in a hospital, along with skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A because they paid into it while working. It does not cover doctor visits outside the hospital, and it does not cover long term custodial care such as help with bathing or dressing.
Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, lab work, medical equipment and preventive services such as an annual wellness visit. It has a monthly premium set by Medicare and a yearly deductible, and you generally pay a share of the cost of each service. On its own, Part B does not cover most prescriptions you pick up at a pharmacy.
Part C is Medicare Advantage. A private company approved by Medicare provides your Part A and Part B benefits together in one plan, and most Advantage plans also include prescription coverage. Each plan sets its own network, copays and rules, so what you pay and which doctors you can see depends on the plan you choose. You continue to pay your Part B premium.
Part D covers prescriptions you fill at a pharmacy. You can get it either as a standalone drug plan added to Original Medicare, or built into a Medicare Advantage plan. Every plan keeps its own list of covered drugs, so the same medication can cost different amounts from one plan to the next. So we ask for your prescription list before recommending anything.
These are two different ways to cover what Original Medicare leaves behind. Neither one is better in general. The right answer depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, how much you travel, and whether you would rather pay steadily each month or pay as you use care.
Tell us how to reach you and a licensed agent from McAllen Insurance Group will call to go through the plans available in your county. There is no cost and no obligation to enroll.
A licensed agent will call you back, usually the same business day. Need it sooner? Call 956 687 3334.
Medicare runs on windows. Miss one and you may wait, or pay a penalty that stays with you.
Your first window, and it lasts seven months. It opens three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and closes three months after. Enrolling in the first three months usually means coverage starts the month you turn 65.
The window everyone knows. You can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or a Part D drug plan. Anything you change here starts on January 1. Plans change their costs and drug lists every year, so this is the time to check that yours still fits.
Only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. You get one change during this window: move to a different Advantage plan, or go back to Original Medicare and add a drug plan. It is the safety net if a plan you chose in the fall turns out not to fit.
Triggered by something happening in your life rather than by the calendar. Common reasons include moving out of your plan’s service area, losing employer coverage, qualifying for Medicaid or Extra Help, or moving into or out of a nursing facility. These windows are usually short, so call as soon as the change happens.
Tell a licensed agent your birthday and your situation and we will tell you exactly which window you are in.
Counting backward from your birthday, in the order things need to happen.
Some people qualify for Medicare and Medicaid at the same time. That is known as being dual eligible, and it usually happens because of income and resources rather than age alone. Many people who qualify do not realize it.
If that is you, you have plan options that other people on Medicare do not. There are plans built specifically for people with both, known as Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans. They coordinate the two programs so you are not managing them separately.
Qualifying can also open a Special Enrollment Period, which means you may be able to make a change outside the usual windows. If you have a Medicaid card, or you think you might qualify, bring it up when you call and we will check.
McAllen Insurance Group is an independent agency. We compare across the companies we are appointed with rather than representing a single one.
Which companies are available to you depends on your county and on the plan year, so we go through the current options together rather than pointing you at a list.
No. There is no fee to compare plans or to enroll through us. Sitting down with a licensed agent costs you nothing, and you are never required to enroll to get help.
That depends on the plan, which is exactly why we ask for your doctors by name before recommending anything. Networks differ between plans and they can change from year to year, so we check your specific doctors rather than assuming.
Yes. Se habla español. You can go through the entire process in Spanish, in person or over the phone, and your plan questions get answered in the language you are most comfortable in.
Not always. If you or your spouse have coverage through an employer, that coverage may let you delay Part B without a penalty. Whether it does depends on the employer and the size of the company, so ask the benefits contact in writing and bring that answer to us before you decide.
Original Medicare does not cover most prescriptions you pick up at a pharmacy, and it does not cover long term custodial care such as help with bathing or dressing. Routine dental, vision and hearing are not covered by Original Medicare either, though some Medicare Advantage plans include coverage for them.
Yes. People with both programs have plan options built specifically for that situation, and qualifying can also open an enrollment window outside the usual dates. Mention your Medicaid card when you call and we will look at what is available to you.
Usually yes, but only during a window. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 each year. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan you also get one change between January 1 and March 31. Life events such as moving can open a window of their own.
Your red white and blue Medicare card if you have it, a list of your doctors, your pharmacy, and every prescription with its dosage. If you have a Medicaid card or a current plan card, have those too. Nothing else is needed to get started.
No. We can do everything over the phone. If you would rather sit across a desk and go through it on paper, you are welcome at our McAllen office, and many people in the Valley prefer that.
No. McAllen Insurance Group is a local independent agency in McAllen. You reach the same licensed people each time you call, and the person who helps you enroll is the person who helps you later.