Video Transcript
Jeffrey Griffin
News Talk Sports for the Triad WSJS, it’s five minutes after nine o’clock. Good morning everybody. Happy Monday. Happy Triad Today. Happy spooky season. That’s right. Tis the season for the known and the unknown. Anyway, talking about unknown, John Dunn is here. And John, welcome to Triad Today. That’d be the first thing. We wanna be polite, so welcome.
John Dunn
Thank you, Jeffrey. Glad to be with you.
Jeffrey Griffin
Yeah, get over that now. Next time you just come on in and have a seat and do what you gotta do. But John, we’ve started to see some advertisements and of course there’s been conversation in circles about is this when we need to make some decisions about Medicare and our insurance and all that kinds of stuff. And that’s the reason John is here. John, of course, with HealthTeam Advantage. Exactly what is, I never got a business card. So what is on your business card? What’s it say?
John Dunn
Okay, so I am the Director of Sales for HealthTeam Advantage. HealthTeam Advantage is a local Medicare Advantage plan owned by Cone Health and Novant Health.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right, so this is a collaborative effort to provide what needs to be provided.
John Dunn
That’s correct, yes.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. So I’ve got some questions right off the bat, and I think if I don’t know, then there may be some other people who go, “I have wondered that.” So I’m gonna bite to bullet. I’m gonna ask the question. So you throw all this on me, right? We gonna go. What is Medicare Advantage? I hear it, but I go, “Oh, that’s nice.” I think that was a mom or a grandma thing, but I don’t know. So tell me what it is.
John Dunn
Okay, so Medicare Advantage is a system of healthcare for those who are eligible for Medicare’s Part A and B. So to qualify to purchase or to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, you have to have both parts of Medicare A and B. It’s kind of different than Medicare supplements. You probably have heard of those as well. Or Medigap plans. Those work in collaboration with Medicare. So, Medicare pays part of your bill, your Medicare supplement pays what Medicare doesn’t pay. So, Medicare Advantage is different in that all of your healthcare is provided by that health insurance company.
Jeffrey Griffin
Kind of takes the place of…
John Dunn
It takes the place of, that’s correct.
Jeffrey Griffin
So right now, here’s another one. I hear Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. And I know that my mama and my grandma used to both get letters about Part A and part B. Mostly my job was to stand there and smile and nod if anybody would ask. But there is a difference.
John Dunn
There is a difference.
Jeffrey Griffin
And what is it?
John Dunn
So, Medicare Part A is that part of Medicare that covers your in-hospital charges. Part B is anything outpatient—your doctors, outpatient surgery. So you put the two together and then…
Jeffrey Griffin
If I just don’t feel good, and I need to make an appointment and go, that’s in the day…
John Dunn
…with your primary doctor, that’s gonna be in B. If you’re admitted to the hospital, that’s in A.
Jeffrey Griffin
If I stumble over the dog, and I go to the ER and I get admitted: Part A?
John Dunn
That’s part A.
Jeffrey Griffin
See, I am passing the test. All right. So, we talked about if you add an Advantage plan. So you can either choose, I guess you could just, if that’s your choice, you just remain with Medicare and it is what it is. But if you have the Advantage plan, then as you said, it takes the place, it steps in. But it’s a fully comprehensive plan?
John Dunn
That’s the great thing about a Medicare Advantage plan compared to original Medicare, which is A and B or Medicare supplement. The Medicare Advantage plan is going to include all of those inpatient services. It’s gonna cover your outpatient services. <affirmative>. Most plans are going to include your Part D drug coverage as well. And then you’re also gonna pick up a lot of times additional benefits such as dental, vision, fitness or gym memberships.
Jeffrey Griffin
I didn’t know any of that was even possible with Medicare.
John Dunn
Absolutely, and that’s what makes Medicare Advantage so appealing.
Jeffrey Griffin
Alright, why…? This is another big one. And so I’ve heard the conversation, and I’ve heard some folks talking about it at church—kind of get those whispers as you go down. Or if you’re in a restaurant you may hear four senior citizens sitting at the next table. And I want to be helpful, but I don’t know enough to be helpful yet. But I hear ’em talking about, and sometimes they just a lot of questions. Why am I hearing more of those conversations now than I heard, say, two, three months ago?
John Dunn
So now, well, we are now in our annual enrollment period or AEP. It technically started on Saturday, October the first and runs through December the seventh. So the first two weeks of it, which is October the first through the 14th, you’re able to go into Medicare.gov as a consumer and look at the different plan options that are available. And then when it turns October the 15th, that’s when you’re able to actually enroll in a new plan that would be effective January the first. So you have from October the 15th to December the seventh to choose a new plan if you’re already on a plan or if you’re not on a plan. And hey, these Medicare Advantage plans, they sound really good. Let me see what they’re about.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. I’ll ask the other question, which I’d imagine some people ask it. Well, why does John think he knows everything?
John Dunn
Well, I’ll be the first to say “John does not know everything.”
Jeffrey Griffin
(laughter)
John Dunn
I’ve been doing this for 20 years. I’ve been doing Medicare Advantage for 18 years in a lot of different aspects of the business. I am a licensed agent with the state of North Carolina, so I have sold the products. I have trained other agents in how to best represent and sell the products. And now in my current role at HealthTeam Advantage, that’s what I do now. I train our employed sales agents. I also work hand-in-hand with our brokers who are out in the field representing most of the plans that are available.
Jeffrey Griffin
Do you think people get understandably nervous when it comes time to make a decision?
John Dunn
I think they do, because anybody who’s been in Medicare for any length of time, they know this is the one time of the year that they have to make this decision for their healthcare for the whole next year.
Jeffrey Griffin
So you’re locked in now for 365 days, is that right? Now when these plans, when do they take effect? January 1st.
John Dunn
January the first.
Jeffrey Griffin
Okay, and then you’re locked in for 365 days. And then when the next season opens next year—next October.
John Dunn
That’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
Okay. Choose wisely.
John Dunn
Choose wisely. A lot of people would try to sort through all of these plans themselves and look at Medicare.gov and look at this benefit or that benefit. But I really urge everyone to, hey, find a good agent, an agent that can sit down with you, dissect these plans with you. Because like we said, when you’re choosing these plans for an entire year, I get asked the question a lot, “Well, what if I end up having to go to this hospital or this doctor or my prescription drugs change?”
John Dunn
You need to take a lot of that into consideration during this time when you’re able to shop for a new plan.
Jeffrey Griffin
And the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming for a great many people.
John Dunn
Absolutely. If you go to Medicare.gov and look at all the plans available, just in the Triad we’re over 50 plans to choose from. So, it can definitely be over overwhelming, overloading.
Jeffrey Griffin
You can, and particularly for a senior who maybe they’ve just had the same kind of coverage for so many years. “Well, that’s what I’ve always done. That’s what my neighbor said to do.” And it might not necessarily be the very best decision for their circumstance.
John Dunn
That’s right. Everybody’s circumstance is individual to them. And that’s where an agent is so vital. They’re able to look at your particular situation and weigh out all of the different benefits available from all of the plans and choose the one that’s best for you.
Jeffrey Griffin
We’ve already got a question. Bob, thanks for holding on through the break. What’s your question for John this morning?
Caller—Bob
Okay. My wife and I have a Medicare supplement plan. And I mean we do pay higher premiums than Advantage Plan, but we don’t have any out of pocket expenses after the supplement part pays. But John, to me, didn’t explain too well was with the Advantage plan, you have so much more out-of-pocket expenses. I know the premiums are lower, but you have a lot more out-of-pocket expenses, and the dental coverage is limited. It’s usually only about a thousand dollars. So, he didn’t really explain that too well, I didn’t think.
Jeffrey Griffin
I know, Bob, I appreciate the question. We just touched the tip of the iceberg. So much to go over, so that’s right.
John Dunn
You’re right, Bob. It’s a lot to consider—comparing Medicare Advantage to Medicare supplement. And as Jeffrey was saying, we have just started to scratch the surface. So to address some of those questions and concerns, it sounds like you are probably on a Medicare supplement Plan F that covers everything that A and B, well, the 20% that A and B does not cover. So that’s why when you go to the doctor or you have a hospital stay you have no additional cost out of pocket. You offset some of that not having those costs by paying a monthly premium. Those monthly premiums typically go up once a year and that’s just how Medicare supplement works. But to address some of the issues you were talking about with Medicare Advantage and out of pocket cost is yes, most Medicare Advantage plans in our area here in the Triad will have a $0 premium.
John Dunn
So you don’t pay a monthly premium to have that plan. But what you will pay are copays, when you go to the doctor. Most of the plans will have a zero copay for your primary care provider. But when you go to the specialist, you would have a copay. If you needed an x-ray, you’d have a copay. And if you had to be admitted to the hospital, you would have a daily copay for the first five or six days of your stay. All of those plans do have a maximum out of pocket limit. Meaning once you have paid X amount of dollars in within a given year, then you have maxed out. You are capped out; you no longer have to pay your copays. And in our area, the Triad’s a great area to be in for Medicare Advantage, because a lot of those maximum out of pocket limits have come in to under $4,000 now. Like ours at HealthTeam Advantage, we have one plan that has a $3,000 maximum out of pocket, and another plan that has a $3,200 maximum out-of-pocket. So once your copays and co-insurances have met that limit then you’re done with your out-of-pocket costs for the year.
Jeffrey Griffin
And John, it is, I’m not dismissing that limit or 3,000 or 3,200 or 4,000, but if you’re in for an extended hospital visit, that can literally be a drop in the bucket and then everything else is covered?
John Dunn
That’s right. So, when you’re comparing that in Bob’s situation to a Medicare supplement, look at what your monthly premiums are, multiply that by 12, how much is just that Medicare supplement costing you for the year? Now on top of that, you have to add a premium for your Part D drug coverage, because the Part D drug coverage is included in the Medicare Advantage plan. So how much are you paying per year now for that drug plan if you’re going to add dental or vision or even a gym membership, what are those items gonna cost you for an entire year? So by the time you multiply all of that out, you may have more in cost per year just in premiums than what your out-of-pocket maximum may be on a Medicare Advantage plan.
Jeffrey Griffin
So there’s just a lot of different pieces of the puzzle to look at and find out if you’re putting them all together. Right?
John Dunn
That’s right. And I’m not one of these people who are 100% for Medicare Advantage or 100% for Medicare supplement. That’s why I led off the show with saying, hey, everyone out there really needs an agent to sit down and talk to. There are situations, my dad being one, a Medicare supplement works best for him, just because of past health issues. My mom, Medicare Advantage works best for her. So that’s why I say it. Me and you were talking, Jeffrey and it’s a purely individual thing that everybody needs to look at for themselves. It’s not a cookie cutter; it’s not a one size fits all.
Jeffrey Griffin
And that’s good, because it’s seldom do you find that magic solution that works for just everybody. Cause everybody’s got a different family dynamic, different financial circumstance, which you gotta take into account. And you were talking about sometimes we piece it, so I got a little bit here and a little bit there, but you add all that together, then what is your yearly investment?
John Dunn
That’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
And that can make a huge difference. All right Brett, we still got Betty? All right. Betty’s got a question about dental coverage. Betty, you’re on with John Dunn on Triad Today. Good morning.
John Dunn
Good morning, Betty.
Caller—Betty
Good morning, John, and good morning, Jeffrey. Thank you for taking my call. I live in Kernersville, and I saw in the Kernersville News on Saturday a really good looking ad, and it mentioned a $3,750 dental allowance. I know your last caller said something about a thousand, so I just wonder if you could clarify that because I’m very interested.
John Dunn
Yes, Betty, and thanks for the call. And this will help address some of Bob’s issues, as well, with his questions. On the dental—the ad you saw is for HealthTeam Advantage, and we are rolling out January the first our new dental benefit. Because we’ve heard from people like Bob is, “Hey, a thousand dollars a year doesn’t get me what I need at the dentist. I’m still coming out having a lot of leftover charges that I’m having to pay out of pocket.” So we heard that. We’ve been hearing it for the last few years. So we have upped our dental benefit to a total of $3,750 for the year. 750 of that is allotted for preventive services, which are, if you’re going for two cleanings a year, that’s plenty enough to cover. And then you’re left with $3,000 of comprehensive coverage to cover those crowns, those root canals, dentures, implants.
Jeffrey Griffin
You’re just a barrel of good news.
John Dunn
Hey, that’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
But sometimes you wake up with a toothache and you got to go.
John Dunn
You have to go.
Jeffrey Griffin
There’s not a debate about it.
John Dunn
So, Bob’s issue is a relevant issue, and he’s right. There have been limits throughout the years with the dental benefits on a lot of Medicare Advantage plans. And we are looking at how we could address that. And I think with the coming year, this new dental benefit, which Betty saw in the Greensboro paper or the Kernersville paper, addresses that and puts the ease at some of those.
Jeffrey Griffin
You think that makes a big difference with HealthTeam Advantage, and this being a local collaboration, that you can respond more efficiently and quickly to the concerns that are raised?
John Dunn
Yes, and I hear that. Since I work closely with the brokers, I hear that on a daily basis. “Hey John, it’s great to work with a company based right here in Greensboro. If we need something, we just pick up the phone, we get somebody local, we don’t have to go through a phone tree or wait for a call back.” So the frustrating aspect is phenomenal with HealthTeam Advantage.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. Hope we got Bob some information that will be useful, but then we talked a little bit. Sometimes you hear it, but maybe it doesn’t register. You mentioned zero premium.
John Dunn
That’s right. So, most of the plans in the Triad do have a zero premium. The question I get every time when we say that, meeting with a customer for the first time, is “Right, wait a minute…
Jeffrey Griffin
I’m sitting here thinking it.
John Dunn
What’s the catch, John?”
Jeffrey Griffin
You say everybody gets paid.
John Dunn
Right. How can you do all of these benefits? How can you include vision, and dental, and a gym membership, and my hospital, and prescription drugs—all for zero premium?
Jeffrey Griffin
Right? So, explain that to me.
John Dunn
That’s right. So like in Bob’s case where he has a Medicare supplement, he pays a monthly premium for that Medicare supplement for the 20% that Medicare doesn’t cover. But then Medicare throughout the years, has taken money from all of our paychecks to cover Medicare. When someone chooses to go on a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare assigns those monthly premiums basically to the health plan, to the insurance company to cover your healthcare cost by Medicare.
Jeffrey Griffin
I got it. I thought—you just can’t be in business. You can’t give it away free. All right. Hey, we’ve got another question from Julie. Thanks for being on Triad Today and for holding on. Julie, you’re up with John.
Caller—Julie
Great. Hey, John. Hey, Jeffrey, good to talk to you. Um, can I ask two questions? Is that okay?
Jeffrey Griffin
Sure, go ahead.
Caller—Julie
Okay. One question is, if I do research and I decide even from listening to John and I decide, okay, yes, I wanna be a member of HealthTeam Advantage, do I need to go through an agent, or can I call directly and talk to somebody about options within HealthTeam Advantage?
John Dunn
You can call HealthTeam Advantage directly, talk about options. We have our own employed, licensed agents that talk about our product and explain all the benefits, can look up your prescription drugs, look up your doctors, making sure they’re in network. So, I encourage everyone to speak with an agent, but you can enroll yourself. You can either do that through Medicare.gov or you could go to our website, HealthTeamAdvantage.com or HTANC.com. Either one will take you to the same place, and you are able to enroll yourself right there on the website.
Caller—Julie
Could I speak with an expert at the company in the meantime to do that research?
John Dunn
Yes. They are on the phone seven days a week, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Caller—Julie
Very good. All right, good answer. My second question is, I’m sure I’m not the only senior person who is overwhelmed with all these details and <laugh>. So, I’ve been paying attention to ads—all of — including HealthTeam Advantage, and I was intrigued by the benefit or claim you guys have—that I’ll have a concierge who works for me. So, could you explain the benefits of that, because I would love to call one person and have them, you know, figure out my situation if something comes up.
John Dunn
Yeah. So that is one of the unique features of HealthTeam Advantage, is we have our member services we call “Healthcare Concierge.” So, when you enroll with HealthTeam Advantage, you are assigned a healthcare concierge. We call ’em HCCs for short, but you are assigned that person. You will get their business card, a magnetic business card with their picture, that you can put on the refrigerator with their number so that you’ll have direct access to them. And as I said earlier, Julie, we do not have a phone tree at HealthTeam Advantage. When you dial that number, you get a live person. Now, if your healthcare concierge happens to be helping another member at the time, you will be given the choice to talk to another HCC or, you can wait for your assigned HCC to call you back. You’ll have that option.
Caller—Julie
That sounds great, because I won’t talk about other health insurance companies I’ve had, but you never talk to the same person again, and they’re usually offshore, and there’s a bad connection or a strong accent, and it’s very frustrating. So the notion of a personal concierge, just for me is, is incredibly great and special, it sounds like.
John Dunn
It is, absolutely. And you know, our tagline is local, reliable, accessible. Our HCCs are local people right here in the Triad. You go to the grocery store with them, church with them. They’re people just like you and me.
Caller—Julie
I love that. And I liked what Betty called in about the dental thing. That’s another huge plus, it sounds like, with HealthTeam Advantage. And it sounds like you guys really listen to what members say or we, the public, says and address that.
John Dunn
We do surveys throughout the year with our members to see what they’re looking for. We survey our agents and brokers to see what they’re hearing from the community and what the needs are. And we take that to heart and try to implement that into our health plans each year.
Caller—Julie
And you know what? That’s really special to be a local company that listens to local people.
John Dunn
For us, it makes all the difference. And it’s what our company is based on.
Caller—Julie
Excellent. Well, thank you for your good answers. And I’ll continue to listen. Thank you.
John Dunn
Thank you, Julie.
Jeffrey Griffin
Thank you, Julie. I gotta tag onto Julie’s question there. Say everything’s… I make my choice. I got my, what is it, HCC? And we’re tight, and it’s all good. And then in February, something rolls around that I’m not sure about. Do I still have access to that HCC, or is it just during the enrollment period?
John Dunn
You have access all year long. They’re there at your disposal to help you with your healthcare needs—scheduling appointments, seeing what doctors or specialists are closest to you, to helping travel. So yeah, they’re truly there to work hand-in-hand with you on your health.
Jeffrey Griffin
‘Cause your medical situation can certainly change at any given time, and you want to have somebody stable, so you’re not starting over.
John Dunn
I mean, you even get a bill that doesn’t look right, call that HCC up and say, “Hey, something’s not right.”
Jeffrey Griffin
And do we ever really look at our medical bills?
John Dunn
Probably not, but we should.
Jeffrey Griffin
I’m guilty of…I look for that one little box that says, “You may owe…” <laugh>. And that’s the part I look at, John.
John Dunn
That’s where all of our eyes automatically go to.
Jeffrey Griffin
And you got to do better. You got to do better. All right. So another few questions. I get the feel, John, again, this is all new for me too, that it’s not the same year to year and there are changes. So what’s new for 2023?
John Dunn
That’s right. So plans will change from year to year. We’ve had the last few years where we haven’t seen that much change from one year to the next, but as I’m looking at all of the plans available for the coming year, there are some significant changes coming along. And it’s already been brought up, the dental benefit for HealthTeam Advantage, moving up to $3,750. That’s a huge change. We’ve also lowered our maximum out-of-pocket limits, made them lower for people. Some of our copays we’ve also lowered. So, it’s vital to each year during this time to see what’s available.
Jeffrey Griffin
Okay. So I heard somebody ask the other day or thought about the Inflation Reduction Act, and that’s gonna play a role. And I thought to myself, is it? I think y’all are confused. Was I confused or were they right? Or was it the other way around?
John Dunn
No, there are some, some medical issues built into the Inflation Reduction Act. The big one is insulin.
Jeffrey Griffin
You’re kidding. They were absolutely on it then. All right. Okay.
John Dunn
Believe me, the senior population knows what’s up.
Jeffrey Griffin
They’re paying attention.
John Dunn
Right, paying attention to this. So yes, everyone will see if you’re on an insulin, the diabetics will see a decreased cost in what they’re paying for insulin. So the Inflation Reduction Act says, each health plan can charge no more than a $35 copay for a month’s worth of insulin. So that’s what all health plans here at the last minute are having to move to, to be sure those diabetics are taken care of, that we’re meeting the letter or the law. So, our PPO plans will do that as well. We also have a CSNP plan where we provide insulins for zero copay.
Jeffrey Griffin
Depending on the which plan you choose.
John Dunn
That’s it. That’s exactly right.
Jeffrey Griffin
Because I mean, for a lot of people, that’s a major component of their healthcare plan.
John Dunn
Oh, it has been. And that’s one reason it was put into this Inflation Reduction Act.
Jeffrey Griffin
To try to address that and give some relief where it’s most needed.
John Dunn
That’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
Because if you don’t have it, if you don’t have access to it, you just face all kinds of medical issues, then.
John Dunn
Oh, absolutely.
Jeffrey Griffin
Life and death, I mean, not to be dramatic—it can become a life and death issue.
John Dunn
It can become life and death. I mean, if you can’t afford the insulin and you need that daily—yes, it can play a drastic role in the decline of your health.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. I knew you were coming, so I did a little bit of research too. I found another acronym, and I don’t know what it means. A-N-O-C
John Dunn
ANOC: Annual Notice of Change.
Jeffrey Griffin
Oh my goodness, really? Come on. So, teach me about this one now.
John Dunn
You’ll find more acronyms in Medicare than anything else I’ve ever seen.
Jeffrey Griffin
Annual Notice of Change
John Dunn
Annual Notice of Change. So, anyone who is on a Medicare Advantage plan or Part D drug plan will receive from their insurance carrier this letter, Annual Notice of Change, and it’ll give you two columns: a 2022 column of what your current benefits are and a 2023 column of any changes in those benefits.
Jeffrey Griffin
That’s a smart thing.
John Dunn
Yes. So CMS requires we do that every year.
Jeffrey Griffin
And pay attention when you get it.
John Dunn
Absolutely. And guess what? If you have any questions, what do we do?
Jeffrey Griffin
Call my HCC.
John Dunn
That’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
O-E-P versus S-E-P. This is more of my…I get dangerous when I’m left alone with a computer.
John Dunn
So, we’re into the different enrollment periods—what the “EP” stands for.
Jeffrey Griffin
Enrollment Period, got it.
John Dunn
So, right now we’re in Annual Enrollment Period, A-E-P. After this, we’ll have Open Enrollment Period, O-E-P. It runs from January the first to March 31st. And what that allows you to do is…hey, I found out my plan was changed. Either you initiated it or you didn’t, and I want to change plans again. Or you get your information pack, your welcome kit, from the new plan you signed up for, and it’s something in there that you just don’t like. And I wish I’d kept my old plan. That is a chance that you get to go back. So you get a one…
Jeffrey Griffin
So, you get a second bite at the apple?
John Dunn
Right. A one-time shot to make a change. But that’s only if you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan to go to another Medicare Advantage plan. You can’t go from a MedSup to AMA or from just a standalone Part D plan to a Medicare Advantage. It’s from a Medicare Advantage to a Medicare Advantage, one-time change.
Jeffrey Griffin
And that runs for three months.
John Dunn
That runs for three months.
Jeffrey Griffin
S-E-P
John Dunn
Is a Special Enrollment Period that will cover anything. Okay, I moved to another part of the state. I need a different plan. Or, I move to another state completely—I need a new plan. You’re able to use that S-E-P. For 2022, HealthTeam Advantage has been a five-star plan. There is a five-star S-E-P Special Enrollment Period. All year long, you can move from any plan to a five-star plan. So, you get another enrollment period.
Jeffrey Griffin
So, are these Advantage plans, are they dictated in part by the region in which you live?
John Dunn
They are, and any time you would do a search on your own at Medicare.gov, you would see you have to enter in a ZIP code.
Jeffrey Griffin
And that’s not just busy work. That that is applicable.
John Dunn
That is applicable. That’s right.
Jeffrey Griffin
So where are…the HealthTeam Advantage plans are relevant in what counties? I’m assuming it goes county by county.
John Dunn
It does. So we’re gonna be in 11 counties for 2023. Those are, let’s see if I can rattle all of these off. Good test question though, Jeffrey <laugh>.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. Go for it; I can help.
John Dunn
Guilford, Forsyth,
Jeffrey Griffin
Forsyth and Guilford—those were my first two guesses.
John Dunn
Alamance.
Jeffrey Griffin
Alright.
John Dunn
Randolph. Rockingham. Davidson.
Jeffrey Griffin
And the other “D”.
John Dunn
Davie. And then we’re adding four new counties for 2023.
Jeffrey Griffin
Okay.
John Dunn
Stokes, Yadkin, Caswell, and Montgomery. Those are our 11 counties.
Jeffrey Griffin
Oh my, I have people in Montgomery, as they say. So that’s down home.
John Dunn
Right.
Jeffrey Griffin
These are my people. So 11 counties in the Triad at HealthTeam Advantage, then you offer plans which would be relevant, applicable to residents of those 11 counties?
John Dunn
That’s correct.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. So let’s say, one of the big things, I think with any insurance plan, any age group, is how much do my prescriptions cost?
John Dunn
That’s right. That is why, that’s another reason I say, hey, everyone, please talk to an agent. Let that agent run your prescription drugs. We have tools. We can type it into.
Jeffrey Griffin
So I can tell you, like I’m on Lasix, and you can look it up?
John Dunn
We can tell you what your co-pay will be.
Jeffrey Griffin
Way cool, John.
John Dunn
We can tell you if you’re gonna be predicted to go into that dreaded donut hole or coverage gap.
Jeffrey Griffin
Oh yeah. That’s when you’ve reached your dollar amount, but you still got time and, and product that you need.
John Dunn
That’s right. And you go into what they call a “donut hole” coverage gap. Which is much better now than what it’s been in years past. The costs are way more controlled today than they were a couple years ago.
Jeffrey Griffin
I’m assuming my HCC, my concierge can tell me if my doctor’s in the network.
John Dunn
They’re there to help with all of that. That’s right. That’s what they do. They’re at your disposal.
Jeffrey Griffin
I love Harold, Harold’s my doctor, and I wanna know if Doc, if Harold’s in my plan.
John Dunn
That’s right. Call that HCC up or call one of our agents up, if you’re not on the plan and, and ask them.
Jeffrey Griffin
All right. So really, we talked about all this. The phone number again, (336) 920-3648, the website, HealthTeamAdvantage.com or H-T-A-N-C.com. But the very best next step, John, is what?
John Dunn
Talk to an agent.
Jeffrey Griffin
Talk to an agent.
John Dunn
Yep. They’re going to compare your drug costs. They’re gonna make sure all of your doctors are in hospital or in the network, so that you’re not having a breaking coverage. And they have tools to do that at their fingertips where they just type in your drugs, type in your doctor’s name, and it gives them list. Yes, this is what the copay is, or yes, this doctor is in network, or no, they’re not. I need to say this before we run out of time. For our agent friends who are out there, because they have a new guideline that they have to go by this year that’s put on them by CMS, and that is all agents have to record all calls with prospects. So people who are looking for a new plan or just want to compare plans, agents are required this year to record those calls. So, when they tell you, hey, I’m recording this call…
Jeffrey Griffin
They’re not sneaking.
John Dunn
They’re not sneaking anything in. It’s a new guideline that’s been put on them.
Jeffrey Griffin
Alrighty. John Dunn with HealthTeam Advantage. This is fabulous. Are you gonna come back again?
John Dunn
Absolutely. Next month. We’ll do it again, Jeffrey.
Jeffrey Griffin
If you’ve got a question about HealthTeam Advantage, call John or a member of the team. (336) 920-3648.
