Medicare FAQs for Overland Park Seniors

No, it's free. The insurance company pays the agent, and the premium you pay is the same whether you enroll through us or on your own.

Your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months: three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and three months after. Sign up in that first window and coverage starts without a gap. Wait too long and you risk a late penalty. See turning 65 in Overland Park.

With Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy, yes, any provider who accepts Medicare works, in Kansas or Missouri. With a Medicare Advantage plan, it depends on the network. Johnson County has several hospital systems, including HCA Midwest Health, Saint Luke's, AdventHealth and The University of Kansas Health System, and they don't always sit on the same plan contracts. We check your specific doctors against each plan's current directory before you sign anything.

It can. Medicare plans are priced and sold by county, so Johnson County, Kansas plans are different from Jackson County, Missouri plans. Many people here see doctors on the Missouri side, such as at Saint Luke's Plaza or the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Some Advantage networks cross the state line and some don't, so we check each doctor by name.

Neither wins for everyone. Medigap runs a higher monthly premium but covers nearly all the gaps, with no network to worry about. Advantage costs less month to month, uses copays and a defined network, and often bundles in dental, vision or a gym membership. Your doctors, your prescriptions and how much monthly premium you want to carry decide which one fits. Compare them on Advantage vs. Medigap.

No. Kansas has no birthday or anniversary rule, so after your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period ends, switching Medigap plans usually means answering health questions. Missouri does have an annual anniversary rule, but you lose it if you move to Kansas. See Medigap in Overland Park.

If you don't have coverage through active employment, Medicare adds 10% of the standard Part B premium for every full 12-month period you delayed, and that surcharge usually lasts as long as you have Part B. Our Part B penalty calculator gives you a quick estimate before you decide.

Almost always, yes. Go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage once you're eligible, and Medicare adds a late penalty to your Part D premium for as long as you have drug coverage. A low-cost plan now, even one you barely use, is nearly always cheaper than that penalty down the road. See Part D drug plans.

No, but you should still check. Networks, drug tiers and copays reset every January 1. A short fall review by phone is usually enough to confirm your plan still covers your doctors and your medications at the price you expect. See Annual Open Enrollment.

Hospitals in and near Overland Park include Overland Park Regional Medical Center and Menorah Medical Center (both HCA Midwest Health), Saint Luke's South Hospital, AdventHealth South Overland Park, AdventHealth Shawnee Mission in Merriam, AdventHealth Lenexa City Center, The University of Kansas Health System's Indian Creek Campus, and University of Kansas Health System Olathe Hospital. Plan choice often comes down to which system your longtime doctor works with. Contracts shift year to year, so we confirm the current one before you enroll.

Yes, and Kansas gives you real protection here. Under K.S.A. 40-2221, you can buy a Medigap plan without health underwriting if you apply within six months of enrolling in Part B. Insurers must offer you every plan type they sell to people 65 and older, and they can't charge you more than their age-65 rate. SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas), Kansas's free Medicare counseling program, can also help at 1-800-860-5260.

We work across Johnson County, including Olathe, Lenexa, Shawnee, Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission and Merriam. See all service areas.