Community Chat

[nomless]

@Mom in NY, I assume you are asking about Medicare supplement plans.

A certified Medicare advisor in your city will be able to explain all the plans that are available in your state. Then you can pick the plan that best meets your needs and which is most affordable. 

[I am still oxox]

Unless you see 0 doctors you need a supplemental plan to cover the 20% that medicare does not and you also need a prescription plan. Prices of the supplemental plans come out on October 1. It it best to speak someone who knows about many plans

[ahoymate]

Do your homework. It's all individual circumstances.

[software]

It depends on your budget and your health.

Here is a partial list of insurance providers who carry Medicare supplement plans.

Aetna

Humana

United Healthcare

Cigna.

Blue Cross in your state probably has a  plan also.

I decided to go with a zero premium local HMO.

I was able to keep all my same doctors & facilities.

You can also find a great deal of information on the website Medicare dot gov

[dragonflyveb]

Medicare can be really confusing. 

Look for a SHIP (state health insurance assistance program) in your state. Just do a search for SHIP. It’s a free service.

I got Medicare for Dummies and tried to plow,through that before I went to my SHIP appointment, 

I also went to a free seminar by some insurance people. By law, they can’t try to sell you at the seminar.

Best of all, I got a recommendation for a Medicare insurance agent who is not affiliated with any company. I made an appointment, we went through all the prices and options, and I picked my drug and supplement plan. Been very happy. The best thing about an agent is that he can get all the prices for all the plans. If you try to do it yourself, you have to narrow down your options, then call all the companies by yourself. I bet you can guess what happens once those companies get your info. One thing he told me to keep in mind was that once you pick a plan, plan to stay with it. The first year you choose, they don’t take pre-existing medical conditions into account. If you decide to switch after that first year, any company can turn you down or charge you more for hypertension, overweight, cancer, anything!

I was deluged with mail, phone calls, and drop-in salesmen once I turned 64 1/2. Its awful. 

Now,that it’s September, the spam calls are starting up again.

[Allegheny]

The first step is to understand Medicare.  Probably the best place to learn is at medicare.gov.  Peruse their website.  

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annually publishes the official U.S. Government Medicare handbook.

While these sources will not tell you what program is best for you, they will help give you working basic knowledge to make informed decisions.  No one here can advise you on the "best" plan/option, they can only tell you what has worked best for them in their particular circumstance.

I have seen counselor services available to provide assistance, but I can't give you any governmental contact information regarding this.  I would utilize a service (many are free) who are neutral based; one not trying to encourage a specific plan.

@dragonflyveb gave excellent advice, especially regarding contacting SHIP.

[Mom in NY]

Thank you all for your input.

[lilypadfrog]

Mom in NY

Remember that even if you see an insurance broker to get your information, they are paid by the company you choose.  Something of a conflict of interest in my opinion.  However, you can go to your local SHIP (state health insurance assistance program) office or your local Agency on Aging.  Both of these are free, present no conflict of interest and are extremely knowledgable

[Kalli]

We have a county Area Agency on Aging office here. Maybe search online to see if you have one in your area.

Three months before he would become eligible for Medicare, my husband made an appointment to meet with the person who helps folks decide on the right plan at our local Area Agency on Aging.  We took our financial info and that person guided us in our decision. 

Of course, the final decision was ours but the person we met with was VERY knowledgeable and patient. She showed us info, made a recommendation and gave us reasons for her opinion.  We are very pleased so far. 

[lovesrecess]

Although it is a personal decision, I see nothing wrong with asking for feedback from others; rather surprised so few wanted to respond in a positive way. Medicare plans like advantage, supplemental, etc. vary by state. If you currently have private health insurance, go to their website and there should be a link to Medicare information. If you had health insurance under your employer, some plans are called employer-based. Most areas have Medicare information sessions....your social security office should be able to give you times and dates for these.DH and I both Medicare advantage plans; his is with Aetna and mine is with Humana.

I have several friends with Medicare only; they have a limited number of doctors who see Medicare-only patients since the reimbursement is so low now. There are loads of choices out there..be wary of the ones that say no premium. Good luck and I am sure you can make a good choice if you seek out those who can help.

BTW, the Medicare premium is taken out of your SS check whether you have an advantage plan, etc. or not.