Wellness

[teganslaw]

I have Banker's Life supplement Plan N and never had a co-pay or emergency cost.I'm not sure what plan N charges co-pays, but mine doesn't. It must be with a different company. 

[CelticCrafter]

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@conlt wrote:

@CelticCrafter All Medical Providers who accept Medicare accept the supplement plans. That is a condition for providers to be able to accept Medicare patients. Whether they chose to bill the supplement of not, is up to them.

One more note about the part D Medicare Drug Coverage. It is easy to sign-up and there is open enrollment each year. You may change plans depending on your needs. Go to Medicare.gov and search for the Part D plans. There you can add your medications and see how much they will cost, if your pharmacy is in network etc. Then you can add up all your costs to see which is the best for you.

For me, I am on 2 of the newer diabetes medications that are very expensive. I was lucky to find a couple of plans that actually cover my drugs pretty decently. In October, during open enrollment, I will look again. That is how part D works. 

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The only thing they are "accepting" is the co-insurance difference.  Supplements aren't paying any more than that.

[CelticCrafter]

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@teganslaw wrote:

I have Banker's Life supplement Plan N and never had a co-pay or emergency cost.I'm not sure what plan N charges co-pays, but mine doesn't. It must be with a different company. 

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We have Banker's Life Plan N and some providers bill the $20 co-pay some don't.

Plan N is Plan N no matter what company you have. 

What the providers choose to do is up to them when it comes to the co-pay

[judianne]

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@conlt wrote:

@Effie54 I live in Florida and the plans can be somewhat different from State to State. I took the United World Life Insurance Company (Mutual of Omaha). G plan. Right now, it cost me $169 per month, but I am sure it will go up. My mother was on a F plan it it went up just about every year. 

I will not deal with United Health Care, they do aggressive marketing, and I feel the insurance brokers have steered unsuspecting Seniors into their Advantage Plan. Advantage plans may be fine for people who have few medical problems but as we age, most have medical problems. 

Someone mentioned she did not know how bad United Health Care was until her spouse had to go to rehab. You don't get your choice of where you go to rehab, you take the rehab that accepts the United Health Care.

Like I said, our home health company stopped taking it because they don't cover our costs. Patient's who are really sick, say "post bowel surgery with a colostomy" struggle to access care and supplies. Often, I am the person who is explaining to the patient why they have a copay etc. etc. 

The Advantage plans have to offer the same services as Medicare but they often limit the services. Many advantage plan members think they are on Medicare, but they are not. They are on United Health Care or Blue Cross etc. 

I have had patient's in their 80's and 90's, not know that they signed up for an Advantage plan that does not give them the same service that they had under straight Medicare.

The situation makes me really angry. In the 3 months, this year, before I turned 65, I had almost daily contact from United Health Care. Someone even came to my door and left a card. The "insurance people" acted like I did not know anything. Then I blasted them with what I know about their plan.

Stay away from Advantage Plans if you can afford to do so. It is so sad, for me, to speak to Seniors who cannot get care for their loved one because of what I think are predatory insurance companies.

Once you go off your supplement, it will be difficult and costly to go back on. Someone here had good advice. Start with a Medicare supplement and move to an Advantage Plan only if you cannot afford to stay on straight Medicare and a Supplement. 

I will say though, most Advantage Plans will cost the person in the end, if they get sick, with out of pocket costs, co-pays and deductibles. 

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l love my Advantage plan !  Had several surgeries and hospital stays and cost to me was minimal . I don't know why people are so against it ! l get meds free , dental and eye glasses , no copayment for primary MD visits . A recent 8 days hospital stay including a very extensive surgical procedure , cost me a total of $200 dollars . Rest all paid for by the Advantage Plan , 

[Trinity11]

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@judianne wrote:

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@conlt wrote:

@Effie54 I live in Florida and the plans can be somewhat different from State to State. I took the United World Life Insurance Company (Mutual of Omaha). G plan. Right now, it cost me $169 per month, but I am sure it will go up. My mother was on a F plan it it went up just about every year. 

I will not deal with United Health Care, they do aggressive marketing, and I feel the insurance brokers have steered unsuspecting Seniors into their Advantage Plan. Advantage plans may be fine for people who have few medical problems but as we age, most have medical problems. 

Someone mentioned she did not know how bad United Health Care was until her spouse had to go to rehab. You don't get your choice of where you go to rehab, you take the rehab that accepts the United Health Care.

Like I said, our home health company stopped taking it because they don't cover our costs. Patient's who are really sick, say "post bowel surgery with a colostomy" struggle to access care and supplies. Often, I am the person who is explaining to the patient why they have a copay etc. etc. 

The Advantage plans have to offer the same services as Medicare but they often limit the services. Many advantage plan members think they are on Medicare, but they are not. They are on United Health Care or Blue Cross etc. 

I have had patient's in their 80's and 90's, not know that they signed up for an Advantage plan that does not give them the same service that they had under straight Medicare.

The situation makes me really angry. In the 3 months, this year, before I turned 65, I had almost daily contact from United Health Care. Someone even came to my door and left a card. The "insurance people" acted like I did not know anything. Then I blasted them with what I know about their plan.

Stay away from Advantage Plans if you can afford to do so. It is so sad, for me, to speak to Seniors who cannot get care for their loved one because of what I think are predatory insurance companies.

Once you go off your supplement, it will be difficult and costly to go back on. Someone here had good advice. Start with a Medicare supplement and move to an Advantage Plan only if you cannot afford to stay on straight Medicare and a Supplement. 

I will say though, most Advantage Plans will cost the person in the end, if they get sick, with out of pocket costs, co-pays and deductibles. 

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l love my Advantage plan !  Had several surgeries and hospital stays and cost to me was minimal . I don't know why people are so against it ! l get meds free , dental and eye glasses , no copayment for primary MD visits . A recent 8 days hospital stay including a very extensive surgical procedure , cost me a total of $200 dollars . Rest all paid for by the Advantage Plan , 

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@judianne , I agree. We have a Retiree Advantage Plan from my husband's company. After a carotid endarterectomy about three weeks ago and a week in intensive care we paid only $710.00 out of pocket. I had the head of vascular surgery do the procedure and no doctors ever refused to treat me. 

[Trailrun23]

I am with UHC Medicare Advantage. It has met my needs in the three years I have had it. Prior to that I was with Humana and Aetna. Mine is through my employer pension manager and they have changed me to four different companies for advantage plans  in the past 9 years. So far, United has been the best, but Aetna was a godsend when I had a medical crisis that involved multiple surgeries and hospital stays within two months. I have never had a pla. Where I never paid a premium. You will pay now or pay later, so I prefer paying a premium rather than getting big bills when I am sick.