Being part of the conversation
You're welcome to join our conversations, by phone, video, or in person. I just need your parent's permission first.
- Your parent stays in charge. They decide what to discuss and which plan, if any, to choose.
- We can do three-way calls, so you can join from anywhere.
- We can go slowly, take breaks, and repeat anything that's unclear.
If you'd like to talk with Medicare about your parent's coverage, your parent can give Medicare permission. They can do this on a call to 1-800-MEDICARE, or by filling out Medicare's form called Authorization to Disclose Personal Health Information. Insurance companies have their own forms for this too.
What to gather before we talk
- A list of your parent's doctors and specialists, and the hospitals they prefer
- Their prescriptions, with the dose and how often they take each one. Bringing the bottles works too.
- The pharmacy they use
- Their current insurance cards, such as a Medicare Advantage, Supplement, or Part D card
- Any letters from their current plan, especially the yearly notice of changes that arrives each fall
Keep your parent's red, white, and blue Medicare card in a safe place. We don't need the Medicare number until your parent decides to enroll.
Power of attorney and authorized representatives
This is general information, not legal advice.
If your parent can't make decisions on their own, someone may need legal authority to act for them. This is usually done with a power of attorney, or through a court-appointed guardian.
- A financial power of attorney can let someone handle money and paperwork.
- A health care power of attorney, part of the Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, can let someone make health care decisions.
- Medicare and insurance companies may let an authorized representative enroll a person in a plan, if that person has legal authority under Georgia law. They usually ask for proof.
Every family is different. For advice about your parent's situation, please talk with an attorney.
Protect your parent from scams
Medicare scams often start with a phone call, a text, or a knock on the door.
Medicare will never call to ask for your Medicare number or other personal information, unless you called them first and asked them to call back.
- Don't give a Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank information to anyone who calls, texts, or visits without being asked.
- Be careful with offers of "free" medical equipment, genetic tests, or gifts in exchange for a Medicare number.
- If something feels wrong, hang up. Then call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself to check or report it.
- Review your parent's Medicare Summary Notices and plan statements for services they didn't get.
I'll never ask for your parent's Medicare number before they decide to enroll. And I'll always tell you who I am and why I'm calling.
How I work with families
- I talk with your parent directly and make sure they understand each option.
- With their permission, I include you in calls, meetings, and follow-ups.
- Before we discuss specific Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, Medicare rules require a short Scope of Appointment (in writing, or recorded on a call). Your parent, or their authorized representative, agrees to the topics we'll cover. Calls and video meetings about Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are recorded, as Medicare requires.
- After enrollment, I'm still here. I can help with questions and review the plan each fall.
GeorgiaCares, Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling at 1-866-552-4464 (option 4).