Questions about The Clearing
Plain answers before you decide whether The Clearing is right for you.
The Clearing helps people understand their Medicare situation, know what to check, and use guides, tools, Fern, and trusted resources with more confidence.
Do you sell Medicare plans?
No. The Clearing does not sell Medicare plans or earn broker commissions.
Can Fern choose a plan?
No. Fern helps you organize what matters and know what to check. It does not recommend plans or carriers.
What is free?
The public site includes articles, guides, tools, resources, and orientation materials.
Is membership required?
No. You can start free. Membership is for people who want guided support staying organized.
What The Clearing is
A plan-neutral Medicare decision guide and member community.
It helps people understand where they are, what decision they are making, and what to check before relying on advice.
The Clearing is an independent Medicare education, decision-support, and member guidance resource. It helps people understand their Medicare situation, compare coverage paths before comparing plan names, use official sources more effectively, organize questions, and know what to verify before making a decision.
The Clearing does not sell Medicare plans, recommend specific carriers, or earn broker commissions.
No. The Clearing is not a government agency and does not issue Medicare benefits, process enrollments, or make official eligibility decisions.
For official Medicare information, use Medicare.gov, Social Security, plan documents, your plan, or other official sources. The Clearing helps you understand what to check and where a question may fit.
No. The Clearing does not sell Medicare plans, does not represent insurance carriers, and does not earn broker commissions. The Clearing's role is to help you get oriented before you rely on anyone's advice.
Because Medicare information often arrives before people know what decision they are actually making. The Clearing was built to help people start with their situation, understand the decision in front of them, and know what to check — before the mailers, calls, and deadlines take over.
Free site vs membership
Free helps you see the path. Membership helps you work through it.
The free site includes public articles, guides, decision tools, resources, and orientation materials. You do not need to create an account to use them.
Membership adds Fern, member discussions, topic sessions, deeper guides and checklists, and a way to involve a trusted helper. It gives you a calmer place to keep going as Medicare questions change over time.
No. The free tools, articles, guides, and resources are available without an account or membership.
Fern
The guided support layer inside membership.
Fern helps members organize their situation, understand what to check, and prepare for the next step.
Fern is the guided support layer inside The Clearing membership. It helps members organize their Medicare situation, understand what matters, name what still needs to be checked, and prepare for the next step — whether that's a conversation with an agent, a call to Medicare, or a decision about a plan change.
No. Fern helps you organize your situation, understand what to check, and prepare for the next step. It does not choose plans, recommend carriers, or tell you what to enroll in.
No. Fern helps you prepare before you use those resources — with clearer questions and your situation organized. For official Medicare information, use Medicare.gov. For plan enrollment, use a licensed agent or Medicare.gov's plan finder.
Fern is a membership feature. The free site includes public articles, guides, and tools that do not require membership.
Trusted helpers
Medicare is often a shared decision.
The Clearing is designed to support trusted helpers when consistency matters. Membership allows a spouse, caregiver, or adult child to be involved in the process. Final account access details match the membership setup.
Yes. The Clearing includes situation guides, tools, and resources specifically for people navigating Medicare on behalf of someone else. The "Helping a parent" situation is one of the core paths on the free site.
SHIP, Medicare.gov, and agents
The Clearing works alongside other resources.
SHIP can be a very good free, plan-neutral resource. The Clearing can help you prepare before or after using SHIP by helping you understand your situation and what questions to ask. They are not in competition.
Medicare.gov is the official source for Medicare rules, coverage information, plan data, and enrollment. The Clearing helps you understand what to look for on Medicare.gov and how to use it effectively. Use both.
A licensed agent can compare available plans and help you enroll. The Clearing helps you understand your situation and what to check before you talk with an agent — so you walk in with better questions. They serve different steps in the same process.
Privacy and limits
What The Clearing does not do.
No. The Clearing never asks for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or financial account information. Do not enter those numbers into any Medicare education site.
No. The Clearing is not a licensed insurance agency, does not provide licensed insurance advice, and does not replace the advice of a licensed agent, SHIP counselor, or other qualified professional. It helps you prepare to use those resources well.
The Clearing is member-funded. It does not earn broker commissions, accept carrier payments, or sell advertising. The free site is supported by membership revenue. This is what allows The Clearing to remain plan-neutral.
Joining, pausing, and canceling
Membership is month-to-month.
It is a month-to-month membership designed around Medicare moments. Use it when you need active support, and pause or cancel when you do not.
Yes — your membership is month-to-month. You can pause or cancel from your account; exact terms are shown at checkout.
The Clearing is still growing. Founding members join at the early rate and keep it while their membership remains active, even as new tools, sessions, resources, and Fern support are added.
Start with the free site. Join when you're ready.
You do not need to join to use The Clearing. Start with the free resources, and membership is there when you want a calmer place to keep going.
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