When should I enroll in Medicare if I’m turning 65?

Most people should enroll during their 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, which begins 3 months before their 65th birthday month, includes their birthday month, and ends 3 months after. Missing this enrollment window may result in permanent late enrollment penalties.

Can I delay Medicare if I’m still working after age 65?

Yes. If you have employer-sponsored creditable coverage through an employer with 20 or more employees, you may be able to delay Medicare Part B without penalties. It is important to verify your coverage status with your employer's HR department.

What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?

Medicare Advantage plans combine Medicare benefits into one plan and often include additional benefits. Medigap plans help cover out-of-pocket costs not paid by Original Medicare. The right option depends on your healthcare needs, budget, doctors, and prescription medications.

When can I change my Medicare plan?

You can typically change Medicare plans during the Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 through December 7), the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (January 1 through March 31), or during a qualifying Special Enrollment Period triggered by certain life events.

Is there a penalty for enrolling in Medicare late?

Yes. Delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B or Part D without qualifying coverage can result in lifetime premium penalties. Enrolling on time helps you avoid unnecessary costs and coverage gaps.

Does it cost anything to work with a Medicare advisor?

No. Independent Medicare advisors do not charge clients for their services. Advisors are compensated by insurance carriers when a client enrolls in a plan, and there is no additional cost to the beneficiary.

How do I know if my employer coverage is creditable?

Creditable coverage means your employer health plan is expected to pay at least as much as standard Medicare coverage. Your employer or HR department can provide documentation confirming whether your coverage is creditable.

Can Houston Independent Insurance help me compare Medicare plans?

Yes. Houston Independent Insurance provides independent Medicare plan comparisons, helping Texans evaluate Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), and Prescription Drug Plans based on their healthcare needs, doctors, prescriptions, and budget.

When should I enroll in Medicare if I’m turning 65?

Most people should enroll during their Initial Enrollment Period, which begins three months before the month they turn 65, includes their birthday month, and ends three months after. Missing this enrollment window may result in permanent penalties if you do not have qualifying coverage.

Can I delay Medicare if I’m still working after age 65?

If you have employer-sponsored coverage from a qualifying employer, you may be able to delay Medicare Part B without penalties. Your eligibility depends on factors such as employer size and whether your coverage is considered creditable.

What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?

Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative way to receive Medicare benefits through private insurance companies, while Medigap plans help cover certain out-of-pocket costs associated with Original Medicare. The right choice depends on your healthcare needs, budget, doctors, and prescription medications.

Can I change my Medicare plan after enrolling?

Yes. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to make changes during the Annual Enrollment Period, Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, or a Special Enrollment Period triggered by qualifying life events.

Are there penalties for enrolling in Medicare late?

Yes. Delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B or Part D without qualifying coverage can result in lifetime late enrollment penalties that increase your premiums.

Does it cost anything to work with a Medicare advisor?

No. Independent Medicare advisors are typically compensated by insurance carriers when a client enrolls in a plan, meaning there is generally no additional cost to receive guidance and enrollment assistance.

Can you help me compare Medicare plans from different insurance companies?

Yes. An independent Medicare advisor can compare plans from multiple insurance carriers to help you evaluate benefits, provider networks, prescription coverage, and overall costs.

What information should I have before choosing a Medicare plan?

You should have a list of your doctors, medications, preferred pharmacies, and expected healthcare needs. This information helps ensure the plan you choose aligns with your medical and financial goals.

Can you help if I’m already enrolled in Medicare?

Yes. Medicare advisors can review your current coverage, check provider and prescription compatibility, evaluate costs, and help determine whether a plan change may be beneficial.

Do you provide Medicare assistance throughout Texas?

Yes. Medicare guidance and enrollment assistance are available for individuals throughout Texas, whether they are turning 65, working beyond 65, retiring, or already enrolled in Medicare.

Privacy Policy

Protecting your private information is our priority. This Statement of Privacy applies to https://www.houstohnii.com/ and Houston Independent Insurance and governs data collection and usage. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to Houston Independent Insurance include https://www.houstonii.com/ and HoustonII. The HoustonII website is a business website. By using the HoustonII website, you consent to the data practices described in this statement.

Privacy Compliance Certification

HoustonII holds the America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Certification.

Collection of your Personal Information

HoustonII may collect anonymous demographic information, which is not unique to you, such as your:

Age
Gender
Location
Bank Account Information (when provided for service transactions)

We do not collect any personal information about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us. However, you may be required to provide certain personal information to us when you elect to use certain products or services available on the Site. These may include:

Registering for an account on our Site
Entering a sweepstakes or contest sponsored by us or one of our partners
Signing up forspecial offers from selected third parties
Sending us an email message
Submitting your credit card or other payment information when ordering and purchasing products and services on our Site

We will use your information for, but not limited to, communicating with you in relation to services and/or products you have requested from us. We also may gather additional personal or non-personal information in the future.

Sharing Information with Third Parties

HoustonII may sell, rent, or lease customer information to third parties for marketing and lead generation activities where access to information is required.

HoustonII may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. In those cases, your unique personally identifiable information (email, name, address, telephone number) is transferred to the third party.

HoustonII may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis, send you email or postal mail, provide customer support, or arrange for deliveries. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to HoustonII, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

HoustonII may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

Conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on HoustonII or the site;
Protect and defend the rights or property of HoustonII; and/or
Act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of HoustonII, or the public.

Tracking User Behavior & Automatically Collected Data

HoustonII may keep track of the websites and pages our users visit within HoustonII in order to determine what HoustonII services are the most popular. This data is used to deliver customized content and advertising within HoustonII to customers whosebehavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.

Information about your computer hardware and software may be automatically collected by HoustonII. This information can include:

IP address
Browser type
Domain names
Access times
Referring website addresses

This information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the HoustonII website.

Use of Cookies

The HoustonII website may use “cookies” to help you personalize your online experience. A cookie is a text file that is placed on your hard disk by a web page server. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. Cookies are uniquely assigned to you, and can only be read by a web server in the domain that issued the cookie to you.

One of the primary purposes of cookies is to provide a convenience feature to save you time. The purpose of a cookie is to tell the web server that you have returned to a specific page. For example, if you personalize HoustonII pages, or register with the HoustonII site or services, a cookie helps HoustonII recall your specific information on subsequent visits. This simplifies the process of recording your personal information, such as billing addresses, shipping addresses, and so on.

You have the ability to accept or declinecookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of the HoustonII services or websites you visit.

Links to Third-Party Sites

This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.

Security of your Personal Information

HoustonII secures your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure using standard security protocols, such as:

SSL Protocol: When personal information (such as a credit card number) is transmitted to other websites, it is protected through the use of encryption, such as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

We strive to take appropriate security measures to protect against unauthorized access to or alteration of your personal information. However, no data transmission overthe Internet or any wireless network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, you acknowledge that:

There are security and privacy limitations inherent to the Internet which are beyond our control; and
Security, integrity, and privacy of any and all information and data exchanged between you and us through this Site cannot be guaranteed.

Children Under Thirteen

HoustonII does not knowingly collect personally identifiableinformation from children under the age of thirteen. If you are under the age of thirteen, you must ask your parent or guardian for permission to use this website.

Opt-Out, Unsubscribe, & Email Communications

We respect your privacy and give you an opportunity to opt-out of receiving announcements or marketing communications. Users may opt-out of receiving any or all communications from third-party partners or HoustonII by:

Unsubscribing: Clicking the unsubscribe link within any promotional email.
Email: mike@houstonii.com
Phone: 281-787-7358

External Data Storage & Changes to Policy

We may store your data on servers provided by third-party hosting vendors with whom we have contracted.

HoustonII reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you about significant changes in the way we treat personal information by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account, by placing a prominent notice on our site, and/or by updating any privacy information on this page. Your continued use of the Site and/or Services available through this Site after such modifications will constitute your acknowledgment and agreement to abide by the modified Policy.

Contact Information

HoustonII welcomes your questions or comments regarding this Statement of Privacy. If you believe that HoustonII has not adhered to this Statement,please contact HoustonII at:

Houston Independent Insurance

706 A S Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546

Email: mike@houstonii.com

Phone: 281-787-7358