Resources
Medicare FAQs
These are the questions we field constantly, at kitchen tables, in church basements and over the phone right here in Central Ohio. Don't see yours below? Call. We'd rather talk it out than let you guess wrong.
- Direct answers, not a sales script
- Written with Columbus and Franklin County in mind
- Kept current as the rules shift
Questions
What Columbus retirees ask us most
Does it cost anything to work with Columbus Senior Insurance?
Nothing. Our help doesn't cost you a cent. Carriers already build a set commission into plan pricing whether an agent is involved or not, so talking to us never bumps your premium up.
When can I first enroll in Medicare?
Most people get a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period: three months before your 65th birthday month, the birthday month, and three months after. Enroll early in that window and your coverage starts right on schedule.
Can I keep my current doctors?
Under Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy, yes, any provider who accepts Medicare works. On a Medicare Advantage plan it depends on the network, so we check your doctors and hospital against each plan's current directory before you sign up.
Is Medicare Advantage better than Medigap?
Neither wins for everybody. Medigap runs a higher monthly cost but leaves almost nothing to pay at the visit, with no network restrictions. Advantage keeps the monthly cost lower but adds copays and a network, usually with drug coverage and extras folded in. Your doctors, prescriptions and appetite for unpredictable bills decide which fits.
What happens if I don't sign up for Part B on time?
If you don't have coverage through active employment, Medicare tacks on 10% to your Part B premium for every full 12 months you waited, and that penalty typically sticks for life. Try our Part B penalty calculator for a ballpark figure.
I don't take any prescriptions. Do I still need Part D?
In most cases, yes. Go 63 days or longer without creditable drug coverage after you're eligible, and you trigger a permanent Part D penalty. A cheap plan today almost always beats paying that penalty for years afterward.
Do I have to change plans every year?
No, but a checkup is smart. Networks, drug tiers and copays reset every January 1. A fifteen-minute review each fall is usually enough to confirm your current plan still fits.
Which hospitals do Columbus Medicare plans use?
Most local coverage runs through OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital and Mount Carmel Health System, plus Columbus Neighborhood Health Centers clinics. Which systems a plan contracts with shifts year to year, so we confirm it fresh for the coming plan year, every time.
Can you help if I'm under 65 and on Medicare due to disability?
Yes. Ohio treats under-65 Medicare beneficiaries differently in a few spots, Medigap especially. We'll go through exactly what's open to you.
Do you serve towns outside Columbus?
We cover all of Franklin County and the towns around it, including Dublin, Westerville, Upper Arlington, Worthington, Hilliard, Grove City and Gahanna.
Still on the basics? Start with the Medicare overview or the Medicare checklist.
No cost, no pressure
Got a question we skipped?
Pick up the phone and ask. No charge, no strings. Plenty of these calls end with 'you're fine where you are.'