Author Archive: Devron

Angel Boswell

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Office Manager

Angel has the friendly customer service voice who will greet you, schedule appointments, and answers your questions. As Office Manager, Angel also completes a multitude of tasks to keep the team on track. She is a native of Payson and worked in retail and customer service prior to working at a local law firm for 8 years. Angel joined Schwartz Insurance as an assistant in 2013, and is licensed in Illinois and Missouri. She enjoys helping clients with cancer, dental, and short term medical insurance, along with her administrative duties. Angel lives in rural Palmyra with her husband, Goef, and has two children.

Gail Murry

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Agent/Counselor

Gail Murry joined the firm in July 2022 following a 28-year career as a certified Senior Health Insurance Program counselor at the Quincy Sr. Center.

Gail is licensed in IL and MO for Health and Life Insurance and is excited to assist clients through the maze of Insurance in a new setting. She enthusiastically helps clients understand insurance benefits and guides them to the most cost-effective solutions.

Outside of work, Gail enjoys spending time with her husband Herb and family. She loves attending her grandchildren’s activities – sports, music, and school programs – when she is not camping with her husband.

Casey Rubottom

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Agent/Counselor

Quincy native Casey Rubottom has 20 years’ insurance experience in the Kansas City and St. Louis Area. A graduate of Culver-Stockton College, he entered the business assisting large companies designing employee benefits packages. After eight years, he transitioned to sales of medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance employer groups. In 2021, Casey moved to the individual market with an independent agency in Kansas. Casey worked all lines of Medicare, life, disability, vision, dental, and individual medical in Kansas, Illinois, and Missouri. He is excited to move back to Quincy and continue his career working where he calls home.

Casey enjoys spending time with his family, catching Cardinals baseball games, and attending almost any type of concert.

Stan Schwartz

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Agent/Owner

Stan is a rural Adams County native with a farming and real estate sales background. He entered the insurance business in 1982, spending nine years in multi-line insurance sales to businesses in western Illinois. In 1993, he began selling Long Term Care Insurance as a result of becoming Power of Attorney for two aunts and began selling Medicare Supplements shortly thereafter. Stan opened his own agency in 1995 after seeing the need for a full-time Medicare and long term care specialist in the community. He began working with the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans at the introduction of the program in mid-2005. With a shifting and improving market Stan and his team began offering Medicare Advantage plans as a viable option for the Medicare eligible at the end of 2022. As an independent, experienced agent, he can help you “make the complicated simple.”

Stan and his wife Kathy have 3 children and 10 grandchildren. They enjoy visiting their distant homes in Indiana, Utah, and Guatemala. They are members of St. Peter’s church and are active in Quincy Cursillo.

Stan enjoys shooting trap, skeet, and sporting clays.

Medicare Supplements

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We Make Them Simple…

Medicare Supplements provide payment of the coinsurance and deductibles for health services approved but not paid by Medicare.

When should I sign up for Medicare? 

We recommend signing up for Part A (Hospital) 2-3 months prior to your eligibility, usually the first of the month in which you turn 65.  If you are drawing Social Security or on Disability you will be automatically enrolled.  Enrollment in Part B (Medical) depends upon your current insurance situation and employment.  Call our office for counsel. 

Can I see any Dr. I choose?

Medicare Supplements are accepted nationwide, no networks, no referrals.     

Are all Medicare Supplement Plans the same, regardless of the company?

Yes, if you are comparing the same Plans, i.e., Plan G to Plan G, N to N, etc. Medicare Supplement companies have an excellent record of making payments. MEDICARE determines the eligibility; and companies are mandated to pay as a SUPPLEMENT to what Medicare approves.

My Medicare Supplement Premium increased. Can I change companies? 

You can change your Medicare Supplement at any time of the year. If you are not in an Open Enrollment or Guaranteed Issue circumstance, you may be subject to health questions. Call our office for clarification.

If all Medicare Supplement plans are the same, why is there a difference in the premiums?

Companies are competitive on a cyclical basis. The reasons are complex. Factors include corporate and marketing decisions, management efficiency, and simply “luck of the draw.” We monitor the marketplace constantly.

Medicare Part D

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Prescription Drug Plans

Medicare Part D counseling and enrollment are available in our office as a value-added service.  We access all available plans in your zip code.

Is enrolling in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan Mandatory?

The short answer is “NO.”  However, over 85% of enrollees are satisfied with their drug plan, 91% say their plan is convenient, and 81% think it “is a good value,” according to a 2018 survey by the “Medicare Today” organization.  There is a penalty if you delay enrollment, however.

Can I change my drug plan anytime?

You have an initial enrollment period when you first go on Medicare. There are other Special Enrollment Periods, such as when you leave an employer’s insurance plan, move, or other special circumstances.   If you do not qualify for a special enrollment period, you can change plans during the Annual Election Period, October 15-December 7, for the beginning of the following year. 

Schwartz Insurances Services offers the FULL SELECTION of available drug plans through the Medicare.gov website.

We have worked with the Drug Plans since the inception of the Federal program in 2006.  

We educate and encourage our clients to understand the system.  

Medicare Advantage (Part C)

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Disclaimer per Centers for Medicare & Medicaid regulations:

“We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.”

Medicare Advantage Plans are replacements of Original Medicare and are NOT Medicare Supplements. 

Prior to 2021, we suggested Medicare Advantage Plans on a limited basis.  With marketplace changes, plan improvements, and additional benefits, we began offering them for the 2023 plan year as a cost-effective, viable alternative to Original Medicare + Medicare Supplement + Prescription Drug Plan.  Our clients have embraced them.  We fully explain both options, answer your questions, and assist you in enrolling in what you believe best suits your needs.

 

When should I sign up for Medicare? 

We recommend signing up for Part A (Hospital) 2-3 months prior to your eligibility, usually the first of the month in which you turn 65.  If you are drawing Social Security or on Disability you will be automatically enrolled.  Enrollment in Part B (Medical) depends upon your current insurance situation and employment.  You MUST enroll in Medicare Parts A & B and pay the Medicare Part B premium to be eligible for a Medicare Advantage Plan.  Call our office for counsel. 

Can I see any Dr. I choose?

Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks. These networks, especially the Preferred Provider Networks, have expanded rapidly in the last few years. Call our office for counsel.

I do not understand how my Medicare Advantage Plan works. Can you help me?

Yes. Call our office for counsel and we will explain your benefits!

Are all Medicare Advantage Plans the same?

No. Plans differ by company, plan, and region. We offer a multitude of plans and work with you, so you make the best choice.

Will my drug coverage be the same as in a separate “stand alone” Part D Plan?

Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPD) include drug coverage. As with “Stand-Alone” Prescription Drug Plans, we use comparison tools to search for the most cost- effective choices.

What are the “extra benefits” of a Medicare Advantage Plan?

Most plans offer Dental, Vision, and Hearing benefits as a part of their plan. Call our office for guidance.

Long Term Care

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Long Term Care Insurance / Combination Insurance provides cash benefits to pay the cost of Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facilities, or Nursing Homes. 

Doesn’t Medicare pay for Nursing home Care?

It can, but often does not. Medicare has stringent guidelines to qualify. Many assume a benefit that doesn’t exist under Medicare provisions.

Who needs Long Term Care insurance?

Those with a nest egg.  We offer a confidential questionnaire which examines health, family, finances, and risk tolerance. YOU decide if insurance can help you preserve your assets, your choices, your dignity.

What is “Short Term Care Insurance?”

It pays just like long term care for the same conditions, with one difference; it can only pay benefits for 364 days or less.  Hence, it is less expensive to buy and easier to purchase.  It’s a practical option, as about half of all nursing home stays are less than one year.

What is a combination/hybrid policy?

These plans provide a lump sum or monthly income if you need cash for Long Term Care. They also provide cash when needed for your family if you die prematurely.  These plans have been exploding in growth, as they guarantee all benefits WILL be paid, whether you live too long, or die too soon. Stan provides personal counsel.  We collaborate with you (and your estate planning attorney if desired) to meet family, financial, and legacy objectives.  217-228-1622

Life Insurance

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Cash when needed most

The insurer agrees to pay a sum of money to your beneficiaries when you die.  Income replacement, mortgage payment, generational wealth transfer, and final expenses are some of the more common needs for cash at the time of death. 

Who needs life insurance, and what is best for me?

At Schwartz Insurance Agency, LLC we listen carefully to your concern about family and finances.   We offer the following life insurance types, as a solution to your need or desire:

  • Term (from 5 to 30 years)
  • Guaranteed Universal Life
  • Final Expense
  • Whole Life
  • Indexed Universal Life
  • Single Premium
  • Combination/Hybrid (with living benefit, such as Long-Term Care, cancer, and critical Illness protection

Other types, as the industry evolves.

Stan provides personal counsel.  We collaborate with you (and your estate planning attorney if desired) to meet family, financial, and legacy objectives. 

Dental, Vision, and Hearing Insurance

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Dental insurance plans reduce the cost of dental care. Plans pay a portion of your preventive, basic, and major treatments. MOST plans cover 100% of the cost for annual checkups, bitewing x-rays, and routine cleanings. 

Vision and Hearing insurance can help pay for exams, eyewear, and hearing aids. We offer plans from major insurers. Quotes are available by phone.