Medicare and Me: Social Distancing and Remote Enrollments

Leah Sugar Kari, certified medical representative and licensed insurance agent specializing in Medicare products

We live in unprecedented times. Each hour brings vital news about the serious health situation in our world, our country, and our neighborhoods. As seniors coping with coronavirus (COVID-19), our daily lives have changed and health matters are of utmost importance.

Yet, with every challenge comes opportunity. With self-quarantining, there is time to handle matters that may need attention. This is the perfect time to review your Medicare coverage and address questions about your health insurance coverage, claims, and prescription costs. Many of us prefer to have meetings with our agents, but sequestering requires a different approach.

One strategy that can protect our health and provide answers about our medical insurance is remote and digital consultations with your Medicare agent. Medicare insurance carriers have advised agents to stop face-to-face visits and offer their clients a remote, digital platform in their place. For those newly eligible for Medicare or for someone on Medicare with special circumstances, full information can be disseminated successfully without a person-to-person meeting. It’s easy to have a complete consultation with your agent and enroll in the plan of your choice.

If you are enrolling in a plan, the signature process is simple, even for the least tech savvy of us. Options include telephonic signatures, DocuSign-type electronic signature procedures, and even a password that you assign to stand in place of your live signature. An added benefit of electronic enrollments done by your agent is faster processing of your application.

Sequestering isn’t forever. You may have insurance items in need of attention. Your licensed Medicare agent stands ready and able to provide answers, information, and remote enrollment. They’re only a phone call away.

Leah Sugar Kari, certified medical representative and retired pharmaceutical representative, is a local, licensed life and health insurance broker specializing in showing Medicare eligible people their insurance options in Tucson. Reach Leah for comments at 520-484-3807 or [email protected]. TTY users dial 711.