Pathway Retirement services is an independent insurance broker. We specialize in securing and protecting your retirement through the use of carefully chosen insurance products as part of an overall retirement plan. We believe that insurance isn’t the answer to everything but using insurance plans in appropriate ways can be an important part of any well crafted retirement plan.

Start thinking about retirement early, even as soon as you get your first job. Start setting at least a small portion of your income aside for the future.

Protect your family when they are young. Unexpected tragedies or medical expenses to any family member can de-rail even the best plan if there are no safeguards in place.

Medicare is designed as a basic health insurance plan for seniors, covering approximately 80% of medical costs. Most individuals choose either a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plan to help control the potential out of pocket costs associated with original Medicare.

Original Medicare consists of Part A (Hospital insurance) and Part B (Medical insurance).

In more recent years Part C (Medicare Advantage) and part D (Prescription drug coverage) have been added. Parts C and D are both Medicare regulated plans that are provided by private insurance companies.

Your decision of what type of Medicare plan to choose and which one may well be one of the most important decisions you make when you retire. The differences between these plans and the variety of options available make this a particularly difficult and confusing decision for most people. Let us help you negotiate the transition from traditional healthcare to Medicare by providing information and guidance on the following areas and more:

• When and how to apply for Medicare.

• Key differences between the types of plans available

• Which plans require health underwriting and which don’t

• What is and isn’t covered by Medicare

• How to figure out which enrollment period to use

• How to avoid a lapse in health coverage when changing

• What to do if you have chronic health issues

• Choosing the right prescription drug plan

This one of the most useful and versatile planning tools available to anyone at any age. While most people think of life insurance as a means to cover final expenses, there are many uses for life insurance that are not understood as well.

• Replacing Income for a spouse in the event of an untimely death.

• Providing a legacy for children or grand children

• Enhancing retirement income through tax-free withdrawals

• Protection from the cost of Long-Term-Care

• Legacy charity gifts

• Protecting and estate from the cost of taxation

• Buy / sell agreements for partnership businesses

• Key person policies for businesses

Perhaps, one of the least understood and most overlooked areas of planning for retirement. Just like the devastation of an unexpected death, an extended illness and the need for long term care or extended home health care can alter or even implode the best laid retirement plans. Medicare does not cover long term care costs beyond short term rehabilitation from a medical procedure. Long term care can have a devastating effect on retirement in several ways:

• The high cost of long term care can rapidly deplete retirement income resources.

• The stress of caring for a spouse who needs long term care often leads to heath problems for the caregiver.

• Families relationships are often damaged because of differences in opinion, location and ability to contribute to care for a parent.