Joe’s Story With AmeriCU
“My grandmother is 88 years old and has been on Medicare part A since she was 65, but she was also covered by my grandfather’s insurance plan that he had from being a bus driver at the local school district. In 2021, my grandfather passed away and my grandma was able to keep using my grandfather’s insurance through survivors benefits, however the premiums went up significantly.
Due to not being aware of her options combined with the fact that she wasn’t struggling financially, she continued to pay the increased premiums, which amounted to around $530 per month. We reached out to Tom Klamm at AmeriCU Insurance and after quickly briefing him on the situation, he had a strong hunch something was off as well. Tom reviewed her plan, and discovered she could get the same coverage for a significantly lower price. The premium she is paying went down to $84/month! This is saving her close to $5000/ year in premiums she would have been paying.
In Tom’s words, this was a “huge win” and it just goes to show, it never hurts to look at your situation and see how an expert can help.”
Do you have questions about Medicare? If you’re:
Our Certified Medicare Specialists can connect you with the answers you need so you can make an informed decision about your coverage.
Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation or attend one of our information sessions at the AmeriCU Financial Center closest to you to learn more about the plan options available to you.
We’re here to help
Our Certified Medicare Specialists are here to help you and are available to discuss your Medicare options, enrollment, or plan changes with free office hours listed below. Drop in to speak with one of our Certified Medicare Specialists (served on a first come, first served basis), call 800.352.9699 (TTY 711) Monday – Friday 9AM to 5PM, or email us at [email protected] to schedule a personal consultation. We can help you learn about:
- How & when to enroll in Medicare
- Part A & Part B benefits
- Differences between Medicare Supplement & Medicare Advantage Plans
- Part D coverage and the “coverage gap”
- Annual election periods
- Enrollment eligibility
- How to determine what options are best for you
Part A – Hospital Coverage
- Helps cover inpatient hospital and skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, home health care, and other medical services
- Premium-free for most people who have worked (or spouse has worked) for at least 10 years and paid Medicare taxes
- Monthly premium is applicable for all others
Part B – Medical Coverage
- Helps cover medically necessary services like doctor services, outpatient care, home health services and other medical services (When covered by employer group or union health coverage with 20+ employees, may be able to refuse Part B coverage without incurring penalties; please check with Social Security)
- May enroll later during special enrollment period
- Monthly premium applies
Part C – Medicare Advantage Plans
- Offered through private health insurance plan
- Must have Medicare Part A and Part B and live in the plan service area
- Monthly premium may apply in addition to Part B premium
Part D – Prescription Drug Coverage
- Offered through private health insurance plans
- Must have Medicare Part A and/or Part B
- Monthly premium may apply in addition to Part B premium
Medicare Supplement or Medigap Plans
- Offered through private health insurance plans
- “Supplements” Original Medicare
- Helps pay your share of copays, coinsurance and deductibles
- Must have Medicare Part A and Part B
- Monthly premium may apply in addition to Part B premium
- Does not include prescription drug coverage
Meet Our Medicare Team
Eric Johnson
Licensed Medicare Advisor | With Offices Located in Griffiss, Rome, North Utica, Commercial Drive, Herkimer, Oneida, Cazenovia, and Lowville
Phone: 315.356.3000 ,6262
Thomas Klamm
Licensed Medicare Advisor | With Offices Located in Fort Drum, Watertown, Cortland, Camillus, Cicero, Liverpool, Fayetteville, Syracuse, Armory Square, Auburn, and Onondaga Hill
Phone: 315.356.3000 ,3307
Medicare Advantage Plan Details
You may join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan:
- When you first become eligible for Medicare (from 3 months before you turn age 65 to 3 months after the month you turn age 65).
- If you get Medicare due to a disability, you may join during the 3 months before to 3 months after your 25th month of disability.
- You may enroll during the Annual Election Period, October 15 – December 7, with coverage beginning on January 1 of the following year.
- During the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (MA OEP), January 1 to March 31. individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MA-PD) are allowed to make a one-time election to switch to a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan, a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MA-PD) or to disenroll from their MA / MA-PD plan and obtain coverage through Original Medicare. If you disenroll from an MA or MA-PD plan and return to Original Medicare, you will be able to enroll in a stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (PDP).
In most cases, you must stay enrolled in the plan you choose for that calendar year (starting the date your coverage begins). In certain situations, you may be able to join, switch or drop Medicare Advantage plans during a Special Enrollment Period. A few examples of a Special Enrollment Period are:
- If you lose creditable coverage (loss of employer group coverage)
- If you make a permanent move into or out of the plan’s service area
- If you have both Medicare and Medicaid
- If you become approved for Low Income Subsidy (LIS — extra help) or NYS EPIC
- If you qualify for any other exceptional conditions determined by the Centers
Free Medicare Office Hours and Seminars
- Griffiss Financial Center -5/19/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cicero Financial Center -5/20/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cortland Financial Center -5/21/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- North Utica Financial Center -5/21/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Auburn Financial Center -5/28/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cazenovia Financial Center -5/29/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Herkimer Financial Center -6/2/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Syracuse Financial Center -6/3/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cicero Financial Center -6/4/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Oneida Financial Center -6/4/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Liverpool Financial Center -6/5/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Commercial Drive Financial Center -6/9/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Fayetteville Financial Center -6/10/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Watertown Financial Center -6/11/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Camillus Financial Center -6/12/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Rome Financial Center -6/12/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Griffiss Financial Center -6/16/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cortland Financial Center -6/16/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Auburn Financial Center -6/17/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- North Utica Financial Center -6/18/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Lowville Financial Center -6/23/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cazenovia Financial Center -6/30/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cazenovia Financial Center -7/1/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Syracuse Financial Center -7/2/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Herkimer Financial Center -7/7/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cortland Financial Center -7/8/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- North Utica Financial Center -7/8/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Camillus Financial Center -7/9/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Onondaga Hill Financial Center -7/10/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Commercial Drive Financial Center -7/14/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Fayetteville Financial Center -7/16/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Rome Financial Center -7/17/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Auburn Financial Center -7/23/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Watertown Financial Center -7/24/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Lowville Financial Center -7/25/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Griffiss Financial Center -7/28/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Oneida Financial Center -7/29/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Liverpool Financial Center -7/30/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Syracuse Financial Center -7/31/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cazenovia Financial Center -8/4/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Herkimer Financial Center -8/5/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Camillus Financial Center -8/6/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Onondaga Hill Financial Center -8/7/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cortland Financial Center -8/11/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- North Utica Financial Center -8/12/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Auburn Financial Center -8/13/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Commercial Drive Financial Center -8/14/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Rome Financial Center -8/18/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Lowville Financial Center -8/19/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cicero Financial Center -8/20/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Watertown Financial Center -8/21/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Griffiss Financial Center -8/25/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Oneida Financial Center -8/26/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Liverpool Financial Center -8/27/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Fayetteville Financial Center -8/28/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cazenovia Financial Center -9/3/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Syracuse Financial Center -9/4/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Herkimer Financial Center -9/8/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- North Utica Financial Center -9/9/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Camillus Financial Center -9/10/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Onondaga Hill Financial Center -9/11/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Fayetteville Financial Center -9/15/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Commercial Drive Financial Center -9/16/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Auburn Financial Center -9/17/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Rome Financial Center -9/18/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Lowville Financial Center -9/22/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Cicero Financial Center -9/24/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Watertown Financial Center -9/25/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Griffiss Financial Center -9/29/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Oneida Financial Center -9/30/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
- Liverpool Financial Center -9/30/2025 – 10am-12pm and 1pm-3pm
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Health Savings Accounts
Enrolled in a High Deductible Health Insurance plan through your employer? You could be eligible to open an HSA.
Retirement Savings Accounts
Enjoy a variety of investment options to meet long, medium, or short-term retirement needs.
AmeriCU Investments
AmeriCU Investments provides retirement planning and financial advising services through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer.
Questions? Click the ‘Let’s Connect’ button in the bottom right-hand corner to get started!
Latest From AmeriCU
News
AmeriCU Credit Union Announces Artists for 2025 Salute to the Troops Tribute Concert at Fort Drum’s Mountainfest
AmeriCU is proud to announce Nate Smith as the headliner for the 13th Salute to the Troops Tribute Concert, with special guest Priscilla Block.
Events
Lowville Financial Center’s Let’s Connect Day
AmeriCU members and the community are encouraged to visit the credit union’s Lowville Financial Center to learn about all the different services AmeriCU provides, all in one place! Meet with the right teammates and get the answers you need.
Education
Healthy Financial Habits
If you ever feel overwhelmed by your financial situation, you’re not alone. In fact, nearly half of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck—struggling to pay their bills or save for the future.
AmeriCU Insurance Services is affiliated with AmeriCU Credit Union. The purchase of insurance from AmeriCU Insurance Services is not required to obtain credit or other services from AmeriCU Credit Union. Insurance products are not credit union deposits and are not NCUA insured, nor are they obligations of or guaranteed by AmeriCU.
For accommodations of persons with special needs at meetings call 1-315-356-3312 (TTY: 711).
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
ATENCIÓN: si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-800-298-8385 (TTY: 1-800-662-1220).
注意 ：如果您使用繁體中文 ，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務 。請致電 1-800-298-8385 (TTY: 1-800-662-1220)
The Broker is an independent authorized agent and operates independently from Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. Products by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield are only available in their 31-county service area.