Looking for a Medicare PPO Supplemental - Page 5

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/28/2015 lizzief said:
On 1/28/2015 Gooday said: My husband's BC/Be PPO transferred to his supplemental when he turned 65. Check with your husband's Human Resource Dept. It may be a simple change for you.
Great idea, wouldn't that be a beautiful thing! I know that all of my current docs are on BC, so it would be a seamless change. I will definitely check it out!

My husband and I were both on my BC/BShield PPO plan for years prior to my retirement in mid 2013. We decided to continue on with it, because it was such great coverage. Yes, it does cost us, but I can tell you this: I had a total knee in May of this year, which did not cost one red cent, with Medicare as primary and my PPO as secondary; nor have I had to pay a balance on anything relative to a visit to a doctor, labs, procedures, films, one CT scan, etc. The only thing we do pay out of pocket is the co-pay for meds.

I'd say the amount we pay per month for the BC/BShield is well worth it and will be much more so as we age (DH just hit 70 and I'm a few years behind).

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/29/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/29/2015 Gooday said:
On 1/29/2015 terrier3 said:
On 1/29/2015 Gooday said:
I still have 4 years to go before I am eligible for Medicare. DH is on Medicare with BC/Blue Shield PPO supplemental through his retiree contract through the City of Chicago. I am covered under his insurance and the rates have gone up 456.00 in 2 years. The Mayor declared over a year ago that the City is not in the insurance business and he is working diligently to have every current employee as well as retirees on the ACA by the year 2017. If that is his intent and it goes through, I will be 64. We shall see.

I like the coverage I have as I can go just about anywhere as of course, they pay more if you stay in network. I have a $250.00 deductible and 90/10 coverage but....my out of pocket is 4k before they pay 100%. I am not complaining but 2014 was an expensive year for me due to knee surgery and a 4 day hospitalization for a couple of problems. I am getting ready to add up all of my receipts and see if I will have paid the necessary amount for a deduction. However, I am not hopeful.

After working 25 years in a hospital setting, I also agree with lacey1. Either go all in or not. Just know that if we sent into socialized medicine, people who pay income tax are going to get walloped big time. Too many people do not pay an income tax and I think it may be too late for a socialized medicine plan. The jury is still out on that topic.

People over 65 cannot get ACA insurance. It is only for people not eligible for Medicare.

Medicare - BTW - is "socialized Medicine"...

Medicare taxes are different than income tax...they aren't refunded for low wage earners.

Oh, I agree with you! It's just that many of the currently employed city workers are not happy with this idea. I also said many years ago that Medicare is "socialized medicine". That's why my comment about going all the way in was made. I just don't see how it would work. And....someone WILL have to pay for those who do not and it will turn out to be a financial disaster. That's why changes are coming down the pike. The kinks need to be ironed out.

I work for an insurance company, selling ACA and direct pay policies.

If all the marketing and overhead were removed - and all the competition between the companies...there would be more than enough money to provide basic HC for everyone.

The Advantage programs were created to "compete" with traditional Medicare and show that insurance could be delivered more cheaply and efficiently by private companies. It STILL costs 12% more than standard Medicare - and taxpayers subsidize the private companies.

It's an "experiment" that proved that private companies do NOT deliver the product for less money...it's been more than a decade and they still can't reduce costs.

Advantage programs cost more than "standard Medicare" in some cases; in others (like Kaiser Permanente Advantage in our state) there is no cost above what you'd pay for Medicare Part B. Standard Medicare covers only about 80% of medical costs. Advantage plans cover most/all of the cost for covered services. The Advantage plans have pros and cons (most notably a tightly controlled network of providers and facilities), but they do provide care at a very reasonable rate for seniors who are on a tight budget.

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/29/2015 ckr1147 said:
DH and I have Mutual of Omaha - Plan F for supplemental. He has First Health for RX and I have Wellcare for RX.

Cannot speak highly enought about our Mutual of Omaha plan - it is not the cheapest, but DH has about 6 different drs. and there has never been an issue re: payment. Can't remember what the out of pocket is...

Not crazy about his RX plan, as it does not completely cover some of his meds. I don't take any meds on a regular basis (so far - thank God!) so can't really speak to the coverage.

We pay about $250/month each for supplemental and $30/month each for RX coverage - most of his prescriptions are $10-20....

$250/month sounds like alot, and it is, but he has had numerous hospitalizations and sees an average of three drs a month, so worth it in the long run as we NEVER receive a bill....

Our insurance agency recommended Mutual of Omaha Plan F (Medicare supplement) too. It costs more than some plans offering the same coverages and less than others. At my age and in our location, I pay only about $138/month plus my Medicare Part B premium. The equivalent plan under UHC through AARP was more expensive. I can use it for any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare.

My husband's mom has had MoO plan F for years, and it has covered everything, no questions. I've also talked with a friend about her MoO Plan F, and it gets rave reviews for coverage, customer service, and value for what you get.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/29/2015 sfnative said:
On 1/28/2015 lizzief said:
On 1/28/2015 Gooday said: My husband's BC/Be PPO transferred to his supplemental when he turned 65. Check with your husband's Human Resource Dept. It may be a simple change for you.
Great idea, wouldn't that be a beautiful thing! I know that all of my current docs are on BC, so it would be a seamless change. I will definitely check it out!

My husband and I were both on my BC/BShield PPO plan for years prior to my retirement in mid 2013. We decided to continue on with it, because it was such great coverage. Yes, it does cost us, but I can tell you this: I had a total knee in May of this year, which did not cost one red cent, with Medicare as primary and my PPO as secondary; nor have I had to pay a balance on anything relative to a visit to a doctor, labs, procedures, films, one CT scan, etc. The only thing we do pay out of pocket is the co-pay for meds.

I'd say the amount we pay per month for the BC/BShield is well worth it and will be much more so as we age (DH just hit 70 and I'm a few years behind).

Unfortunately not all employers offer this as an option to their retirees.

txskies · ‎02-13-2012

I have Humana Advantage (PPO). It is working very well for me. I even have dental on this plan.

kittymomNC · ‎08-09-2012

On 1/29/2015 GoodStuff said:
On 1/29/2015 dobiesrule said: One thing to remember is that all supplements are the same, plan f, n, etc. The only difference is the price.

NOT CORRECT. There are different deductibles, copays, out of pocket limits, etc. There's a chart in the Medicare book showing major attributes of a number (not all) plans so you can compare them, and a good Medicare insurance agency can show you more plans and more details.

I have a feeling that she didn't word this quite right. They are the same as in: if you buy Plan F, it is the same no matter who you buy it from, but the companies can charge a different premium. If you buy Plan C, it is the same no matter who you buy it from, but again, the companies can charge a higher or lower premium, etc. etc. She may have just used the wrong phrasing.

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/29/2015 kittymomNC said:
On 1/29/2015 GoodStuff said:
On 1/29/2015 dobiesrule said: One thing to remember is that all supplements are the same, plan f, n, etc. The only difference is the price.

NOT CORRECT. There are different deductibles, copays, out of pocket limits, etc. There's a chart in the Medicare book showing major attributes of a number (not all) plans so you can compare them, and a good Medicare insurance agency can show you more plans and more details.

I have a feeling that she didn't word this quite right. They are the same as in: if you buy Plan F, it is the same no matter who you buy it from, but the companies can charge a different premium. If you buy Plan C, it is the same no matter who you buy it from, but again, the companies can charge a higher or lower premium, etc. etc. She may have just used the wrong phrasing.

That may be so. You can check coverages for some plans in the chart in the current "Medicare and You" book, or a qualified agent can help you compare and evaluate various plans and costs. I'm sure there are also some comparison sites online.

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

On 1/29/2015 txskies said:

I have Humana Advantage (PPO). It is working very well for me. I even have dental on this plan.

Does the dental just cover your checkups or does it cover having stuff done as well? We have coverage for our twice yearly checkups but we had to buy other insurance to cover having anything beyond that. WE have vision coverage that pays for a yearly check up at the eye doctor but we have to buy our glasses ourselves. We get about 20% off for being in AARP but that is about it for our glasses.

dobiesrule · ‎07-24-2014

Goodday, your remark made me realize my comment was unclear. Thank you. What I intended to say was that Plan F is the same with Mutual of Omaha, United Healthcare etc. Plan N the same way. All plans are the same with each insurance co. Only the premium is different. Hopefully that is a bit clearer.