Kathy Black - The Assurance Group

07/30/2026

I’ve had a sneak peek into what the drug plans are going to look like for next year. Of course I won’t be able to see the full details until October 1 with enrollment starting on October 15. But here’s a few details that I do know. They are merging tier one and tier 2 together which are your common generics. Tier 2 are preferred name brand and tier 3 will be non-preferred name brand. Tier 4 will now be injectables which is something they’ve never done before, tier 5 will be your specialty medication’s and tier 6 are the selected care drugs, which they will say will be zero co-pay and no deductible for. I’m understanding tier 6 to be like common drugs for blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. which were normally in tier one and tier 2. So not quite sure how that’s going to look. They are raising the deductible up to $700 which will be for Tiers 2, 3, 4, 5 and the max out-of-pocket for the year is being raised to $2400.

Medicare has expanded the list by 15 new medication‘s for those that they have gone out and negotiated the price for and also they are now including prescription strength vitamins on tier one such as B12, D2 and folic acid, which were not covered in the past.

It is always recommended that you review the annual notice of change on the plan that you are currently with,and if that plan no longer suits your needs with your medication that you are taking, check out the other plans that are available. All my clients can always count on me contacting them sometime between October 1 and December 7 to review their medication‘s and their plans. 

580-606-2443

04/28/2026

So many of my clients are getting scammed. Two things to remember.
#1 NEVER GIVE YOUR MEDICARE CARD TO SOMEONE WHO CALLS YOU. I don't care if they claim to be the doctor office. Never give that number over the phone to an inbound call. They are sales people trying to switch your Medicare and it will mess you up. If there is something better for you, I will tell you about it.
#2 NO LEGITIMATE BILL WILL COME VIA EMAIL
Regardless of who it comes from, no real legitimate bill will come to your email. All billing will come through the mail via the post office.

Protect your Medicare number and banking information by remembering these two things.

Send a message to learn more

02/25/2026

📋 Save this. Part A and Part B are not two halves of the same coverage. They cover different things, charge differently, and have different cost structures.

Part A covers inpatient care. Hospitals, skilled nursing, hospice. Most people pay $0 in premiums because they paid Medicare taxes for 40+ quarters during their working years. But the deductible is $1,736 per benefit period, and a benefit period resets 60 days after you leave the hospital. That means you can be charged the deductible more than once in the same year.

Part B covers outpatient care. Doctor visits, lab work, outpatient surgery, preventive screenings, durable medical equipment. Everyone pays the $202.90/month premium. If your income is above $109,000 single or $218,000 married filing jointly, IRMAA surcharges push that premium higher.

The detail most people miss: Part B has no annual out-of-pocket maximum. After your $283 deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount with no cap. An outpatient knee replacement billed at $50,000 means $10,000 out of pocket. That is why Medigap plans (especially Plan G) are so common among people on Original Medicare.

Neither part covers prescription drugs. That is Part D, a separate plan with a separate premium.

Part A and Part B together are called Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative that bundles A, B, and usually D through a private insurer, often with an out-of-pocket cap that Original Medicare does not have.

02/17/2026

Your Medicare premium is based on tax return from two years prior. This example shows spreading out income to prevent the higher Medicare premiums.

Double these Part B income ranges for couples filing jointly.

02/17/2026

Need to manage income and IRA? Contact me.

Kathy

12/19/2025

11/19/2025

If you receive this letter it is not from Humana but a scam. First we agents don’t collect money with applications. Second supplements are paid through billing or bank draft not coupon books. I have brought this to Humana’s attention and I hope they find the scammers.

02/27/2025

End of March ends the Medicare period called OEP - Open Election Period. Very few things you can do during Jan 1 - March 31. You can change your Advantage plan, drop Advantage and return to Original Medicare, if you never enrolled in Medicare you can sign up for a June 1 start.

You cannot change your drug plan or enroll in a drug plan unless you qualify for another election period.

Call if you have questions. 580-722-1521

09/05/2024

This COLD CALLING to Medicare recipients has GOT TO STOP!!!
Continually I’m dealing with someone that says “medicare called me.”

This is a disservice to the American people and should be handled more aggressively with disciplinary actions. Better yet, STOP permitting the call centers to randomly call.

PLEASE NOTE: Neither Medicare or Social Security will EVER call you, at random. They mail letters asking you to call them, or specify a time when they will call as detailed in the letter. And NEVER give your Medicare card number to someone who called you. You never know who you are talking to. Ever! (unless it is me asking)

08/26/2024

It is almost time for the Annual Election Period (AEP). The Scope of Appointment form (SOP) needs to be completed 48 hours prior to our meeting. If you are a client of mine, you have received a text or email requesting you to complete this form. It is only for my records, and as the name suggests, it indicates to me the topics you wish to discuss. I can only discuss the items you indicate, so please be complete in marking this form. It comes back to me and per Medicare rules, I am required to keep this form for 10 years. AEP allows me to discuss the upcoming changes and plans as of October 1, and enrollments begin October 15 until midnight on December 7.
Second, all sales telephone calls are to be recorded. Again, these are for my records only, or if I am audited by Medicare. And these recordings are also kept for 10 years.
Upcoming changes to be aware of. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act, as of 2025 no one will spend more than $2000 out of pocket during the year for their medications. Some medications were listed to allow for Medicare to negotiate their costs. Also insulin and some other medications were move to a new Tier 6, where they are not subject to the standard deductible, and the co-share cost does not increase when in the coverage gap.

Big changes to the Prescription Drug plans in addition to the $2000 max out of pocket, you can now spread out your deductible and other co-payments throughout the year. Even if you do not elect this for January, you can still turn it on anytime during the year.

Also many changes will be coming to the Advantage plans. Be sure to take my calls and complete your Scope of Appointment form so we can get you the best coverage.

Call now to connect with business.