The document provides biographical information about Sondra Ford and Mary Dorn who work for Trusted Senior Specialists, a Medicare insurance agency. It also gives an overview of the company, which has been in business for over 13 years, is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau, and has a network of over 3,000 agents across 42 states. The remainder of the document outlines topics that will be covered in an upcoming presentation, including Medicare enrollment periods for Parts A, B, C, and D, penalties for late enrollment, federal and state assistance programs, and a question and answer section.

1. www.MedicareGals.com

2. ABOUT THE MEDICARE GALS
Sondra Ford
Compliance Officer
•Native Houstonian.
•Has been in the Insurance Industry since 2007.
•Field agent with Trusted Senior Specialists since 2009.
•Experienced in call center and now compliance.
•Has a 2-week University child, and one that just turned 2.
Mary Dorn
VP of Agent Support
•Originally from Ohio, moved to Texas in 1990.
•Insurance Agent, licensed in many states.
•Has been helping our community since 2008.
•Has been with Trusted Senior Specialists since 2002.
•Is a Grandmother of 4, 3 girls and 1 boy.

3. ABOUT TRUSTED SENIOR SPECIALISTS
We began in Texas over 13 years ago and are now in 40-plus states across the country.
As members of the Better Business Bureau, we have an A+ rating and have been honored
as a Winner of Distinction at the 2011, 2012, 2013 Awards for Excellence.
For the past decade, we have established a name and reputation based on reliable service,
honesty, integrity and have built an Insurance Marketing Organization of over
3,000 agents in 42 states.
We are dedicated to assisting families, groups and individuals with their different insurance
needs such as: Life Insurance, Health Insurance, Final Expense, Long Term Care and Cancer.
We specialize in Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage Plans.
www.TrustedSeniorSpecialists.com
www.MedicareGals.com

5. TOPICS FOR TODAY
1.
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3.
4.
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6.
7.
Enrollment Periods: Parts A and B
Enrollment Periods Part C
Enrollment Periods Part D
Penalties
Assistance Programs (State and Federal)
Questions
Presentation Review

6. ENROLLMENT PERIODS:
PARTS A AND B
Initial Enrollment Period is a 7 month period allowing you to join
Medicare when you first become eligible. Your initial enrollment
period will begin 3 months before your 65th birthday, your birth
month, and the three months following your 65th birthday.
General Enrollment Period: If you didn’t sign up for Part A and/or
Part B (for which you must pay premiums) when you were first
eligible, you can sign up between January 1–March 31 each year.
Your coverage will begin July 1 of that year. You may have to pay
a higher Part A and/or Part B premium for late enrollment.

7. ENROLLMENT PERIODS:
PARTS A AND B
Special Enrollment Period: For those who delay enrolling into Part B
because they have an Employer Group Health Plan (GHP)
In this scenario, you can enroll in Part B anytime before your employer
coverage ends. Your SEP will also extend to an 8 month period
beginning the 1st day of the 1st month your employment or group
health plan coverage ends.

8. ENROLLMENT PERIODS:
PARTS A AND B
NOTE: This is the time for you to decide how you will receive
your benefits. You will have several choices:
A. Medicare Part A Only
B. Original Medicare Parts A and B
C. Original Medicare Parts A and B with a Medicare
Supplement and Part D plan
D. Parts A and D
E. Part C

9. YOUR MEDICARE CARD

10. ENROLLMENT PERIODS:
PART C
• Initial Enrollment Period (IEP):
• Annual Election Period (AEP): Every year between October
15th and December 7th
• Special Election Period (SEP): You have to qualify for these
enrollment periods. There are many different situations
which may occur making you eligible for an SEP.
A. You qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid
B. Your current plan terminates or leaves the area
C. You are misled and as a result enroll in a plan not
suited to you
D. You have a chronic condition that qualifies you for a
Special Needs Plan (SNP)

11. ENROLLMENT PERIODS:
PART D
• Initial Election Period (IEP)
• Annual Election Period (AEP): Every year between October
15th and December 7th
• Special Election Periods (SEP)
NOTE: You will notice that Part D enrollment periods mirror
those of Part C

12. PENALTIES
(PARTS A,B, AND D)
1. Part A: If you are not eligible for premium free Part A and
do not buy it when you are fist eligible your premium may
go up 10%. You will have to pay the higher premium for
twice the number of years that you could have had Part A.
Example: If you are eligible for Part A for 2 years before
enrolling, you will have to pay the higher premium for 4
years.

13. PENALTIES
(PARTS A,B, AND D)
2. Part B: If you do not sign up for Part B when first eligible
your late enrollment penalty will be 10% for each 12 month
period that you could have had Part B. This penalty will
last for as long as you have Medicare.
Example: Your IEP ended September 30, 2009 and you wait
until General Enrollment 2012, your Part B penalty will be
20%. ( This is because you waited 2 full 12 month
periods)

14. PENALTIES
(PARTS A,B, AND D)
3. Part D: If you did not sign up for Part D during your IEP a
penalty will be added to your Medicare Part D premium.
This penalty equals 1% per month of the National average
premium for a Part D plan.
Example: The National base premium for 2014 is $32.42. The
penalty for 2014 will therefore be .32 cents for each month
you delayed enrollment beginning when your IEP ended.
You will pay this penalty for as long as you have Medicare.

15. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(FEDERAL)
Low Income Subsidy (aka Extra Help) is a Federal program
administered by the Social Security Administration. This
program provides assistance in paying the Part D premium
and lowering prescription drug costs. To qualify you must:
A.Be entitled to Part A or enrolled in Part B
B.Reside in one of the 50 States or The District of Columbia
C.Have an annual income of less than 150% of the Federal Poverty
Level. This is based on household size.
D.Have resources that fall within the established limits.
E.File a low income subsidy application or be deemed eligible.

16. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(FEDERAL)
NOTE: LIS will not only lower the cost of your prescriptions
and pay your Part D premium, it will also protect you from
falling into the doughnut hole. If you have a Part D penalty
you will not pay this penalty for as long as you qualify and
continue to receive this assistance.

17. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(STATE)
• Medicare Saving Programs (MSP) are jointly funded through
State and Federal funds. These programs are based on much
lower means and resources than LIS.
• MSP’s will help pay part or all of your Part B premium AND lower
your co-insurance when visiting a hospital, doctor or specialist.
Another advantage is that it may help further reduce your
prescription drug costs.
NOTE: When you apply for LIS and Social Security believes
you may qualify for a MSP, they will forward your
information to the state. When you have QMB or SLMB, LIS
is paying for your prescriptions.

18. ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
(STATE)
NOTE: When you apply for LIS and Social Security
believes you may qualify for a MSP, they will forward your
information to the state. When you have QMB or SLMB,
LIS is paying for your prescriptions.
You must apply for these programs through your local State
Health and Human Service office. This can be done in person
or online. The process generally takes 45 days and will
include a telephone interview regarding the information
submitted on the application.

19. REVIEW
Review

20. Q&A
PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS

21. DO YOU NEED HELP?
If you’d like to speak with a specialist one on one, please call us at:
(281) 879-7711
Monday – Friday
9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
On behalf of Trusted Senior Specialists and The Medicare Gals, we
would like to thank you for joining us today.
We look forward to our next presentation in this series and hope you
will join us once again.

22. Thank you!
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