Medicare/Medicare Advantage for full timers

[demoon]

Originally Posted by Rusty years

Since I happen to be a Medicare Insurance agent, I can offer some good info. If you want to control your health care costs you want an Advantage plan, preferably a PPO so you can go to any provider. Out of network has a little higher cost share. An HMO is not good for travelers. A supplement is the best and most expensive as you have to pay monthly premiums, so you are paying whether or not you use it. The Advantage plan usually has no or minuscule premium, no deductibles, small copays and includes drugs and maybe dental, vision and hearing and silver sneakers. I prefer the United Healthcare Advantage PPO for us and we are full time. Let me know if I can be of further assistance, no charge!!!

I think some of this info is not correct for some states. Here in MA the Advantage plans that are available range in cost from nothing (Beyond Medicare premium) to well over $100/mo. In addition, the deductibles, co-pays, and drug coverage vary widely, depending on the premium and/or provider.

My plan is an HMO with no premium beyond Medicare, but I have things like $25 Primary, $40 Specialist, $325 for first 5 days in-patient co-pays, etc. I could lower all of those by paying a higher monthly premium.

[super_rep]

Dw and I both retired and have been on Medicare for 12 years and have our supplemental and drug plan with AARP. I broke my knee a year ago and the year before that had a 13 day hospital stay for a major infection. (Had 13 MRI's in three months.) Got a new knee last year and DW recently had two surgeries for thyroid cancer and will be have some iodine radiation treatment next month. We've been covered for EVERTHING. Granted, we have opted for the most coverage options on all plans, but boy has it sure saved us a bundle.

We're covered anywhere in the US and have no deductibles.

BTW, we're full timers.

[Trekkers]

I am reading everything and appreciate this information as well plus any thing else people can add because we are in the process of trying to decide as full timers, where we will get the best rates for supplemental or advantage plans and which plan to get. Keep the info coming please. Anyone with experience good and bad, we appreciate hearing about it.

[Rusty years]

Originally Posted by super_rep

Dw and I both retired and have been on Medicare for 12 years and have our supplemental and drug plan with AARP. I broke my knee a year ago and the year before that had a 13 day hospital stay for a major infection. (Had 13 MRI's in three months.) Got a new knee last year and DW recently had two surgeries for thyroid cancer and will be have some iodine radiation treatment next month. We've been covered for EVERTHING. Granted, we have opted for the most coverage options on all plans, but boy has it sure saved us a bundle.

We're covered anywhere in the US and have no deductibles.

BTW, we're full timers.

Add up the premiums you've been paying, it's a lot of money. My Advantage plan has a max out of pocket of $4900 year, a lot less than all the premiums I would have paid. I have many wealthy clients that choose the Advantage plan.

[Jim2]

smlranger, lots of personal preference involved in this choice. I went through this evaluation earlier this year and decided for me, the basic Medicare A&B plus a supplement plan F were the best options. As long as you choose a national PPO type plan (not a local HMO type) your traveling won't be an issue. I'm no longer a fulltimer, but still travel around about half the year and have 3 homes in 3 different states.
Many of the friends I spoke to who had originally been talked into a Medicare Advantage Plan (usually by an insur agent), were sorry they went that way after a few years and couldn't wait to switch back.

[coffeeman]

I'll be following this thread as well. We're both on Medicare (wife later this year) and Bluecross as our supplement thru AT&T retirement. In 2015 Aon Hewitt will be managing the AT&T retirement healthcare plan offering lots of confusing choices I'm sure. What little I've read of the Advantage Plans I like ....just need to research more. Our home base is SC and GA so I need to know how that is handled.

[bruceisla]

A quick peek at differences:
Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage Plan - Which is Best Medicare Supplement - AARP

We are both Medicare with Medigap F. I get a yearly amount from my retirement health coverage that covers about 75% of our insurance costs. The actual implementation of 1) obtaining the Medigap, 2) submitting the bills for the insurance premium to the company "insurance fund management company", 3) having the reimbursement deposited in my bank account, and 4) keeping an eye on the various transactions, is a real PITA. The actual insurance is fine !!

[MTPockets]

We stayed with Medicare and a Humana supplement due to our travel and wanting to have uniform coverage wherever we travelled in the US. We've been satisfied and have had no problems.

[Rusty years]

Originally Posted by coffeeman

I'll be following this thread as well. We're both on Medicare (wife later this year) and Bluecross as our supplement thru AT&T retirement. In 2015 Aon Hewitt will be managing the AT&T retirement healthcare plan offering lots of confusing choices I'm sure. What little I've read of the Advantage Plans I like ....just need to research more. Our home base is SC and GA so I need to know how that is handled.

The United Healthcare PPO has their Passport Program which enables you to notify them of where you will be for an extended period (snow birds) and use their Advantage plan in-network as long as they have a network where you will be. Keep in mind that with the PPO you can see any dr. A specialist visit is $35 in network and only $50 out of network. Since I am full time and just need access to a dr occasionally I use walk in clinics for a small copay.

I've had many clients who had supplements for 10 yrs and could no longer afford the premiums as they do go up most every year plus income usually declines. They were delighted to learn about the PPO with no premium. Think of all the money they could have saved.

[coffeeman]

Originally Posted by Rusty years

The United Healthcare PPO has their Passport Program which enables you to notify them of where you will be for an extended period (snow birds) and use their Advantage plan in-network as long as they have a network where you will be. Keep in mind that with the PPO you can see any dr. A specialist visit is $35 in network and only $50 out of network. Since I am full time and just need access to a dr occasionally I use walk in clinics for a small copay.

I've had many clients who had supplements for 10 yrs and could no longer afford the premiums as they do go up most every year plus income usually declines. They were delighted to learn about the PPO with no premium. Think of all the money they could have saved.

Rusty, txs for sharing. By April we'll know what Aon Hewitt offers. I don't see United Healthcare listed for SC so I don't know if it is available in my area. Also as At&t will set up a reimbursement acct strictly for Aon Hewitt, we'll see what $ we have to work with.

[coolhand108]

I have united healthcare supplement. it costs monthly but no deductibles or co pays. got this after I had an advantage plan, got cancer wow did I payout of pocket

[Khenson]

For most full time RVers a Medicare supplement plan (Medigap) is a better choice than a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan because of:

1. more freedom to choose doctors, same benefits wherever you go
2. no referrals
3. more predictable costs
4. guaranteed renewable (you can never be dropped unless you stop paying or cancel)
5. benefits don't change
6. standardized benefits across all companies, making it easy to compare
7. you remain in the Medicare program and get additional benefits

Medigap is sometimes (not always) more expensive than MA. But that's because you get more medical coverage than with MA. MA plans by law are only required to cover the same as your Medicare A and B (since it is replacing your Medicare A and B). Most offer more than A and B, but those benefits can (and do) change every year.

If premium is your main concern then MA might work because at least it caps your out of pocket each year as opposed to having only Medicare. But I would approach MA with caution if you are full-timer.

[targaboat]

Most of the previous posts are accurate from the perspectives of the writers. However, it must be added and considered that the areas you are going to need medical care is very significant. For the first few years with we had the advantage plan and were happy. Then the provider canceled all coverage in our home area. All other Advantage plans restrict the options of the doctors and hospitals hence not good from travel which is about 50% of the time. So the point being is that a person must shop for what is available in their areas of travel and home and then using many of the thoughts in this thread to make a decision.

[JohnT]

Interesting subject.
I've had Medicare with plan F for a supplemental since last year. DW is in the shopping period and tonight we had an agent to the house. They explained the various Advantage plans; what they cover and don't and the supplemental plans. We settled on an F plan for her thru AARP. It was the lowest cost and covered everything the others cover. If fact, I switched from Priority to AARP and saved $18/month (I haven't turned 66 so the medical questions were very simple).

We like the go anywhere for whatever medical treatment we might need that the F plan offers.

We were in a HMO. Never again as it was too limiting when out of area. Medical bills were always paid but thru a lot of hassle. We don't want our travels to be limited by our medical insurance.