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?
Medicare is far more complicated than most people expect. Even highly educated individuals often find the enrollment process confusing and frustrating. Making the wrong Medicare decision can result in lifetime late-enrollment penalties, higher healthcare costs, or coverage choices that may not be the best fit for your needs. In some cases, certain Medicare decisions cannot be easily reversed. Many people spend hours researching Medicare on their own and still feel uncertain about which option is right for them. My role is to simplify the process, explain your choices in plain English, and help you avoid costly mistakes. As an independent Medicare specialist serving Maryland and the Greater Baltimore area, I am familiar with the plans available locally and can help you identify the options that best fit your healthcare needs, budget, prescriptions, and lifestyle. My goal is simple: save you time, reduce confusion, and help you make a confident Medicare decision.
Won’t my Medicare card (Part A & Part B) coverage be enough?
Original Medicare (Part A & Part B) provides important coverage, but it also has significant gaps that could leave you responsible for large medical bills. To help protect yourself, you generally need additional coverage from a private insurance company, such as: Option 1: A Medicare Supplement plan, also called Medigap. Option 2: A Medicare Advantage plan. You also need prescription drug coverage, known as Part D, even if you do not currently take medications.
How Much Will your help cost me?
To fill the gaps in Original Medicare, most people choose either a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan or a Medicare Advantage plan offered by private insurance companies. The premium you pay is exactly the same whether you spend hours researching plans on your own or work with an experienced Medicare specialist. My role is to help you understand your options, compare plans, and identify the alternatives that best fit your healthcare needs, budget, and personal preferences. Based on your situation, I typically recommend 2 to 4 options for your consideration. There is no additional cost for my assistance. If you decide to enroll in a plan and I help with the enrollment process, the insurance company pays me a commission. The guidance and education I provide are provided at no charge to you. In short, you receive personalized Medicare guidance and support while paying the same premium you would pay if you enrolled on your own.
Why should I work with you instead of enrolling directly with a particular Medicare insurance company?
If you contact a Medicare insurance company directly, their representatives are naturally focused on enrolling you in their company's plan. They cannot compare their coverage against competing alternatives that may better fit your needs. As an independent insurance agent, I represent multiple insurance companies that offer Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Medicare Advantage, and Part D Prescription Drug Plans. This allows me to compare a variety of options and help you select coverage based on your healthcare needs, budget, travel habits, physician preferences, and other personal considerations. Rather than recommending a single company's solution, I can provide several alternatives and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, helping you make an informed decision that is tailored to your specific situation.
Why work with me instead of one of the large Medicare agencies you see on TV or YouTube?
The large Medicare agencies you see advertised can often do a competent job helping people enroll in coverage. The difference is the level of personal attention and commitment you receive. First and foremost, I genuinely care about helping my clients make the right decision. Choosing Medicare coverage is one of the most important financial and healthcare decisions many people will make, and I take seriously the trust my clients place in me. I am a local, independent Maryland insurance agent who focuses exclusively on serving Maryland residents. Because I work only in Maryland, I have extensive knowledge of the Medicare plans available here and can help narrow the choices to the few options that are likely to fit your healthcare needs, budget, doctors, prescriptions, and lifestyle. Beyond helping you select a Medicare plan, I can also help determine whether you may qualify for state, federal, pharmaceutical, or other assistance programs that can reduce the cost of Medicare premiums, prescription drugs, and healthcare expenses. If you qualify, I am happy to help you apply for those programs. Perhaps most importantly, my relationship with clients does not end after enrollment. I remain available to answer questions, help resolve issues, and provide guidance in the future. In fact, I often follow up with clients after they enroll to make sure everything is working as expected and to address any concerns that may arise. My goal is not simply to enroll you in a plan. My goal is to help you understand your options, make a confident decision, and be a trusted local resource you can turn to whenever Medicare questions arise. Please review my testimonial page to see what other clients have said about their experience working with me.
How do I know that you will provide me with the most competitive Medicare plan quotes?
No agent can honestly guarantee that they will always find the absolute lowest premium available. However, all licensed Medicare agents generally have access to many of the same insurance companies and plans. My goal is to help you find the best combination of coverage, service, and cost based on your specific situation. I compare plans from multiple highly rated insurance companies and look for the options that provide the strongest value—not simply the lowest premium. Over the years, I have occasionally compared my quotes to those provided by large national Medicare agencies. Sometimes the results are identical, particularly when the same insurance carrier is being quoted. In many cases, however, I have found equally strong coverage from highly rated companies at premiums that are noticeably lower than those quoted elsewhere. For clients considering Medicare Supplement (Medigap) coverage, I routinely compare rates among several insurers to identify the most competitive options. For those interested in Medicare Advantage plans, many excellent plans are available with low monthly premiums—and in some cases, a $0 monthly premium—depending on where you live and your eligibility. Rather than presenting a single option, I typically provide several alternatives and explain the advantages, disadvantages, costs, and trade-offs of each so you can make an informed decision with confidence.

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