A room inside The Clearing
Start with what is happening now.
Fern helps you work from your situation, not from a Medicare textbook.
Ready to ask? Start with Fern. Want context first? See how Fern works.
Fern is an educational guide from The Clearing. The Clearing is not an insurance agency, brokerage, carrier, or plan. Fern does not sell, recommend, compare, or enroll you in specific Medicare plans.
Before you type, please do not enter Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers, financial account numbers, passwords, or full medical records. Full safety notes ›
Education and guidance only · Not legal, medical, tax, financial, or plan-specific advice · Each session starts fresh.
Read further.
How to get the most from Fern.
The essentials at a glance. Tap any section to expand the details.
A How Fern works.
Fern starts with your situation, then explains the Medicare rules that matter.
Fern leans on official Medicare and government sources first, with trusted nonprofit and policy sources when helpful for context.
Before acting, Fern will encourage you to verify the exact plan, employer, income, health, state, and timing details that apply to your situation. Rules and dates can change — please confirm specifics with Medicare.gov, SHIP, or a licensed professional.
B Shape the answer.
Ask Fern for the format that helps you most:
- Just the bottom line
- Checklist
- Detailed version
More ways to ask:
- “Explain it like I’m smart but new to Medicare.”
- “Use an analogy first, then the practical version.”
- “Walk me through it step by step.”
- “What are the tradeoffs?”
- “What questions should I ask next?”
C Save your session.
Ask Fern: “Create a short summary I can save.”
Fern does not build a member profile or remember prior conversations. Each session starts fresh, so a summary is the easiest way to keep continuity.
- Copy & paste: select the summary and paste it into your notes, email, or a document.
- Print: use your browser’s print option for a paper copy.
- Save as PDF: in the browser print dialog, choose “Save as PDF” as the destination.
- Resume later: paste the summary into a new Fern session and ask Fern to pick up from there.
D More ways to start.
Real, specific situations help Fern help you. A few openers:
- “I’m turning 65 in October and still on my employer’s plan. What should I be thinking about?”
- “My spouse just retired and lost employer coverage. What are our options?”
- “I’m helping my mother in California — she has specialists she wants to keep. Where do we start?”
- “I enrolled in Medicare Advantage two years ago and want to understand my options.”
- “Explain the difference between Medigap and Medicare Advantage in simple, clear terms.”
E Why Fern is shaped this way.
Most Medicare help arrives during a trigger moment — a birthday letter, an enrollment deadline, a job change, a notice in the mail, a worry about a parent. Those moments are noisy, and the help that shows up is often trying to sell something.
Fern is shaped for the quieter, earlier part of that moment: when you want to understand what is actually happening before someone else starts steering the conversation. It works from your situation outward — not from a textbook in.
Fern is education and guidance, not advice. It is built to help you ask better questions, not to replace a licensed professional. The Clearing is not an insurance agency, brokerage, carrier, or plan. Fern does not sell, recommend, compare, or enroll you in specific Medicare plans.
We introduced this guide as GRACE during beta. Before broader launch, we renamed it Fern to better fit The Clearing’s calmer, grounded brand and to reduce confusion with Medicare-adjacent Grace / Grace Agency uses.
F Full safety notes.
Please do not enter:
- Social Security numbers
- Medicare numbers
- Financial account numbers
- Passwords
- Full medical records
Fern does not build a member profile or remember prior conversations. Each session starts fresh.
Fern is an educational guide from The Clearing. The Clearing is not an insurance agency, brokerage, carrier, or plan. Fern does not sell, recommend, compare, or enroll you in specific Medicare plans. Fern is not legal, medical, tax, financial, or plan-specific advice. For decisions about specific plans, enrollment, or your health, please consult a licensed professional or call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE.
If you ask about appeals: Fern can help you understand the appeals process, organize your facts, and prepare questions or draft language to review with the right professional. Fern is not your legal representative and cannot guarantee any outcome. For complex cases, contact the Medicare Rights Center or your state SHIP counselor.
Fern can be wrong. Verify exact rules, dates, and dollar amounts with Medicare.gov, your state SHIP counselor, or a licensed professional before you act.
G Common questions.
Does Fern save what I tell it?
Fern does not build a member profile or remember prior conversations. Each session starts fresh. If you want to keep continuity, ask Fern to create a summary you can save and paste into a future session.
Should I share personal details?
Share what helps Fern understand your situation — age, state, current coverage, whether you’re still working, what you’re trying to figure out. Do not share Social Security numbers, Medicare numbers, financial account numbers, passwords, or full medical records.
Can Fern help me buy a plan?
No. Fern does not sell, recommend, or compare specific Medicare plans, carriers, or pricing. The Clearing is not an insurance agency, brokerage, carrier, or plan. Fern helps you understand what applies to your situation and what questions to ask before talking with a licensed broker or counselor.
What if Fern cannot answer my question?
Fern will tell you when something is outside what it can help with, or when you should verify a specific detail with Medicare.gov, your state SHIP counselor, or a licensed professional. That is intentional.
Can I ask about my spouse, parent, or other family member?
Yes. Many people use Fern to help a spouse, a parent, or another family member. Describe the situation as you understand it — whose decision it is, what coverage is in place, and what you’re trying to figure out together.
Why was this called GRACE before?
We introduced this guide as GRACE during beta. Before broader launch, we renamed it Fern to better fit The Clearing’s calmer, grounded brand and to reduce confusion with Medicare-adjacent Grace / Grace Agency uses. The guide itself is the same; only the name changed.