Community Chat

[sunshine45]

are you talking about the ""book"" that medicare sent out this week? my mom just got hers a couple of days ago.

[MaggieToo]

Nearly everything that was no cost is now 40% of the cost. Co pays for various things went up from an additional $20 to an additional $70. There is a cost for the premium this year as well. Some screenings are now a 40% cost. My meds did stay the same, I think.

[terrier3]

On 9/21/2014 MaggieToo said:

Nearly everything that was no cost is now 40% of the cost. Co pays for various things went up from an additional $20 to an additional $70. There is a cost for the premium this year as well. Some screenings are now a 40% cost. My meds did stay the same, I think.

Are you talking about Medicare Advantage?

Those are private plans offered by private insurance companies.

The fall is open enrollment season for a reason - you can and should check out the competition every year and don't just stick with the status quo.

[MaggieToo]

On 9/21/2014 terrier3 said:

On 9/21/2014 MaggieToo said:

Nearly everything that was no cost is now 40% of the cost. Co pays for various things went up from an additional $20 to an additional $70. There is a cost for the premium this year as well. Some screenings are now a 40% cost. My meds did stay the same, I think.

Are you talking about Medicare Advantage?

Those are private plans offered by private insurance companies.

The fall is open enrollment season for a reason - you can and should check out the competition every year and don't just stick with the status quo.

I haven't gotten any other information yet. I will check it out, though. It was just such a big change.

[terrier3]

On 9/21/2014 MaggieToo said:

On 9/21/2014 terrier3 said:

On 9/21/2014 MaggieToo said:

Nearly everything that was no cost is now 40% of the cost. Co pays for various things went up from an additional $20 to an additional $70. There is a cost for the premium this year as well. Some screenings are now a 40% cost. My meds did stay the same, I think.

Are you talking about Medicare Advantage?

Those are private plans offered by private insurance companies.

The fall is open enrollment season for a reason - you can and should check out the competition every year and don't just stick with the status quo.

I haven't gotten any other information yet. I will check it out, though. It was just such a big change.

If your area is anything like our area, there are a lot of different Advantage choices.

It might be worth your time to go to their seminars.

As private plans, they have a lot of leeway on what they offer and what they charge - just like private insurance plans for people under 65.

They get a dollar figure from Medicare for each person they enroll (called per capita)...and then base their benefits and plans on how they can make money from their enrollees. The average person in an Advantage plan costs 12% more than a person enrolled in standard Medicare. They used to tack on lots of extras to make Advantage marketable - gym memberships, dental, vision, etc. But they are in business to make money, and if delivering health care costs more now than in the past, they have to change their plans to stay afloat.

[Marp2]

The only 2015 information I've received so far is for my prescription drug plan. Premium is going up $3 a month but co-pays are essentially the same. The big difference, however, is in the tiers to which drugs are assigned. Very few, including drugs that are most frequently prescribed for seniors, remain in tier 1.

[Gooday]

Our BC/BS is through the City of Chicago. DH is 68 and I am 61. Our current monthly premium s $700.00 a month with a 2K deductible with 80/20 coverage until we make a 2500. out of pocket. Mayor Emmanuel announced last week he wants to raise the premiums 40% for retirees!!!!!! It goes against the Illinois State Constitution but hey...he does not care.

We were together with our retired police friends and when one of them said if you think it's bad now, go to the AHC site and you will really go into sticker shock.

[terrier3]

On 9/21/2014 Gooday said:

Our BC/BS is through the City of Chicago. DH is 68 and I am 61. Our current monthly premium s $700.00 a month with a 2K deductible with 80/20 coverage until we make a 2500. out of pocket. Mayor Emmanuel announced last week he wants to raise the premiums 40% for retirees!!!!!! It goes against the Illinois State Constitution but hey...he does not care.

We were together with our retired police friends and when one of them said if you think it's bad now, go to the AHC site and you will really go into sticker shock.

The ACA policies are set up to guarantee that not more than 9% of a person or family's NET income will be spent on healthcare.

The ACA pricing might look high, because that is BEFORE the tax subsidy, which varies by income. There is also another form of assistance for people making between 138-250% of poverty level for deductibles and co-pays.

[terrier3]

On 9/21/2014 Marp2 said:

The only 2015 information I've received so far is for my prescription drug plan. Premium is going up $3 a month but co-pays are essentially the same. The big difference, however, is in the tiers to which drugs are assigned. Very few, including drugs that are most frequently prescribed for seniors, remain in tier 1.

I believe that different insurance companies place drugs in different tiers. Again, you can check around to see if you can get a better deal with your same doctors.

[adelle38]

On 9/21/2014 terrier3 said:

On 9/21/2014 Gooday said:

Our BC/BS is through the City of Chicago. DH is 68 and I am 61. Our current monthly premium s $700.00 a month with a 2K deductible with 80/20 coverage until we make a 2500. out of pocket. Mayor Emmanuel announced last week he wants to raise the premiums 40% for retirees!!!!!! It goes against the Illinois State Constitution but hey...he does not care.

We were together with our retired police friends and when one of them said if you think it's bad now, go to the AHC site and you will really go into sticker shock.

The ACA policies are set up to guarantee that not more than 9% of a person or family's NET income will be spent on healthcare.

The ACA pricing might look high, because that is BEFORE the tax subsidy, which varies by income. There is also another form of assistance for people making between 138-250% of poverty level for deductibles and co-pays.

I think that the people in sticker shock either haven't really looked at the final cost or are used to getting free health care subsidies from employers. Employers are taking advantage of the ACA to get out of the health subsidy business and some people are dealing with what the working poor have been dealing with for decades.

Universal Health Care would solve these problems.