I'm On Medicare And I Hate Open Enrollment Time! - Page 4

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@Carmie wrote:
@Pearlee wrote:
@CarmieEven if I do have traditional Medicare and a Supplement yes I do need to think about more than the PDP. My Supplement keeps increasing my rate a lot in July each year mid- contact period so I never know what I'm paying in the second part of the year. Some companies charge less for the same coverage plan but I believe my company I'm with (Anthem) is the best. But each year I need to at least think about going with a company that charges less or getting lesser coverage (as I say I have the highest coverage). So there is more to think about than the drug plans.
@Pearlee When you have a Medicare Supplement, it is not prudent to even try to shop around for a replacement supplement plan.

When you are in your Medicare Part B enrollment period ( for most, but not all people when they turn age 65) you can shop around and can choose a plan to your liking. If you are not happy, you can cancel and choose a different one as long as you are in your open enrollment period.

Once your open enrollment period is closed, insurance companies can refuse to sell you insurance, or they can charge you more for preexisting conditions, or charge a higher fee. You will even get penalized for changing plans with the same company.

Whatever you choose from the get go will most likely be what you will have all of your life, unless you decide to cancel your Traditional Medicare and go with a Medicare Advantage plan. If you do this, you can always go back to Traditional Medicare, but you will not be able to buy a supplement for it.

There are of course, exceptions to be made for people with certain medical conditions, but for the average person, they will not be able to change supplements or even buy into one when their Medicare Part B open enrollment period is closed.

So, again I say, if you have Traditional Medicare, you do not have to shop around looking for a lower price...there s no such thing ( exception being Plan C and H are being discontinued in 2020 and people will be allowed to choose something else or keep what they have)...no new enrollment will be allowed)

As always, you can shop for a new RX Plan or an Advantage Plan each years during the annual open enrollment period.

Medicare Open enrollment period is each year.
Medicare Part B enrollment is only once in your lifetime and it is six months within your Medicare Part B effective date.

@Carmie Thank you. You've explained the Supplement eligibility better than I did.

Financialgrl · ‎03-13-2010

I've already posted this elsewhere a few times - I'm 64 and will turn 65 in April. Ever since June of this year my phone has been ringing off the hook and I have been receiving phone calls nonstop. Argh! I don't pickup the phone but did once by mistake and when I told the person I already knew what I was gonna do he wanted me to answer questions - I asked him what part of not interested he didn't understand and hung up.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@Pearlee wrote:
@Cats3000. What you recommend does not apply to everyone. My retirement pension system requires me to go through a company of advisors and sign up for plans though them if I want to get reimbursed for the costs of my plans which I do. Your advice is not applicable to me.

You are probably the only one on the forum who has Medicare supplemental group insurance through your retirement pension system. Don't you think it is confusing to post about what is only applicable to you and not state that up front?

Yes, you might be right about being able to change your insurance every year when you have a supplement, but no one else is able to do so and insurance is already confusing to most people. Why add to the confusion?

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@ CARMIE If I can change so can others. My retirement system has to abide by federal law re Medicare. There are no exceptions carved out for my retirement system. I am not confusing anyone.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

@Pearlee wrote:
@ CARMIE If I can change so can others. My retirement system has to abide by federal law re Medicare. There are no exceptions carved out for my retirement system. I am not confusing anyone.

I respectfully disagree. I probably know more about Medicare and health insurance than most other people and you misled me. You didn't state upfront that your insurance was through a pension program and proceeded to let me and another poster know that the info we posted was not correct.

The info we posted was correct for 99% of the people who have to purchase their insurance on their own. Trust me, you confused the heck out of people, but not me. I just thought you were the one confused.

When your insurance is not available for everyone, and you post without mention of that, it is very misleading and confusing.

Others cannot change their Medicare supplements. That info is available on the Medicare.gov website. They can only be changed under certain conditions and open enrollment is not one of the conditions.

I too, get my health insurance through a retirement system. The insurance I have is not available to anyone else on this forum, so I would never post about what it covers or costs. And, a retirement system does not have to follow the same rules that are out there for other Medicare Plans.

So yes, you may have confused others with conflicting information.

haddon9 · ‎03-09-2010

I just became eligible for Medicare in May. My neighbor who lives across the street from me is an insurance agent that specializes in Medicare. He helped me choose what to get initially.

Since I've only been on it for 7 months I'm going to stay with what I have . The premiums have gone up a bit but not much. I might feel differently next year.

ETA: Compared with what I was on (ACA) before, my Medicare, supplemental & Rx plans are BARGAINS!...they are at least 1/3 less of what I was paying with the "Affordable" Obama plans..

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

@Carmie ....I know you are correct (of course you didn't need meto tell you that, lol)..... because my dh has a retirement suppplement thru his previous employment...if he opts out of the plan and looks for another he would lose all his benefits that come with his plan.

You are a wealth of knowledge, thank you

chessylady · ‎05-01-2010

I have Medicare Advantage through Kaiser Permanente and am very satisfied with it. They even pay for my gym. I retired from the State of California and pay no heathcare premiums. That being said, I am very healthy at age 70, my Dad just celebrated his 93rd birthday. Why would I change plans?

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

I have Medicare and my retirement benefit supplement. I have no intention of changing. Occasional junk email and some snail mail solicitations that are easy to ignore.