25 May Joe Namath Commercial: Fact or Fiction?
I am not exaggerating when I say that nearly 100% of the people that come to me for Medicare advice, ask me about all the free services Joe Namath unapologetically endorses. To be clear they are advertising Advantage Plans, not Medicare Supplements.
He makes promises of thousands of dollars of free dental, vision, hearing, over-the-counter goods worth thousands of dollars, free medical related rides, reimbursement of your Part B premium, no co-pays and much more.
Can it possibly be true?
Of course, no one likes to believe that their neighbor is getting something for free that they are having to pay for, so they are rightfully curious.
This advertising campaign has been so successful it has spawned several clones like Jimmy Walker and Joe Montana. All of which are trying to get you to do one thing, call their number. Because the people on the other end of the phone are very good at what they do. So good that someone from New Jersey or Oregon can magically tell within seconds that you have a bad plan, and you are missing out on a ton of freebies.
This is remarkable given the fact that every county in the U.S., 3006 to be exact, has unique plans. The Advantage plans available to you are based on the county in which you live.
If you fall for their pitch, then your new Medicare agent is an 800 number.
The question remains are they telling the truth, grossly misleading you, or just plain lying?
Unfortunately, the answer is more complicated. The benefits they are promoting are based on you qualifying for Medicaid and Medicare and a particular needs-based plan called a special needs plan. Additionally, this plan must be available in the county you live.
It is true that these plans are rich in benefits and anyone that meets the requirements should consider them but the advertising leads people to believe that these benefits are available to every Medicare beneficiary, which is grossly misleading. They get away with this bait and switch by using the word “May” in their advertising. They use the benefits of a Special Needs Plan to entice you to call.
They just want to change the plan you have and get paid for selling you something else.
Most Medicare beneficiaries have access to an advantage plan that has some ancillary benefits built into the plan, like help with dental or vision. These plans offer help with these services but they are just a fraction of the benefits of a special needs plan.
If you think you might qualify for State or Federal benefits, then you should apply. If you do, we can help you find an appropriate plan that is best suited for you and if you think you have the wrong plan you still have a limited time to correct it.
When it comes to Medicare and Joe Namath, just remember the expression, if is sounds too good to be true it probably is. Tom the Medicare Guy.
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