Hougom Insurance Agency

09/02/2026

Reminder: your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) letter is arriving soon! 📬

Every September, your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends this letter outlining what's changing for next year — premiums, coverage, and network. It's easy to set aside, but it's one of the most important pieces of mail you'll get all year.

When it arrives:
✅ Open it as soon as you get it
✅ Compare it to your current MA or Part D plan
✅ Call us with any questions before Annual Enrollment starts

📞 Got your letter and want to go through it together? Call 608-799-8434 — we're happy to help you make sense of it.

09/01/2026

Did you know your ACA (Marketplace) premium is set by six factors 💡

Age, location, to***co use, plan category, and household size set your base premium price. Income works differently — it determines your subsidy, which is calculated against a benchmark plan in your area, then applied toward whatever plan you actually choose.

That's why keeping your income estimate accurate matters — get it wrong, and it changes what you owe or get back at tax time, even though your premium itself never moved.

📞 Call 608-799-8434 or comment "MARKETPLACE" below and we'll walk you through your numbers.

08/31/2026

Did you know ACA (Marketplace) Open Enrollment actually has two windows? 🗓️

Enroll between Nov 1 – Dec 15, and your coverage starts Jan 1

Wait until Dec 16 – Jan 15, and your start date pushes to Feb 1 instead. Enrolling earlier gets you covered sooner.

📞 Call 608-799-8434 or comment "MARKETPLACE" below and we'll help you get enrolled before the window closes.

08/29/2026

A quick success story from the agency. 💰

We recently helped someone review their Medicare Supplement policy — and found over $150/month in savings they didn’t know they were leaving on the table.

This is exactly why we push reviewing your plan every year, even if you think everything’s fine. You never know what you might be missing until someone actually looks.

Think it might be time for your own review? Send us a message. 📩

08/28/2026

We put together something new: a one-page guide to the Medicare terms and timelines we get asked about most. 📋

ANOC, AEP, OEP, the four parts of Medicare, Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap — all the basics in one place, easy to save or print.

Want a copy? Check the comments below👇

08/27/2026

August 26 - Medicare Minute

What is Medigap? 🤔

It’s supplemental insurance that works alongside Original Medicare to help cover the gaps — deductibles, coinsurance, copays. You pay a monthly premium, but you can generally see any doctor that accepts Medicare, nationwide, no network to worry about.

It’s a different animal than Medicare Advantage, and mixing the two up is one of the most common questions we get.

Not sure which one you have? Ask us below. 💬

08/25/2026

08/25/2026

Big thank you to Eagle Crest Communities in Onalaska for allowing us to serve their residents by providing some Medicare education.

We had a great turnout, and our team walked residents through the real differences between Medicare plans, how billing actually works, what Medicare does and doesn't cover, military and veteran benefits, and some things that could potentially change next year with Medicare.

We heard some great reviews and will be back in the very near future!

Thank you to everyone who came out! If you weren't able to make it and want to know when and where we're hosting the next one, send us a message. 📩

(Our regular Medicare Minute will be back tomorrow!) 👀

08/25/2026

August 24 - Medicare Minute

“If I like my plan, I don’t have to do anything.”🙅‍♂️

We hear this one constantly — and it’s only half true.

Your plan can change its accepted drugs, its network, and its costs for the new year, even if you never touch a thing. The one place that actually tells you what’s different? Your Annual Notice of Change letter. This will arrive in the mail around or before October 1st.

Don’t throw it away! Call us when you get it… we’ll explain what’s changing.

08/21/2026

August 21 - Medicare Minute (mistakes to avoid)

Here’s a mistake we see all the time. 🚩

Someone signs up for a plan, has it for a year, and just assumes their doctor and pharmacy are still in-network. Networks change every single year — even for plans you’ve been happy with.

Before AEP rolls around, double check that your current plan still has everybody you actually use in-network.

📞 Not sure? Give us a call: 608-799-8434