Thank you for your post. I too am thinking of changing plans, but it all so very confusing to this old guy.
UP4Later
https://www.medicareadvocacy.org/choosing-between-traditional-medicare-and-a-medicare-advantage-plan/
That sounds like a very substantial savings!!
Maybe check with an independent agency that is less likely to steer you toward a certain policy group.
eg
https://boomerbenefits.com
https://www.castleseniorbenefits.com
My wife and I have been on a MA plan for 5 years. Couldn’t be happier and the cost is very reasonable.
We do Medicare in concert with United Healthcare. It’s a plan offered thru the state (wife is retired state worker). United has been absolutely great to work with...on top of medical situations, helpful when called, great coverage, and reasonably priced. We’re even covered of we need medical care out of country. We only have to present the United membership card (not the Medicare card). Note: this is a state-supported plan so the state retiree system pays part, plus the state has probably negotiated a reasonable plan for retirees.
But United has been great.
I switched to Advantage through BCBS a couple of years ago for the very fact that I have four specialists for my current health problems, and Advantage lets me go to any doctor, not limiting me to just those who accept regular Medicare.
I like that flexibility.
Advantage is for healthy people, not sick people.husband sick chronic problems surgery paid only deductible so why would he ask if he should do advAntage to save money. They nit pic you.its a problem if you want to go back to Medicare costs more and underwriting.i told him he was nuts.
Plans vary from state to state and within states.
I have had MA for years and have changed plans [forced and voluntary] several times.
Two years ago AARP/United Healthcare shafted us. They dropped nearly 3/4 of the doctors from my plan in the summer. They did assign another doctor, however, but I did not want to have to get new prescriptions, etc. They were fighting with the area medical groups to get more $$$.
They finally settled in the late autum and retro’ed payments to doctors. They did not tell us, of course, that they would retro.
I dropped them.
My current plan is through Aetna. My PCP copay is $5; some companies are now charging $0. My 90-day generic prescriptions are $0. [Competition has heated up in the MA market.]
You have to consider your circumstances and pick the plan that best suits you. You can compare plans on the Medicare.gov website. If you get a mail copy of Medicare and You 2019, it may list plans available in your area.
One of the best decisions I made was to join the National Guard after I left after duty. I have a total of 22 years of military service which qualifies me for Tricare For Life.
I began to receive all sorts of advertising for Medicare Supplement Plans when I qualified for Medicare at age 65. I contacted Humana which provided Tricare services. Humana said they would sell me a policy but that I already had the best supplemental policy there was, Tricare for Life.
Essentially, Tricare for Life pay very thing Medicare doesn’t. I had surgery to reconnect four tendons in my hand that had been separated. I saw one bill for $20K. My cost was $7 for some pain killers. My cataract surgery was paid for completely.
“”United Healthcare Advantage Plans””
What would keep me from United Healthcare is their relationship to AARP which I want nothing to do with but if it’s saving $$$, I guess it’s time to stop being so prejudiced against AARP. I did find some lower drug costs when I checked some of prices there this week...Still cogitating and December 7 will be coming up fast.
Good luck to everyone with open enrollment...
advantage plans are fine as long as you are healthy ... not good at all if/when you or your wife develop multiple, severe and/or unusual health problems ... of course you can always switch each year in November ... in my opinion, if you can afford top of the line health insurance, it’s the only way to go ... trying to save money on your health is foolish IF you can afford it ... remember, the main purpose of advantage plans is to provide the cheapest and most limited options possible so the company can make a profit ... also, your care will be 100% restricted by a gatekeeper doc assigned to you, and you might not be able to get one you get along with ...
We have traditional Medicare and an AARP United Healthcare Plan F as a supplemental. We pay $336 a month for the supplemental. I have a lot of health problems. It only takes one major health event to bankrupt the average American. The reason that you see the Advantage plans advertised is this: the companies make a ton of money since there are so many exclusions and limitations compared to traditional Medicare and a really good supplemental.
Another annoying feature of the MA plan was that the insurance company was always trying to insert themselves between Mr. RightField and his doctors. The company always wanted to visit him in our home, to provide "extra care" and provide a "list of concerns" to be shared with the doctor on his next office visit. We would also get calls from the insurance company pharmacist to "go over" his list of medications and "coordinate" with his primary physician. We would get offers to get $25 gift cards to various restaurants or stores if he would just acquiesce to a in-home visit to have a nurse practitioner give him an addition exam ... and evaluate the safety of our home.
The requests for home visits got the same answer: The only entrance to our home is with an invitation or a warrant, and you have neither.
This year, Mr. RightField's MA has cancelled their program in our area. It is called a "Service Area Reduction," and opens up what is called a Special Election Period whereby Mr. RightField can get a guaranteed-issue supplement plan. We're going to go with Plan F (same as what I have). Yes, it is more expensive, and he has to get a prescription plan as well.
But, for us, the freedom to choose any provider, anywhere in the country, far outweighs any so-called extra benefit touted by a Medicare advantage program. Freedom isn't free.
My wife and I are on Medicare/Supplemental Plan F plus we each have part D drug plans. I had enjoyed very good health, but I was diagnosed with prostate cancer 2 1/2 years ago and had a prostatectomy. Medicare/plan F paid for everything. After 2 years PSA results started climbing and I’m now undergoing radiation therapy. No bills for it, so far. I figure my Supplemental Plan F cost of $175/mo is a pretty good deal, all in all.
What no one has mentioned so far is that each state is different when it comes to plans. In Missouri I can change plans not just in Oct/Dec but also in the month that I first enrolled in a plan without having pre-existing conditions applied against me—unlike if I switch now.
My mom 99 had an Advantage plan in SoCal, but she seemed to be very limited to doctors/hospitals, etc. Cal is big on HMOs but they are unknown here in SE MO. So I guess I’m saying a lot depends on where you live.
First: if you leave original Medicare for an Advantage Plan & you DON’T live in one of only 2 or 3 states that allow “Guaranteed Issue” you could be locked out of going back to original Medicare, forever. Because you will be subject to a medical review & if you are unhealthy you will not be allowed back in.
Second: Advantage Plans are private companies & they will not always approve everything Medicare would. It happens all the time. Go read the horror stories all over the internet. Advantage Plans are ok if you are healthy, but not worth it IMO long-term.
A lot of good insights being offered here! Answered most of the questions I had on this subject.
Is it really Medicare vs Advantage? Wouldn’t it be Medicare vs Advantage or Supplemental?
When I went on Medicare, I had no choice; at 65 we ALL go on Medicare. Having Medicare, then you can choose between an Advantage Plan or a Supplemental Plan. We chose Supplemental Plan G or F (can’t recall which) through Mutual of Omaha. Advantage had some OK benefits, but the coverage was much better on a Supplemental (I think it’s also called medi-gap.)
We contacted AMAC, the “conservative alternative to AARP” and were put in touch with an agent who shopped around for the best option for us. That was five years ago. Then my husband turned 65 three years later and went through the same agent. He’s been a good touchstone when we needed.
Whatever you do, if you go to any government sponsored seminars, take in the info but then do your own research beyond that. Two women who facilitated the Medicare workshop we attended were in love with Obamacare and would never give us straight answers to basically any question about Advantage vs Supplemental.