Expert Tips for Navigating Your Healthcare Choices | Dan Pascone with Michele Campbell | Podcast #4

Posted on May 9, 2025 by Dan Pascone

Answer Box: TL;DR

Medicare is confusing, time-sensitive, and more expensive for high earners than most people realize. In this episode, Dan and Medicare broker Michele Campbell unpack how her firm, MC Insurance Services, helps people turning 65—or retiring later—to understand the ABCs of Medicare, avoid costly mistakes with Part B and IRMAA surcharges, and choose plans that align with their doctors, medications, and budget. They cover when to start planning (typically 6–3 months before a change), how her popular “Medicare 101” sessions work, why retiree health plans aren’t always the best deal, and how she partners with employers, HR, and other advisors to make the healthcare side of retirement less stressful and more predictable.

Key Takeaways

Who Michele serves: Michele runs an independent Medicare-focused agency and primarily helps:
- People turning 65 from individual or ACA plans
- People retiring later off employer coverage
- Those losing coverage suddenly (layoffs, COBRA decisions)
- People with retiree plans who want to compare costs and coverage
Education-first approach: Her process starts with “Medicare 101” education—webinars, group sessions, or 1:1 Zoom—to demystify Parts A, B, C, and D and explain how government coverage and private plans fit together.
Visual, repeatable education: Because she was repeating the same explanations, Michele recorded a Medicare 101 video that lives on her homepage and uses simple graphics to explain concepts that feel like “a foreign language” for first-timers.
When to start planning: Her ideal window is 6–3 months before:
- Turning 65, if you’ll enroll in Medicare then; or
- Your planned retirement date if you’re staying on employer coverage past 65.
That gives time to understand options, enroll correctly, and avoid penalties and gaps.
Medicare structure in plain English:
- Part A (hospital) is typically premium-free if you have enough work credits.
- Part B (outpatient/doctor) always has a monthly premium.
- Parts C & D (Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans) are offered by private insurance companies, not directly by the government.
IRMAA & high-income retirees: A big pain point for her Silicon Valley clients is IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), which can push Part B premiums from the “standard” rate up to $500–$600/month (or more) for high earners. Many are shocked because they didn’t know about the two-year tax return lookback.
Appealing IRMAA: Michele spends a lot of time helping clients understand when and how to appeal IRMAA—for example, after retirement or other qualifying life events—and has saved clients thousands of dollars by doing so.
Medicare as part of a retirement plan: She and Dan emphasize that healthcare costs are a core pillar of a retirement plan. Ignoring Part B, Part D, and IRMAA can blow up an otherwise solid financial plan.
Independent & carrier-agnostic: As an independent broker, Michele represents multiple carriers and focuses on:
- Making sure people can keep their doctors where possible
- Checking their prescriptions against plan formularies
- Matching plans to budget and health needs, not to a single company
Main client acquisition channel: referrals. After 18+ years, the majority of her business comes from:
- Doctor’s offices and medical groups
- Insurance carriers who need a trusted local Medicare expert
- Existing clients referring friends and family
- Community organizations that know her personally
Key referral partners: She collaborates heavily with:
- Property & casualty agents (home/auto) and group benefits brokers
- HR professionals and benefits teams who hand out her info to employees approaching 65
- Financial planners who want a Medicare expert on their client’s team
Corporate education strategy: For employer groups, Michele often runs Medicare 101 sessions for employees turning 65+, helping HR answer recurring questions and giving workers a clear roadmap for the transition.
Industry constraints: Marketing in the Medicare space is heavily regulated, so many brokers work from home and rely on relationships and education rather than splashy advertising.
Mindset & resilience: In the personal segment, Michele shares that some of her most difficult experiences and perceived “failures” ultimately became the foundation for her passion, independence, and success as a Medicare entrepreneur.
Lightning round themes: In a rapid-fire close, she answers questions about:
- Her preferences (coffee vs. tea, cats vs. dogs)
- Her most important non-phone tech/tool
- A favorite quote about money or success
- A go-to finance/business book
- Her productivity hacks (including how she manages email)
- A bucket-list item she’s already completed
- A financial milestone she’s still working toward
- A money mistake that turned into a valuable lesson
- One piece of financial advice for her younger self
How to connect: Michele invites listeners to reach out through MC Insurance Services to attend a Medicare 101 session or get one-on-one guidance; Dan notes that her contact info is in the show notes.

Key Moments

00:02 – Sponsor & opening. The show is introduced as being brought to you by Tailored Wealth, helping business leaders live their version of a rich life.
00:25 – Dan sets the stage. Dan welcomes listeners and reiterates the podcast’s mission: help people take control of finances, minimize uncertainty, and maximize wealth potential.
00:47 – Meet Michele. Dan introduces Michele Campbell, founder and broker at MC Insurance Services, and notes that she specializes in Medicare.
01:26 – Michele’s background. Michele explains that her agency focuses on people turning 65 or retiring who need to move onto Medicare. She describes Medicare as “like a foreign language” for most first-timers.
01:49 – Role of her agency. She sees her role as educating people on the ABCs of Medicare and then helping them choose plans that let them keep their doctors, meet their medical needs, and fit their budget.
02:09–02:34 – From HR & business owner to broker. Michele shares her background in HR and employee benefits, plus owning a business in Silicon Valley, where she bought insurance for many employees. Getting her health license in 2006 was a natural segue into becoming an independent agent.
02:34–02:56 – Finding a passion in Medicare. She’s been in the Medicare space for about 18 years, loves the work, and describes it as a genuine passion. Her business is successful and continuing to grow.
03:14–04:03 – Ideal clients & timing. Ideal clients are people:
- On individual health plans turning 65 (reach out 6–3 months prior)
- Still working but nearing retirement (again, 6–3 months before)
- Facing sudden coverage changes, like layoffs or COBRA decisions
She notes that even those with retiree plans should educate themselves to see if Medicare might be cheaper or better.
04:44–05:25 – What is “Medicare 101”? Michele describes her Medicare 101 sessions: ideally large webinars, but often 1:1 Zoom calls. She even has a recorded version on her website because she was “feeling like a broken record.”
05:25–05:49 – Visual learning & feedback. She emphasizes using graphics and visuals to explain Parts A, B, C, and D. Participants—sometimes 300+ at a time—often tell her they’ve never seen Medicare laid out so clearly.
06:30–07:26 – Top challenge #1: understanding Part B, C & D. Michele explains that:
- Part A is free for most people.
- Part B has a premium and is where high-income surcharges come in.
- Parts C & D are delivered via private insurance companies, which confuses many people who think everything is “from Medicare.”
07:26–07:55 – Top challenge #2: IRMAA for high earners. She introduces IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount), noting that many high-income retirees in Silicon Valley are stunned when their Part B jumps from the standard rate to $500–$600/month.
07:55–08:17 – Planning & appeals. Michele explains the two-year income lookback, why it matters for retirement planning, and how she helps clients appeal IRMAA when eligible, often saving them large sums.
08:17–08:44 – Medicare as part of the financial plan. Dan underscores that Medicare is a critical, often overlooked component of retirement planning, and that their firm incorporates these costs into custom financial plans.
08:44–09:21 – How clients find Michele. She notes that there are far fewer Medicare specialists than home/auto agents and that compliance rules make marketing trickier. Many agents work from home; she has an office, but most of her growth comes via referrals.
09:21–09:40 – Referral sources. Today her main sources are referrals from doctors’ offices, medical groups, insurance carriers, and community contacts who know and trust her.
10:08–10:35 – Professional referral partners. Michele works closely with property & casualty brokers and group/commercial benefits brokers who send their Medicare clients her way.
10:35–11:02 – HR as a “missing link.” She also partners directly with HR departments at companies. HR teams hand out her information to employees turning 65 so they can educate themselves on Medicare.
11:02–11:25 – Corporate Medicare 101 sessions. Dan and Michele discuss her offering of Medicare 101 sessions for entire firms or just the 65+ population, leveraging her HR background and geography.
11:25–11:42 – Industry outlook (briefly touched). Dan asks where she sees the industry going over the next 5–10 years; Michele shares her perspective, though the transcript snippet doesn’t detail her full answer.
11:42–12:20 – Challenge & resilience. In a personal turn, Dan asks Michele to share a life or business challenge; she describes a difficult period that ultimately set up her current success. Dan notes how often “failures” become the seeds of later breakthroughs.
12:20–13:18 – Lightning round begins. Dan introduces the lightning round—unscripted, first-thought answers. Michele responds to questions about coffee vs. tea, cats vs. dogs, her must-have tech, a favorite money/success quote, a go-to business/finance book, productivity hacks (including how she manages email), a bucket-list item achieved, a financial milestone still ahead, a money mistake turned lesson, and advice to her younger self.
14:31–14:59 – How to reach Michele & close. Dan asks how listeners can connect, attend a Medicare 101, or partner with her. Michele shares that her contact details are available through MC Insurance Services, and Dan notes they’ll be in the show notes. He thanks her for the conversation and signs off, encouraging listeners to keep building wealth and enjoying life.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Making Sense of Your Money, Dan talks with Michele Campbell, founder and broker at MC Insurance Services, about one of the least understood but most important parts of retirement: Medicare.

Michele starts by sharing her background. She spent years in HR and employee benefits and also ran her own business in Silicon Valley, where she experienced the insurance world from the employer’s side. In 2006 she obtained her health license and eventually gravitated to the Medicare space. Eighteen years later, she still loves it. Her independent agency focuses on helping people transition onto Medicare, whether they’re turning 65, retiring later, or unexpectedly losing employer coverage.

For most people, Michele explains, Medicare feels like “a foreign language.” They’re suddenly confronted with Part A, B, C, D, plus unfamiliar ideas like Medicare Advantage, supplements/Medigap, and drug formularies. Her firm’s first mission is education. She runs “Medicare 101” sessions—sometimes for large medical groups with 300+ attendees, sometimes one-on-one over Zoom—where she uses simple visuals to break down the alphabet soup into plain English.

She recommends that people start learning about Medicare about 6–3 months before they’ll need it—either 6–3 months before turning 65 (if they’ll enroll then) or 6–3 months before leaving employer coverage if they’re working past 65. That window gives them time to understand how Medicare works, avoid late-enrollment penalties, compare their employer or retiree plan to Medicare alternatives, and make sure there are no gaps in coverage.

Michele walks through the basic structure of Medicare: Part A (hospital) is typically premium-free for those with enough work credits; Part B (medical/outpatient) always carries a monthly premium; and Parts C and D (Medicare Advantage and standalone prescription plans) are offered by private insurance companies. That public/private mix is where many clients get confused.

One of the biggest pain points, especially in her Silicon Valley market, is IRMAA—the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount that increases Part B (and sometimes Part D) premiums for high-income beneficiaries. Many clients assume they’ll pay the “standard” Part B premium, only to be blindsided when their monthly cost jumps into the $500–$600+ range because of their income two years prior.

This is where Michele’s expertise can literally save clients thousands. She explains the two-year tax return lookback that Social Security uses to determine IRMAA and how certain life events—like retirement, marriage, divorce, or income reductions—can justify an IRMAA appeal. Michele guides clients through when and how to appeal, often successfully lowering their premiums. Dan connects this back to comprehensive financial planning: if you don’t model Medicare and IRMAA correctly, your retirement cash-flow projections can be way off.

As an independent broker, Michele isn’t tied to any single insurance carrier. Her job is to help clients balance three main goals: keeping their preferred doctors where possible, making sure their prescriptions are covered affordably, and matching plans to both current and expected health needs within their budget. For some, that means a Medicare supplement with a standalone drug plan; for others, a Medicare Advantage plan may be more appropriate. It all depends on their situation.

On the business side, Michele explains that Medicare brokers work in a heavily regulated environment with strict compliance rules—especially because they serve people 65 and older, a population considered more vulnerable to misleading marketing. Many agents work from home and rely less on billboards or mass ads and more on education and relationships.

After nearly two decades in the field, Michele’s primary source of new business is referrals. She receives clients from:

Doctors and medical groups who trust her to guide their patients
Insurance carriers that need a reputable local broker
Existing clients who refer friends and family
Community organizations where she’s active

She also collaborates closely with other professionals: property & casualty agents, group benefits brokers, and especially HR departments. In some companies, HR quietly becomes her internal champion, handing out her information to every employee approaching 65. Michele then delivers Medicare 101 sessions tailored to that company’s workforce, helping HR answer recurring questions and giving employees a clear action plan. As a former HR professional herself, Michele understands their world and the pressure they’re under to support older workers.

In the more personal segment of the episode, Dan asks Michele about a challenge she’s faced in her life or career. She shares a story of overcoming a significant difficulty that initially felt like a setback but ultimately pushed her toward the work she loves today. Dan notes that many guests describe similar arcs: the experiences we perceive as “failures” often become the foundation for later resiliency, clarity, and success.

The episode wraps with a lighthearted lightning round where Michele answers rapid-fire questions about everyday preferences, her must-have tech tool, a favorite quote about money or success, a book that’s influenced her thinking, productivity habits (such as how she manages her inbox), a bucket-list item she’s already checked off, a financial milestone she’s still pursuing, a money mistake that taught her a valuable lesson, and the advice she’d offer to her younger self.

To close, Michele invites listeners to reach out via MC Insurance Services—whether they’d like to attend a Medicare 101 session or need one-on-one guidance for an upcoming transition—and Dan reminds the audience that her contact information is in the show notes. The overarching message: Medicare doesn’t have to be scary. With the right education and guidance, it can become a well-planned piece of a broader strategy for a secure, confident retirement.

Full Transcript

Announcer: Brought to you by Tailored Wealth, helping business leaders live their version of a rich life.

Announcer: Welcome to another edition of the Making Sense of Your Money podcast, where we cut through the financial noise and help business leaders to make smart, confident money decisions.

Dan: All right. Hello again and welcome to another edition of the Making Sense of Your Money podcast where we help you take control of your finances, minimize uncertainty, and maximize your wealth potential and your life.

Dan: I am again your host, Dan Pasone. I’m the founder and CEO of Tailored Wealth. And today I am excited to bring on and introduce a special guest. We’ve got Michele Campbell with us today. Michele is a founder and broker at MC Insurance Services. She specializes in the Medicare space.

Dan: So, Michele, thanks so much for joining me on the Making Sense of Your Money podcast, and we’re excited to have you today.

Michele: Thank you, Dan. Thanks for having me. I’m happy to be here.

Dan: Yeah, you bet. You bet. We’ve got a lot to cover and I know that our audience would love to get your expert take on some key topics, especially around Medicare and what you do for folks that are entering into and getting to retirement age and how they take care of their medical needs from there.

Dan: So before we get into that, if you could just give us a quick 90-second overview of what your business does and maybe a little bit of your background and how you got into it.

Michele: Sure. So, we’re an independent agency basically that focuses on the Medicare space. So people turning 65 or older, retiring, they have to go on Medicare and so it’s usually kind of like a foreign language to them. It’s the first time people are learning about it.

Michele: So our role is to educate you and teach you about the ABCs of Medicare and then basically find what’s the best plan for you, where you can keep your doctors and works in your budget and meets your medical needs.

Michele: My background is HR and so I was in benefits for years. I’ve also had my own business in Silicon Valley in electronics. So I was a buyer of insurance with many employees.

Michele: And so when I got licensed in 2006 it was kind of a natural transition to be an independent agent. I am an entrepreneur, and so getting my health license was just natural and I’ve loved it. When I went into the Medicare space 18 years ago, I absolutely loved it. It’s a passion for me and yeah, so I think my business is pretty successful at this point and we’re still growing.

Dan: Good for you. I love, love, love talking to passionate entrepreneurs. It’s one of my favorite things to do. So we’re going to have some fun today. I’m looking forward to this.

Dan: All right. So you gave us a quick high-level overview. I have a pretty good idea of this, but tell our audience what your ideal client looks like and then what you ultimately help them to do at the end of the day.

Michele: So the ideal client is somebody that needs to get on Medicare. For some people that are maybe on an individual health plan and they’re getting ready, they’re turning 65. So 6 to 3 months prior to turning 65, they should start educating themselves, okay? And so that’s a time for people to reach out.

Michele: We’re doing Medicare 101s, we call them, all the time. And that’s just informational. And then as we get closer to when you’re actually going on Medicare, then we nail down the details of which plan and what’s going to work for you.

Michele: It could be somebody that’s also still working and now they’re getting close to retirement. And again, about 6 to 3 months prior to retiring is a time—that’s the ideal client that we’re talking to.

Michele: But it’s anybody that needs Medicare also. So it could be if someone gets laid off and it’s today, you know, the end of the month, and they’re going to have to go on COBRA next month, they’re our ideal client too. We can help them too. It’s everyone going on to Medicare.

Michele: If someone has a retiree plan, they aren’t our ideal—they’re not our ideal client because they have a retiree plan. But sometimes they don’t know if it’s a good plan. So I always say reach out and educate yourself and find out. It might be cheaper to go on Medicare than to go on that retiree plan.

Dan: Got it. Got it. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you for that.

Dan: Michele, you mentioned Medicare 101 sessions. Tell me a little bit more about what those look like. How are the Medicare 101s set up and what do you do in those programs?

Michele: Yeah, ideally I like to do webinar style, but sometimes it’s just a one-on-one Zoom call. It just depends on the situation. I have them even—I have one recorded on my website, first thing you see, because I kind of feel like a broken record, right? Repeating myself over and over.

Michele: So it is nice for people to watch that video. But basically what it is, is it’s just an education of the beginnings of Medicare. When you start looking at Medicare stuff, you’ll see Medicare A, B, C, D. It’s very confusing to people and that’s why we break it down, simplify it, and by showing, you know, some graphics always helps. People are visual.

Michele: So it’s not just a bunch of words and you’re not just listening—you’re listening and you’re looking at something. And so we do it for medical groups, large medical groups. I’ll have 300 people on a webinar that are all new to Medicare or coming up on Medicare.

Michele: I get tons of feedback that afterwards they’re like, “I’ve never seen it laid out like this.” It’s very educational and they feel like that question mark that’s kind of in their head about Medicare is starting to get filled in now.

Dan: Got it. Got it. That’s really cool. I love the webinar education. We do a fair amount of webinars and live events ourselves. I’m a big, big proponent of that: educate the potential customer, help them understand what you help them to do, give them free content and education, and then for those that opt into it, help them from there. We do a fair amount of that.

Dan: Michele, what are the top three challenges that your clients typically face? And then how do you help them solve those?

Michele: I would say the top three… let me think about that. Probably understanding the cost of Part B. So Part A is free. Original Medicare is just Part A and B. And understanding that C and D—while they’re required to have D—C and D come from private insurance companies. That’s not offered directly by the government. So they’re very confused by that.

Michele: So it’s understanding those pieces and really getting into the weeds on Part B, because there’s a thing called IRMAA—Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount—where they charge more for Part B for high-income earners. And I’m in Silicon Valley, so you can imagine there’s a lot of high-income earners here, and they have no idea how all that works.

Michele: They just think they’re going to pay the standard rate of around $185, and all of a sudden they’re paying $500, $600 a month. And you know that’s—as you know, being in the financial world—part of your retirement is planning. And if you didn’t plan for that—there’s a two-year lookback—so it’s educating on that and then how to appeal that also and why and when you can appeal it.

Michele: I’ve saved my clients thousands of dollars just with that knowledge alone.

Dan: We talk about that as a big component of the retirement piece of any financial plan because, you know, our firm does a lot of financial planning, custom plans for folks, and understanding the Medicare component within retirement is a really, really important piece that oftentimes, especially earlier in life, gets overlooked.

Dan: Good insights there.

Dan: How do your clients typically find you? How do you get connected with those folks that—you know, obviously all Americans need this service, right? How do they find you?

Michele: Yeah, it’s kind of funny. There’s much less insurance agents in the Medicare space than there are, say, property and casualty for home and auto—they’re on every corner, right? We’re kind of like hiding out. No, we’re not really. It’s just that it’s so hard. It’s very expensive for us to market and there’s a lot of compliance rules because we’re dealing with, you know, the senior market—65 and over.

Michele: So with that, we have a lot of compliance. It makes it hard for us to market. A lot of agents are working from their homes; they go out in the field and go to our clients’ houses. I have an office, but not everyone does.

Michele: Typically, for me at this level—I’ve been in the game a long time—I get referrals and I’m referred by doctor’s offices and medical groups, and insurance carriers are referring clients to me. Referrals are my number one source. We track every person that comes to us, and the majority is definitely referrals.

Michele: But I’m also very active in my community. So I get a lot referred from various organizations in my community and people that know me.

Dan: Yeah, very cool. Very cool. Good for you.

Dan: That was actually one of the questions I wanted to ask you, so I’ll double-click on that a little bit. You mentioned referral partners, because we have a lot of folks in different spheres of the financial services space that tune in and listen to this podcast and view our other forms of content.

Dan: What types of referral partners do you typically work with? How do you collaborate with them, and why do you think those partners ultimately refer clients to you?

Michele: Yeah. I actually left out a big part of my referrals. I work with a lot of property and casualty brokers or group brokers—commercial brokers—that refer Medicare to me on a regular basis.

Michele: I also… I think this is kind of a missing link, but HR people. I happen to have several groups where I work with the HR person, and as everyone in the company is turning 65, they’re handing out my business information for them to contact me to educate themselves on Medicare.

Dan: Very cool. So you’ll go in and do the Medicare 101s for the entire firm or a subset of the firm that’s 65 or older?

Michele: Yes.

Dan: Yeah, I bet. We’ve done a little bit of that work ourselves and I can see how that can work really, really well—especially given your geography and especially given your background. You were in HR, you said, to start your career. So I’m sure you relate well to the HR and benefits specialists.

Dan: Very cool. I love it. That’s a really nice strategy there.

Dan: Michele, where do you see your industry going in the next 5 to 10 years?

Michele: [Answer not fully captured in transcript snippet.]

Dan: Got it. Got it. All right. Good insights there. Thank you for providing all that on your business, your industry, your clients.

Dan: Let’s shift gears a little bit. I want to talk about you. Tell me maybe a challenge that you can share with the group that you’ve faced in your life and how that’s maybe shaped how you do business.

Michele: [Shares a personal story about facing a significant challenge and how it led to growth and resilience—content partially omitted in transcript snippet.]

Dan: Yeah. Isn’t it funny that those maybe perceived-at-the-time failures are what lead to sometimes the greatest successes—oftentimes the greatest successes. I’ve seen that in my life, and that’s a common theme that we’ve heard from our guests on the podcast.

Dan: So, always great to hear about stories of resiliency, overcoming challenges, and then what that ultimately leads to. There are plenty of people out there facing challenges in their business or their life, and hearing stories like that can help people be resilient and know that maybe it does lead to a great opportunity like it has for you.

Dan: So congratulations and kudos to you on that.

Dan: All right, Michele, are you ready for the lightning round?

Michele: [Laughs] Sure.

Dan: So this is fun. We never tell our guests ahead of time because we want it to be genuine, organic, and fun. So it’s pretty simple. I’m going to ask you a question, you’re just going to give me the first thing that pops into your mind. Some of these are one word, some of them are going to prompt you to tell a story. So let’s get into it.

Dan: Coffee or tea?

Michele: [Answer not captured in transcript snippet.]

Dan: Cats or dogs?

Michele: [Answer not captured in transcript snippet.]

Dan: What’s one tool or piece of technology other than your computer or your phone that you can’t live without?

Michele: [Shares a key tool/app she uses—content not fully captured.]

Dan: Favorite quote or phrase about money or success?

Michele: [Mentions a favorite quote—content not fully captured.]

Dan: Absolutely love that. Very good.

Dan: Do you have a favorite book on finance, business, or success?

Michele: [Names a classic finance/business book—exact title not captured.]

Dan: That’s a classic. Definitely a classic.

Dan: Any personal hacks—some personal productivity tips that you would share with the group?

Michele: [Describes some productivity habits, including using apps and managing email; transcript notes she gets to “email zero.”]

Dan: There’s a lot of great apps out there. Are you an email-zero person—you get to email zero?

Michele: [Confirms being very organized with email.]

Dan: Good for you. Good for you. All right.

Dan: What’s one bucket list item that you’ve already accomplished?

Michele: [Shares a bucket-list achievement—content not fully captured.]

Dan: Very cool. Very cool. Love it.

Dan: What is one financial milestone that you’re still working toward?

Michele: [Shares a milestone she’s aiming for—content not fully captured.]

Dan: Good for you. Good for you. Congratulations on that.

Dan: What’s one financial mistake—either you or someone else you’ve seen—that turned into a valuable lesson?

Michele: [Describes a money mistake and lesson learned—content not fully captured.]

Dan: What’s one piece of financial advice that you would give to your younger self?

Michele: [Shares advice to her younger self—content not fully captured.]

Dan: That is really well said. That’s one that we hear often.

Dan: All right, Michele, you are out of the lightning round. Congratulations. That was great—really, really good stuff.

Dan: Last question that we have for you: If our listeners want to connect with you—whether it be to learn more about your services, maybe attend one of those 101 courses that you do, or maybe it’s a potential partner that wants to collaborate or work with you—what’s the best way for them to get in touch with you?

Michele: [Provides contact info via MC Insurance Services—website/phone/email not fully captured in transcript snippet.]

Dan: That’s a good industry to be in, for sure. And that’s great information. I would highly advise—the education that your group is doing alone is worth its weight in gold. So folks that are interested in learning more and/or connecting with you and having maybe their clients or their connections learn more about the work that you do, we’ll put Michele’s information in the show notes as well.

Dan: Michele, thank you so much. You’ve been great. Really enjoyed this conversation. Appreciate you being a part of the Making Sense of Your Money podcast.

Dan: Thanks again everyone for tuning in, and everyone have a great day. Continue to build wealth, continue to have fun, and continue to live your life. Cheers.

Resources & Citations

MC Insurance Services: Michele’s independent Medicare brokerage, specializing in education and plan selection for people turning 65 or retiring.
Medicare “ABCD” overview: Basic explanations of Part A (hospital), Part B (medical), Part C (Medicare Advantage), and Part D (prescription drugs) are widely available on official resources like Medicare.gov.
IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount): Rules around income-based surcharges for Part B and Part D, plus appeal processes, are documented by Social Security and Medicare.
Medicare 101 sessions: Michele’s webinar and recorded sessions help first-timers understand enrollment timelines, penalties, and plan types.
Tailored Wealth: Dan’s firm, which integrates healthcare costs and Medicare planning into broader retirement and financial strategies.

FAQs

When should I start thinking about Medicare if I’m approaching 65?

Generally, Michele recommends starting 6–3 months before you’ll need coverage. If you’re going to retire and go on Medicare at 65, begin learning and planning during that window so you understand enrollment periods, penalties, and your options. If you’re working past 65 and staying on employer coverage, start 6–3 months before your planned retirement date.

Do I have to sign up for Medicare at 65 if I’m still working?

Not always. It depends on:

The size of your employer
The quality and cost of your employer plan
Whether you (and your spouse) will continue working

In many cases, you can delay some parts of Medicare without penalty if you have qualifying employer coverage, but the rules are nuanced. That’s why Michele’s firm encourages a Medicare 101 conversation well in advance.

What is IRMAA and why might my Part B premium be higher than my friends’?

IRMAA stands for Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. Social Security looks at your tax return from two years ago to see if your income exceeds certain thresholds. If it does, they add a surcharge to your Part B (and sometimes Part D) premiums, which can push your total monthly cost into the $500–$600+ range.

Can I appeal IRMAA if my income has dropped?

Often, yes. If you’ve had a qualifying life-changing event—like retirement, reduced work hours, marriage, divorce, or a significant income reduction—you may be able to appeal IRMAA and have your premiums recalculated. Michele frequently helps clients understand whether they’re eligible to appeal and how to complete the process.

What’s the difference between Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement?

In brief:

Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are offered by private insurers and typically wrap your Part A, Part B, and often Part D into one plan with networks and copays.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies work alongside Original Medicare (Parts A & B) to help cover deductibles and coinsurance; Part D is usually a separate drug plan.

The best option depends on your doctors, travel patterns, medications, budget, and risk tolerance. Michele’s firm walks clients through the pros and cons in their specific situation.

How does a Medicare broker like Michele get paid?

Typically, Medicare brokers are compensated by the insurance carriers when a client enrolls in a plan. Clients usually don’t pay brokerage fees directly, which means you can get professional help comparing plans without an additional out-of-pocket advisory charge. That said, it’s important to work with someone who is independent and focuses on fit, not just commissions.

Why should my HR or benefits team care about having a Medicare partner?

Employees turning 65 often bombard HR with questions about:

Whether to stay on the group plan or go to Medicare
How COBRA interacts with Medicare
Timing, penalties, and plan options

Partnering with an independent broker like Michele gives HR a trusted expert to:

Run Medicare 101 sessions for staff
Provide individualized guidance
Help employees avoid costly mistakes

That can reduce HR’s workload and improve the overall employee experience.

Disclaimer

This episode and written summary are for educational and informational purposes only. They do not constitute financial, legal, tax, insurance, or investment advice, and they do not create a client relationship with Tailored Wealth, MC Insurance Services, or any other entity mentioned.

Medicare rules, premiums, and IRMAA thresholds change over time and may vary by individual circumstances. Before making any decisions about enrolling in Medicare, selecting a plan, appealing IRMAA, or altering your retirement or healthcare strategy, you should consult directly with qualified professionals, including:

A licensed Medicare insurance agent or broker
A financial advisor or planner
A tax professional (CPA or EA)
Social Security/Medicare representatives or official resources

Any figures or examples discussed are illustrative and not guarantees or promises of future outcomes.

Next Steps

If you or someone you know is approaching Medicare age, consider:

Mark your calendar: Note when you (or your spouse) will turn 65 and/or retire, and plan to start Medicare education 6–3 months beforehand.
List your priorities: Make a quick list of:
- Your current doctors and specialists
- Your prescription medications
- Your travel patterns and lifestyle
- Your budget and risk tolerance
Attend a Medicare 101 session: Join a webinar or watch an introductory video (like Michele’s) to get the lay of the land before meeting 1:1 with an expert.
Coordinate with your financial plan: Work with a firm like Tailored Wealth to integrate Medicare premiums, IRMAA, and out-of-pocket costs into your retirement projections.
Connect with a Medicare broker: Reach out to an independent broker such as MC Insurance Services for personalized plan comparisons and enrollment support.

To keep sharpening your decision-making around healthcare and finances, explore more episodes of Making Sense of Your Money or connect with Tailored Wealth to build a coordinated strategy for your retirement, investments, and benefits.