About AMW Insurance Agency
Founded in 2019 by Austin Wingate, our agency is dedicated to providing personalized insurance solutions tailored to your unique needs. With a focus on independence and family values, we're here to guide you through the complexities of insurance with expertise and care.
How We Started
Established in 2019 by Austin Wingate, AMW Insurance Agency is headquartered in Norfolk, Nebraska. Austin has been a licensed agent since 2018, and has a family background steeped in insurance, Austin brings a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to the agency.
Why Us?
As an independent agency
AMW has the freedom to collaborate with numerous highly rated insurance companies. This allows us to diligently compare plans from various providers, ensuring our clients receive the best-suited insurance products tailored to their unique needs. Our commitment to this approach has enabled us to assist clients in saving substantial amounts, sometimes even thousands of dollars annually, on their Medicare plans.
Other Services
Although we specialize in the Medicare market, AMW Insurance offers a full portfolio of insurance products, ensuring we are able to fit each and every one of our clients needs. These products include:
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Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
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Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C)
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Prescription Drug Plans (Medicare Part D)
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Dental, Vision, & Hearing Insurance
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Cancer Insurance
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Hospital Indemnity Insurance
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Life and Final Expense Insurance
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Annuities
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Long and Short Term Care Insurance
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Critical Illness Insurance
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Under 65 Health Insurance (ACA plans)
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Short Term Major Medical Plans
FAQs About Medicare
Medicare Questions Answered
Find answers to common questions about Medicare and our insurance services.
Medicare is a federal government health insurance program, started in 1966, for:
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People who are 65 or older
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Certain people under 65 with certain disabilities
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People with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, known as ESRD)
There are four parts to Medicare: A, B, C, and D:
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Original Medicare includes Medicare Parts A & B
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If you want drug coverage, you can join a separate Medicare Part D Plan
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To help pay your out-of-pocket costs in Original Medicare (such as your 20% coinsurance), you can shop for an purchase a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plan. For more information click here
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Also known as Medigap policies, Medicare Supplements are insurance policies sold by private health insurance companies that help supplement Original Medicare. Meaning they help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover - copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
If you have a health care expense, Original Medicare (Parts A & B) will pay its share of the Medicare-approved amounts for covered health care costs first. Then your Medigap policy pays its share. There is a premium associated with purchasing a Medigap policy. Medicare does not pay any of your cost for a Medigap policy.
To purchase a Medigap policy you must have Medicare Parts A & B. The best time to get on a Medicare Supplement is when you are Turning 65. Under federal law you have a 6 month open enrollment period that begins the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Part B. Your acceptance during this period is guaranteed, and you will not have to answer underwriting questions. You are able to change Medicare Supplement policies at any time, however, if you are outside of your open enrollment period, you will have to pass the underwriting process
Medicare Supplements are standardized plans, so it makes sense to shop around and compare different companies. The coverage is the same, but the price is not! A Medicare Supplement Plan G with company ABC has the exact same coverage with company XYZ, so why pay more?
Medicare Advantage plans, also known as Medicare Part C, are an all inclusive alternative to Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A & B). Under a Medicare Advantage plan, you receive your Medicare Parts A & B benefits directly from a private health insurance company that has been approved by Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage plans also include Medicare Part D Prescription Drug coverage. You cannot have both a Medicare Advantage plan and a stand alone Part D plan, with the exception of a few situations
By law, all Medicare Advantage plans must have, at a minimum, coverage that is equal to Original Medicare. Most also include added ancillary benefits that Original Medicare does not cover, such as Dental, Vision, and Hearing coverage.
You must have both Medicare Part A & B to enroll into a Medicare Advantage plan. Typically, you can only enroll in or make changes to a Medicare Advantage plan during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is every year, starting on October 15th, and ending December 7th. Any changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period will go into effect January 1st of the following year.
There are some exceptions to to the enrolment window for Medicare Advantage plans, including but not limited to:
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Turning 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B
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Over 65 but Medicare Part B is just becoming effective.
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Special Election Periods such as moving, loosing an employer health plan, or your plan no longer being available.
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Also known as Prescription Drug Plans, Medicare Part D helps cover the cost of your prescription drugs.
If you are enrolled or plan to enroll into a Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C) you cannot enroll into a Prescription Drug Plan. Part D coverage is included in most Medicare Advantage plans.
You must have either Medicare Part A or B to enroll into a Prescription Drug Plan.
Typically, you can only enroll in or make changes to a Prescription Drug Plan plan during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP). The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is every year, starting on October 15th, and ending December 7th. Any changes made during the Annual Enrollment Period will go into effect January 1st of the following year.
There are some exceptions to to the enrolment window for Prescription Drug plans, including but not limited to:
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Turning 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B
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Over 65 but Medicare Part B is just becoming effective.
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Special Election Periods such as moving, loosing an employer health plan, or your plan no longer being available.
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The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, or AEP for short, is a window of time every year - from October 15th to December 7th, where Medicare beneficiaries can make changes to their Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans. Any plan changes made during AEP will go into effect on January 1 of the following year.
During AEP, Medicare beneficiaries can do the following:
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Switch to a new Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plan.
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Switch from a Medicare Supplement and Prescription Drug plan into a Medicare Advantage plan.
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Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan back to Original Medicare and a stand alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan. You can also sign up for a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan during this time, but note that you must be able to pass medical underwriting unless you have a guaranteed issue situation.
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Switch to a new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan
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Yes, there are two late enrollment penalties to be aware of when it comes to Medicare. They are the Medicare Part B, and Medicare Part D late enrollment penalties. Here is how they both work:
Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty: If you do not sign up for Medicare Part B when you are first eligible, your monthly premium will go up 10% for each 12 month period where you could have had Medicare Part B, but did not. In most cases, the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty is waived if you have a Special Enrollment Period that allows you to sign up for Part B at a later date - such as continuing to work and staying on your employer group health plan.
Medicare Part D Late Enrollment Penalty: If you go 63 days without creditable prescription drug coverage, the Medicare Part D late enrollment penalty will be added to your monthly premium. Medicare calculates the cost of the penalty by taking 1% of the national Medicare Part D average premium ($32.74 in 2020), and multiplying that by the number of months you did not have creditable drug coverage. Creditable drug coverage includes the following: Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan, Medicare Advantage plan, and in some cases coverage under an employer group health plan.