By focusing on empowerment, education, and respect for your needs, we can help you feel confident and capable in making decisions about your health insurance.

Breaking down the barriers.

Our focus is to educate and advise on all your Medicare and Individual / Family health insurance options. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for an immediate solution or if you want to start planning early - before action is needed. Together, we want to create a strategy that makes sense for your situation. We are here to guide you every step of the way.

Heather is appointed with many major health insurance carriers to help you find the right plan for your lifestyle. We offer the same coverage at the same cost. There are never any fees for our services.

Our approach

It’s essential that my clients get personalized options.

A health insurance consultation is a process where you discuss your health insurance needs and options with an expert, such as a broker, agent, or insurance advisor. Here's a general overview of how it typically works:

  1. Preparation:

    • Gather Information: Before the consultation, collect any relevant documents such as your current health insurance policy and details about your health care needs.

    • Define Your Needs: Consider what you need in a health insurance plan—such as coverage for specific treatments, medications, or preferred providers.

  2. Initial Meeting:

    • Introduction: The consultant will introduce themselves and explain the process.

    • Needs Assessment: They will ask questions about your health, lifestyle, and financial situation to understand your specific needs. This may include questions about your family size, any ongoing medical treatments, and your budget for premiums.

  3. Plan Overview:

    • Options Presentation: Heather will present various health insurance plans that match your needs. She will explain the features of each plan, including coverage limits, premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and out-of-pocket costs.

    • Comparison: They will help you compare different plans and highlight the pros and cons of each.

  4. Q&A:

    • Clarifications: You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about the details of each plan, such as network coverage, claims process, and how certain scenarios are handled.

    • Scenario Planning: Heather might help you consider different scenarios, like how a plan would cover a major illness or routine care.

  5. Decision-Making:

    • Recommendations: Based on your discussion, Heather might recommend a plan that best fits your needs.

    • Review: You’ll review the chosen plan's details, including costs and coverage, before making a final decision.

  6. Enrollment:

    • Application: If you decide on a plan, Heather will help you with the application process, ensuring that all required information is completed accurately.

    • Follow-Up: She might provide you with information on how to manage your policy, including how to file claims, access benefits, and contact customer service.

  7. Post-Consultation:

    • Support: Heather will offer ongoing support, answering any future questions you have about your plan or assisting with changes if needed. She is always happy to help!

A health insurance consultation is designed to ensure you understand your options and make an informed decision about your coverage.

What are my options?

What is Medicare?

Medicare is a federal health insurance program in the United States primarily for people aged 65 and older. It also provides coverage for some younger people with disabilities and those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Medicare has different parts that cover various aspects of healthcare:

  • Part A (Hospital Insurance): Covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and some home health care.

  • Part B (Medical Insurance): Covers outpatient services, doctor visits, preventive services, and some home health care.

  • Part C (Medicare Advantage): Offers an alternative way to receive your Medicare benefits through private insurance companies that contract with Medicare. These plans often include additional benefits and coverage beyond what is offered by Parts A and B.

  • Part D (Prescription Drug Coverage): Provides prescription drug coverage through private insurance companies. It helps with the cost of prescription medications.

Medicare is designed to help with healthcare costs, but it doesn’t cover everything. Beneficiaries often have to pay premiums, deductibles, and co-payments.

What is the Affordable Care Act?

What are Ancillary Products?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), a significant piece of healthcare reform legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010. The ACA aimed to expand access to health insurance, improve the quality of care, and reduce healthcare costs.

Wisconsin's approach to Obamacare, formally known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has seen some notable developments over the years. Initially, Wisconsin opted for a mix of decisions regarding ACA implementation:

  1. Medicaid Expansion: Wisconsin took a somewhat unique approach to Medicaid expansion under the ACA. While many states chose to expand Medicaid coverage to a broader income range, Wisconsin opted for a more limited expansion. The state did expand Medicaid to cover people earning up to 100% of the federal poverty level but did not fully adopt the ACA's expansion to cover individuals earning up to 138% of the poverty level. Instead, Wisconsin kept its existing BadgerCare program, which provides health insurance for low-income residents.

  2. Health Insurance Marketplace: Wisconsin used the federal Health Insurance Marketplace (Healthcare.gov) rather than establishing its own state-based exchange. Residents of Wisconsin who need to purchase insurance on the ACA marketplace do so through this federal platform.

  3. State Legislation and Politics: The state's political climate has influenced its approach to the ACA. Over the years, there have been various legislative and administrative attempts to modify or challenge aspects of the ACA, reflecting broader national debates on health care reform.

In health insurance, ancillary products refer to additional insurance or services that complement the primary health insurance coverage. These products provide coverage for areas that are not typically included in standard health insurance plans. Some common examples of ancillary products include:

  1. Dental Insurance: Covers dental care, including routine check-ups, cleanings, and sometimes more extensive procedures.

  2. Vision Insurance: Provides coverage for eye exams, glasses, contact lenses, and sometimes eye surgeries.

  3. Critical Illness Insurance: Offers a lump-sum payment if the insured is diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer, heart attack, or stroke.

  4. Hospital Indemnity Insurance: Offers a daily or lump-sum benefit if the insured is hospitalized, to help cover out-of-pocket expenses.

    These ancillary products are designed to fill gaps in primary health insurance plans and provide additional financial protection and support for various health-related needs.

DISCLAIMERS

Heather Buchko/Amicus, LLC is not connected to the Federal Medicare Program. This is a solicitation for insurance.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, on average we represent 8 organizations that offer 56 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. The number of organizations and plan choices will depend on geographic location.

A licensed agent/producer may contact you. Medicare Supplement insurance is available to those age 65 and older enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and, in some states, to those under age 65 eligible for Medicare due to disability or End-Stage Renal disease. Heather Buchko is a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Advantage HMO, HMO SNP, PPO, PPO SNP and PFFS organizations and stand-alone PDP prescription drug plans. Each of the organizations they represent has a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal. The plans we represent do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. For a complete list of available plans please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov