What to Bring to Your Medicare Appointment

What to Bring to Your Medicare Appointment

A productive Medicare appointment starts before you sit down with an agent or counselor. The goal is not to collect every paper you own. It is to bring the information that affects plan fit: your Medicare status, prescriptions, preferred doctors, pharmacies, budget, other coverage, and the questions you want answered.

This checklist is designed for Spokane-area residents meeting with a licensed agent, Washington SHIBA counselor, employer benefits representative, or another Medicare resource. It can help whether you are turning 65, retiring after 65, reviewing coverage during an enrollment period, moving to Spokane, or helping a parent.

Quick checklist

Bring these items if they apply to you:

• Your red, white, and blue Medicare card, or your Medicare number and Part A and Part B effective dates
• A current medication list with the exact drug name, strength, quantity, frequency, and preferred pharmacy
• The names of doctors, specialists, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and durable medical equipment suppliers you want to keep
• Current insurance cards and plan documents, including employer, retiree, COBRA, Marketplace, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE, or union coverage
• Recent plan notices, especially the Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage
• A list of expected health-care needs and upcoming procedures
• A realistic monthly budget and notes about costs that matter most to you
• Your Medicare.gov account access if you want to use it, but never send a password or verification code to an agent
• Written questions and a way to take notes
• Authorization documents if you are helping someone else

You do not need to provide every item before asking for help. If something is missing, say so. A careful advisor should explain what can be compared now and what must be verified later.

1. Medicare identification and enrollment dates

Your Medicare card shows your Medicare number and the dates Part A and Part B began. Those dates can affect which choices are available and when coverage may start.

Bring the card if you are comfortable doing so, or write down only the information needed for the appointment. Protect the Medicare number as you would a credit card number. Do not email or text a photo of the card unless you understand why it is needed and are using a secure method.

If you have not enrolled yet, bring any Social Security or Medicare notice you have received. Also note:

• Your date of birth
• The month you expect to retire or lose employer coverage
• Whether you or your spouse is actively working
• The employer's size, if known
• The last day of current coverage
• Whether you contribute to a Health Savings Account

These details are especially important when working past 65 because active-employment coverage, COBRA, retiree coverage, and Marketplace coverage do not follow the same Medicare enrollment rules.

2. A complete prescription list

Prescription coverage cannot be compared responsibly from memory alone. Bring a list that includes:

• Exact medication name, including whether it is brand or generic
• Dosage or strength, such as 10 mg or 100 units/mL
• How often you take it
• Quantity filled each time
• Whether you use a retail pharmacy, mail order, or a specialty pharmacy
• Your preferred pharmacy and one or two acceptable alternatives

Include inhalers, insulin, injectable drugs, creams, patches, and medications you take only as needed. Separate drugs administered in a doctor's office or infusion center from prescriptions you pick up at a pharmacy because they may be covered under different parts of Medicare.

If possible, bring the prescription bottles, a printout from your pharmacy, or a current medication list from your patient portal. Cross out medications you no longer take and mark any likely changes your clinician has discussed.

Why this matters: formularies, tiers, prior authorization, quantity limits, preferred pharmacies, deductibles, and copays can differ by plan. A low-premium drug plan is not necessarily the lowest-total-cost option for your medications.

3. Doctors, hospitals, and other providers

Write down the full name and location of each provider you want to continue using:

• Primary care doctor
• Specialists
• Preferred clinic or medical group
• Hospital or health system
• Behavioral health providers
• Physical, occupational, or speech therapists
• Home health agency
• Laboratory or imaging center
• Durable medical equipment supplier

Include the practice address when a provider has multiple locations. Provider names alone can produce a false match. A clinician may participate at one location or under one contract but not another.

If you are considering Medicare Advantage, ask for each provider to be checked against the plan's current directory and confirm directly with the provider before enrolling. If you are considering Original Medicare with a Medigap policy, ask whether the provider accepts Medicare and whether assignment or excess charges could matter.

Also mention providers outside Spokane if you routinely receive care in Coeur d'Alene, elsewhere in Washington, or while traveling.

4. Current insurance and other benefits

Bring all current coverage cards and any recent benefits summary. Other coverage can affect whether you should enroll in Medicare now, how claims coordinate, and whether a change could cause you to lose benefits.

Examples include:

• Employer or spouse's employer coverage
• Retiree or union coverage
• COBRA
• Individual or Marketplace coverage
• Apple Health or other Medicaid coverage
• VA health care
• TRICARE or TRICARE For Life
• Federal Employee Health Benefits
• Indian Health Service or tribal coverage
• Prescription assistance from a manufacturer or charitable program

Do not cancel existing coverage based only on a preliminary conversation. Ask the plan administrator how Medicare coordinates with the coverage and whether leaving it would be irreversible for you or your dependents.

If you have employer drug coverage, bring the annual notice stating whether it is creditable for Medicare Part D. Keep copies of creditable-coverage notices because they may be needed to avoid or challenge a late-enrollment penalty.

5. Notices from your current Medicare plan

If you already have Medicare Advantage or Part D, bring:

• Your current plan ID card
• The Annual Notice of Change
• The Evidence of Coverage
• Recent formulary or provider-network notices
• Any denial, prior authorization, appeal, or grievance letter related to the issue you want help with
• Recent Explanation of Benefits statements if you are trying to understand costs

The Annual Notice of Change explains what will change on January 1, including premiums, deductibles, copays, drug coverage, and service rules. Even if you like your current plan, review those changes against next year's needs.

6. Your priorities and expected care

A plan comparison is more useful when you can rank what matters to you. Before the appointment, consider:

• Do you value broad provider choice or lower predictable premiums?
• How often do you travel or spend part of the year outside the Spokane area?
• Are you comfortable getting referrals or prior authorization?
• Do you expect surgery, rehabilitation, infusions, expensive imaging, or specialist care?
• Do you need hearing, dental, vision, transportation, fitness, or over-the-counter benefits?
• Would a high maximum out-of-pocket limit create financial strain?
• Do you prefer a specific pharmacy or mail order?

Extra benefits can be useful, but they should not distract from core medical coverage, provider access, prescription costs, utilization rules, and financial risk.

7. A realistic cost picture

Bring a simple monthly budget or note the range you can comfortably afford. Ask to compare total expected cost, not premium alone.

Relevant costs may include:

• Part B premium
• Medicare Advantage or Part D premium
• Medigap premium
• Medical and drug deductibles
• Primary care, specialist, hospital, emergency, and outpatient copays
• Coinsurance for durable medical equipment, chemotherapy, or Part B drugs
• Prescription costs by pharmacy and phase of coverage
• The plan's maximum out-of-pocket amount for covered Part A and Part B services

If income or resources are limited, ask about Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, Apple Health, and other assistance. Bring recent income information only if you want help screening for a program, and ask how it will be protected.

8. Questions worth asking

Consider bringing these questions:

• Is this person a licensed agent, an independent broker, or an unbiased counselor?
• Which insurance companies and plans can you discuss?
• Are there plans available in Spokane County that you do not represent?
• How is the agent or agency compensated?
• Are all my prescriptions on the formulary, and are restrictions involved?
• Are my preferred doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and suppliers in network?
• What will I likely pay in a routine year and in a high-use year?
• What prior authorization or referral rules apply?
• How does coverage work when I travel or live elsewhere part of the year?
• What happens if I want to change coverage later?
• Which enrollment period or guaranteed-issue right are you relying on?
• What documentation will I receive before enrollment?

A trustworthy appointment should leave room for questions and should not pressure you to enroll before you understand the tradeoffs.

9. If you are helping a parent or another adult

Medicare protects personal health information. Being a spouse, adult child, caregiver, or financial power of attorney does not automatically allow Medicare or a plan to discuss every detail with you.

Bring any authorization the person has completed and a copy of the legal document if one applies. The beneficiary should participate in decisions whenever possible. For a one-time call, Medicare may be able to obtain verbal permission from the beneficiary. For ongoing access, ask which authorization form or representative process is required.

Do not sign an enrollment application for someone else unless you have clear legal authority and the form permits it. Keep the person's preferences at the center of the comparison.

10. Using Medicare.gov safely

Medicare Plan Compare can estimate plan and prescription costs using your drugs and pharmacies. A Medicare.gov account can save medication information and display personalized details.

If you use the account during an appointment, type your own password and verification code. Do not give either to an agent, counselor, or family member to keep. Log out when finished, especially on a shared device.

Ask for a copy or written summary of any comparison. Verify plan details in official plan documents and confirm provider participation before enrolling because directories and contracts can change.

What you should not feel pressured to provide

You should not be asked for a bank account or credit card merely to receive a plan comparison. Some applications may offer an optional premium-payment method, but you can ask about billing alternatives and decide only after you select a plan.

Never provide:

• Your Medicare number to an unsolicited caller
• A Social Security number without a clear, legitimate need
• A Medicare.gov password or verification code
• Banking information in response to a promise of free benefits
• Permission to enroll in a plan you have not reviewed

If a call or visit feels suspicious, stop and contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or Washington SHIBA through the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.

A simple preparation timeline

A week before

• Gather insurance cards and notices
• Update prescriptions and providers
• Write down priorities and upcoming care
• Confirm the appointment time, location, and who you are meeting

The day before

• Put the checklist and documents in one folder
• Remove papers that are unrelated or unnecessarily sensitive
• Confirm that medication doses and pharmacies are correct
• Write your top three questions at the top of the page

During the appointment

• Take notes
• Ask what was verified and on what date
• Request explanations in plain language
• Do not rush because an option is described as popular
• Review official plan materials before authorizing enrollment

After the appointment

• Keep the comparison and confirmation documents
• Watch for mail or email from Medicare and the plan
• Verify that the selected plan and effective date are correct
• Do not cancel current coverage until you understand when the new coverage begins

Spokane-area help

Washington SHIBA provides free, confidential, unbiased Medicare counseling through the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE can also provide information about all options available in your area.

A licensed local agent can help compare the plans and insurers the agent represents. Ask about scope and compensation so you understand the limits of the comparison.

Final reminder

The most useful appointment materials are accurate prescriptions, providers, current coverage, Medicare dates, and personal priorities. Bring what you have, protect sensitive information, and expect the person helping you to verify details instead of guessing.