About us – your Idaho Medicare coach

As your Idaho Medicare coach, I help you understand Medicare, the difference between your plan choices and enroll in the plan you choose.

Hi, my name is Chuck Weir.  I have been helping Idaho residents with Medicare since 2012. 

My company is ‘Idaho Medicare Insurance Choices‘. 

This name was chosen to remind residents they have multiple and important choices to make when they initially join Medicare. 

For example, do you realize if you want to use the services of physicians and hospitals outside of Idaho, they may not accept your insurance unless you have the ‘right’ Medicare plan?  The ‘right plan’ will open up these resources to you.  You just have to make the appointment.  You do not need an insurance company’s approval to move forward. 

Did you know an insurance company can deny your application if you wait more than 6-months past your Part B enrollment date to enroll AND you have serious health issues? 

If you are moving to Idaho and have a Medigap plan, did you know you can switch insurance companies and get the same plan without going through underwriting?  You would do this to lower your plan’s monthly premium. 

Also, ‘the right plan’ will limit your ‘out of pocket’ costs for services covered by Medicare to less than $3,000 for the year.   This same plan opens up all physicians and hospitals in the US to you. 

We share the above and more Medicare rules when you work with us.

We help Idaho residents understand Medicare, answer their questions, explain the differences between plan choices and help each person enroll in the plan they choose.

We have chosen to remain licensed with all Idaho Medicare Advantage (except the I-SNP), Medigap (Medicare Supplement) and three of the five insurance companies offering Part D plans to Idaho residents.  Wellcare is no longer using brokers AND we chose to not license with Cigna as their plans in Idaho are rated below 3-stars.  

If the plan you choose does not use brokers, we will guide you to the resource(s) where you can self-enroll.  

Out of pocket costs for Medicare can change annually.

Our service does not stop with initial plan enrollment.  As your Idaho Medicare coach, annual plan reviews are available.

This is an important no cost service. 

Why?  Because Medicare can and does make changes which affect insurance companies bottom line. This means insurance companies can update details of their offerings (change cost sharing figures to you) and, if appropriate, drop plans in certain markets or even exit the Medicare marketplace.  

Plan changes include your out-of-pocket cost for covered services, plan premiums, plan networks (physicians moving in/out of a plan’s network), etc.   The details of non-Medicare covered ‘extras’ (dental, vision, transportation, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.) can change annually too.  Insurance companies make these changes independent of each other.  Their changes are made to simply to improve their plan’s competitiveness or to cut back on certain services to improve their bottom line.   

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) published a report on 9/24/2024 on this subject (available here). I encourage you to review this. 

A broker that specializes in Medicare and is licensed with all plans available to them can help you navigate your way through this maze. 

If you have a Medigap plan, be aware Idaho uses ‘The Birthday Window’ rule. This is a significant change you should be aware of. 

People already enrolled in a Medigap plan can now change insurance companies annually without going through underwriting.  Why would a person do this?  To lower their monthly premium while keeping the same coverage. 

We will help you understand this important change and guide you through the process.

If you have a Medigap plan (or interested in one), you should be aware of this Idaho law change.  

 How your Idaho Medicare coach will work with you

It is not unusual we spend 6 hours in one-on-one work with each person.  This is done over 3 or more sessions.  We cover the basics of Medicare, answer questions and review your options.

Our goal is to be sure you understand Medicare and your optional insurance choices. 

When we are done with the reviews you should be able to make an informed choice between both plan types and individual plans within type.  This means Original Medicare with or without a Medicare Supplement plan (Medigap Plan) or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C).

Once you are a customer, we keep you informed of the changes in Medicare.  We check back with you at least once a year to see if your needs have changed.  If they have, we start the process over again.

How to use this website

This website is available for people who want to learn more on their own about Medicare.   

If you are comfortable with your understanding of Medicare and want help with plan selection/enrollment, call us. 

The website home page (available here) is a quick guide to the topical information available to you.  Just click on any of the icons.  Each contains information of interest to you.  When done reading, simply hit the ‘back’ icon on the browser you are using (upper left-hand corner).  This will return you to the home page so you can move on to your next topic of interest.  Keep in mind, we go over much of this material the first time we meet.

My background

I am a Boise native and attended local schools from grades 1 through 12.  College degrees include a BA and MBA from Boise State University.  

My professional experience includes over 30 years in the software industry with responsibilities ranging from technical work to company management. My wife and I have three sons and nine grandchildren.  I am on Medicare and pay attention to the Idaho Medicare marketplace.

Summary

We look forward to being your trusted adviser for your Idaho Medicare insurance choices and coaching you on Medicare Part A, B, C, D, and Medigap.

Call us when you are ready. We are here to help.