Senior Benefit Solutions
Medicare information, resources, and enrollment for seniors in the Greater Baltimore area and throughout Maryland.
Contact:
David Wagenheim
Medicare Specialist, Independent MD Life and Health agent
Phone/Text: 443-608-4018
Email: david@seniorbenefitsmd.com

FAQs & Testimonials

Why do I need your help to find and join a Medicare plan?
Even highly educated people routinely report that they find enrolling in Medicare to be a confusing and frustrating process. Some people enroll in Medicare incorrectly and end up with lifetime financial penalties or get stuck with a choice that may not work best for their particular situation. Some Medicare choices, once selected, cannot be reversed. Many people come to me after doing hours of their own research on Medicare and are still confused and unsure about what their best options might be. I am very familiar with the Medicare choices in Maryland and the Greater Baltimore Area and can save you a substantial amount of time (and often money) as you search for the best plan for YOUR situation.
Won’t my Medicare card (Part A & Part B) coverage be enough?
Your Medicare card (Part A & Part B; referred to as “Original Medicare”) does provide important coverage for medical expenses but they have significant gaps that can potentially lead to huge medical bills that will be your financial responsibility. To fill these gaps you will need to purchase additional coverage from a private insurance company; either a Medicare supplement insurance plan (also known as Medigap coverage) or a Medicare Advantage plan. You are also required to have a Part D Prescription drug plan which can be purchased from a private insurance company. You must have a Part D prescription drug plan even if you don’t take any prescriptions!
How much will your help cost me?
Filling the gaps of Original Medicare requires purchasing either a Medigap insurance plan or Medicare Advantage plan from private insurance companies that charge a premium to join. The premium you pay will be exactly the same if you do your own (likely many hours) research and comparisons or if you allow me to do the searching for you and suggest the plans that given your stated goals and situation should be – based on my years of experience – the best fit for you. If you select an insurance plan and I help to enroll you, then the insurance company pays me a commission which is how I make a living (and is my kids’ favorite part of dad’s career). The education and guidance I provide are free; I get compensated if you choose to enroll with a company I have suggested for you. I typically suggest 2 to 4 alternatives for your consideration (for more complete and secure Medicare coverage).
Why should I work with you instead of enrolling directly with a particular Medicare insurance company?
If you call a Medicare provider directly they will make every effort to enroll you in their plan whether or not it is truly the best fit for you. As an independent insurance agent, I represent many insurance companies who offer both Medigap and Medicare Advantage Plans (and Part D drug plans) and I can tailor a plan to fit your specific requirements.
Why should I enroll with you vs. enrolling with one of the large Medicare insurance agencies I see on TV or YouTube?
Those companies will likely do a decent job. Here’s the difference; First and foremost, I give a damn. I don’t take it lightly that people trust me to find the best healthcare coverage for their particular situation. Choosing the right healthcare plan for one’s own exact needs is among the most important decisions we make – especially in our senior years. I am local and I choose to work only in Maryland. I know the plans available in Maryland extremely well and can suggest the 2 or 3 plans that, based on my experience, will fit your requirements the best. Unlike the bigger agencies, I can help seniors determine if they are eligible for any of the state, federal or corporate programs that can help low and moderate income seniors save money on their Medicare premiums, insurance premiums and/or prescription plans. If Medicare applicants are eligible, I am happy to help them enroll in the appropriate assistance plan that will save them money on their Healthcare. I am available to answer your questions (either now or in the future), and as many of the seniors I’ve helped enroll in Medicare plans can tell you, I will often follow up with you weeks after you’ve signed up to see if you have questions and to see how the plan is working for you. Please check out the client testimonial page for some specifics. Most people give me positive feedback and seem to like working with me.
How do I know that you will provide me with the most competitive (cheapest) Medicare plan premium quotes?
All licensed agents have access to pretty much the same companies and plans. I do my best to find the Medicare plans that will offer the most robust healthcare coverage at the lowest cost. I have entered specific quotes offered by some of the large national Medicare agencies to the searches that I often do for the same coverage. Sometimes the results are the same (if it’s the same carrier) and sometimes (even often) I may quote a different company (with top ratings) that beats the national agency’s quotes by 15 to 22% (on average). Some of the Medicare Advantage plans have low-cost, sometimes even $0 premium per month plans and this is a frequently suggested option (depending on what the enrollee is looking for and eligible for).

See What Our Clients Think

Don’t just take our word for it.

As my wife and I approached retirement, we began looking into Medicare and the various “gap” plans that supplement it. My background as a librarian and data scientist, coupled with my wife’s knowledge of healthcare from her career as a registered nurse, made us formidable researchers. In spite of my wife's healthcare knowledge and my research background, we still found understanding our options for Medicare very confusing. The first thing you realize about Medicare and the private plans to supplement its coverage is that it’s absurdly complicated. Consequently, after hours of research, and encountering numerous contradictions in the system, we still had numerous questions. We approached David with a sense of what we wanted to do but with some unease about our decision making. David sent us some information about Medicare which made the whole Medicare concept much more understandable. He also spent some time with us and answered all of our questions. David presented several alternatives for our Medicare coverage but we had already selected a plan that we liked. David confirmed that it was a good choice and helped us enroll. We found that this plan fit our needs very comprehensively at a price we could afford. David was very patient and knowledgeable about the Medicare landscape and he really simplified the research process for us. He presented a few different alternatives and left the choice up to us. We had no doubts about his integrity and desire to do well for his clients.

Steve Rafferty, Baltimore

I attended a Medicare Simplified workshop a few months back, prior to me turning 65, to educate myself about Medicare. Not knowing anything going in, the class left me well informed. I later met with the workshop instructor, David Wagenheim, and he walked me through all of my options for Medicare based on my specific needs. Once I was enrolled in the plan of my choice David kept in touch with me to be sure that everything was being addressed. David continued to follow up with me for several weeks after I enrolled to be sure that my new Medicare plan was meeting my healthcare needs. I couldn’t be more pleased. HUGE SHOUT OUT TO DAVID FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE!

Judy Collins, Baltimore

It was a happy accident to find Mr. David Wagenheim as a Medicare Navigator after I attended a free class he gave at my local library. I'm a caretaker for my brother who only had Medicare Part A & B and needed info and guidance on what other options are available, and what benefit discounts he might be qualified for. Mr. David stepped in and assisted at my request and provided what my brother (whom can be very cantankerous at times) needed. Mr. David has proven to be persistent in getting any and all information that will better a consumer's circumstance with any Medicare dilemma. He is consistent and patient. He writes and calls when he says he's going to and shows up on time if he says he will meet with you. I can say my experience was positive and do recommend his services.

Ms. C. Robinson, Baltimore

I found joining Medicare to be a very confusing experience. David Wagenheim really helped me understand how it all works and simplified the search process for me. He gave me several options including the very competitive one that I selected. I've had several questions after I signed up and David has always gotten back to me quickly with the answers that I needed, even many months after I initially signed up. I would definitely recommend working with David Wagenheim as he made the whole process easy and understandable and has been responsive whenever I've reached out.

Laura Tucker, Baltimore

Having been on Medicare for some time, I was unsure if I was getting the best benefits available, and frankly, I found the whole Medicare process pretty confusing. I attended a "Medicare Simplified" workshop, and for the first time, I felt that I could now understand my Medicare options and how the whole Medicare system works. The workshop presenter, David Wagenheim, met with me and took some time to learn about my situation and how I was currently set up for Medicare healthcare coverage. After reviewing my existing Medicare set-up, David presented several options. I picked the option he thought fit my situation best, and indeed, the new Medicare plan gave me far richer benefits than I had previously, with no additional expense. A few months down the line, I found that I was having difficulty accessing some of the benefits offered by my Medicare plan. David was very proactive in following up with me and helping me to communicate with the plan to receive the benefits that I needed and that the plan promised. It took a while, but I eventually did get the benefits I needed. David proactively checked in with me several times during this time period to offer his help and to make sure that I was getting the results I needed. David helped me understand how Medicare works, he helped me enroll in a plan that gave me far richer benefits for no additional cash outlay, and he proactively followed up with me (for several weeks) when I had a challenge getting some of the benefits promised to me by my Medicare plan. I would definitely recommend David Wagenheim for help with understanding Medicare, and for help finding the best Medicare plan for a person's particular situation.

Robin Buck, Baltimore

As I approached my 65th birthday, I knew that I needed to figure out Medicare. I had heard that it is confusing, there can be penalties if you sign up incorrectly, and that it's basically an expensive pain in the neck. I tried reading the government's "Medicare and You" book but found that although it described Part A and Part B and Part D of Medicare as well as Medicare Advantage Plans and Medigap plans, it didn't really explain the pros and cons of each approach. I found David Wagenheim/Senior Benefit Solutions online and we first had a phone conversation. David emailed me his free Medicare Basics 101 article and it made the whole process much easier to understand. At an in-person meeting, David further explained the pros and cons of Medigap insurance vs. Medicare Advantage plans and he had multiple quotes for me for each Medicare approach. David enrolled me in a plan I was very happy with at a lower premium than I expected. The best part was that he did all of the research for me, he helped me fully understand the advantages and disadvantages of each Medicare strategy, and he brought me several quotes and suggestions for each approach. David made the process of joining Medicare easy to understand and easy to sign up for. I would definitely recommend getting his help when signing up for Medicare.

Lawrence White, Cockeysville, MD