Posted on 04/11/2024 7:03:05 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
There are so many disadvantages to "Advantage" plans I'm amazed that they are now chosen by the (slight) majority of retired people. Number one, for me, is the geographically restricted network of doctors & hospitals. If I want to got to, for example, M D Anderson in Houston for cancer treatment, traditional Medicare lets me do that. That's just one reason to go with traditional Medicare. There are others.
“I’m for Goobermint paid preventive care for everybody. Keep people healthy and medical costs go down.
then come the government mandates..
Don’t smoke
don’t do drugs
can’t to that sport its not safe
oh can’t drive that car, poor safety score
lets get the government OUT of medicine not deeper in to it.”
It isn’t black and white. I had surgery which would have cost 85k. It cost me 2k. My wife had hip replacement surgery and they wouldn’t do it unless she tested free on nicotine.
choose your position.
Fortunately, I’ve never had to opt for that.
Just post the short list of things that Biden is not going to gut.
Senior citizens are probably the most gullible of any age group. Just beyond stupid. And I am 66 years old.
yup...
If Medicare were 100% coverage, this thread would not exist.
As for the richest 20% . . . no idea where that came from. Nearly everyone is on Medicare. It is only the very rich who choose not to have it.
As for Medigap vs Advantage, people will be different. But don’t pretend Medigap is cheaper. Medigap will have a monthly premium PLUS Part D premium. Advantage usually very low or no premium and it’s all copays.
Someone above said they want to go to MD Anderson for treatment. Advantage will pay for emergency treatment away from home, but you can’t go to MD Anderson 5X a year, paying hotel and all else under Advantage. This is true. But you got charged monthly for that privilege. It’s not free. And psssssst, there is no evidence it’s superior treatment there. Oncologists all have to learn from the same cookbooks to get the same board certification. If you live super rural, you are going to have to travel regardless, but if you live super rural, chances are there are no Advantage plans.
Advantage is not the choice of the majority. Every one of that majority studied their heads off. It used to be Medigap insurance agents got additional commission over Advantage. That has evened out, with local variances.
In general, if you KNOW you’re going to have chronic illness then you’ll want Medigap. If you don’t know that, you’ll save money with Advantage.
typo . . . it is *now the choice of the majority.
later
Exactly....The Kenyan’s third term from his basement, wearing sweats. (His words)
Why, because YOU plan to be Medicare vs Medicare Advantage? So everybody needs to cow-tow to your preference. Besides, its not 80% / 20% far from it Med Advantage is over 50% now. I demand you skip Medicare and go on Med Advantage. Cause I say so.
And if we had a healthy, thriving, capitalist insurance market that existed to manage risk, people would have some skin in the game since the folks taking care of themselves would likely get better rates than those who didn’t.
If the government was really into public health, that’s how to do it.
Then have taxpayer funded insurance for the high risk and truly indigent.
Very true. It was always little more than a disguised politicl payoff to companies like Humana and Sanford Health.
Definitely agree. I just got back from the gym, which is a benefit on my MA plan, along with dental, vision, and supplements/health care items. Last year I got a iWatch as a “wearable medical device” for about $10. I LIKE getting something back after decades without a claim, ever.
And I’m currently wearing for no cost an amazing ECG device that is much more comfortable than the old Holter Monitors.
You did not understand, because it is so complex.
Medicare covers 80% of your costs. The remaining 20% is Medigap (Supplemental) or Medicare Advantage. Those monumentally complex options are only covering 20% of your costs.
I was not talking about what % of ppl chose Medigap vs Medicare Advantage. That breakdown is about 50/50 now.
The terminology is almost designed to confuse. “Original Medicare” means Medigap. Medicare Advantage is called Medicare Part C.
It’s insane.
Most of America has already been “ socialized” into gob’s healthcare. We’re screwed!
This is a huge winning issue for the GOP, I’m sure they will ignore it.
Medicare Supplement Plan G covers:Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits run out
Part A deductible ($1,632 in 2024)
Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
Part B coinsurance or copayment
Part B excess charges
Blood (the first three pints needed for a transfusion)
Skilled nursing facility coinsurance
Foreign travel emergency care
Just real roughly, my annual premium costs for the above are around $3000.
Ordinary office visits have me making $35 co-payment.
“Advantage plans are great until they’re not so great. “
And with the cuts next year will bring another round of hospital systems dropping MA contracts and many existing patients will be shocked that their plan disappeared.
And, of course, you would not be subject to health qualification exam or underwriting if you join Medicare at open enrollment time and have had continuous medical insurance coverage up to that point.
“lets get the government OUT of medicine not deeper in to it.”
So dump Medicare, it’s just Government Healthcare.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.