Health Insurance - Medicare

[PlanBig63]

Hello, I am researching and planning to FT RV and do some traveling. Any suggestions or folks who are on Medicare and have found a plan that works for traveling? TIA. I will be 65 next year and trying to build health care costs into my budget and find plans that work for moving from state to state.

[magicbus]

My research led me to use Medicare Part A, B and D as they are accepted everywhere in the US. For supplemental coverage I went with AARP US Healthcare which appears will work everywhere too. If I recall correctly I’m paying in the neighborhood of $400-450/month for everything. Incredibly superior and cheaper coverage than I ever had working in the corporate world!

[Winemaker2]

Originally Posted by magicbus

My research led me to use Medicare Part A, B and D as they are accepted everywhere in the US. For supplemental coverage I went with AARP US Healthcare which appears will work everywhere too. If I recall correctly I’m paying in the neighborhood of $400-450/month for everything. Incredibly superior and cheaper coverage than I ever had working in the corporate world!

Agree...
With conventional Medicare A, B & D you have several choices gor supplemental so work with an agent to find the best one for your situation, Rx drugs, etc. Just avoid Advantage plans as they can tie your hands re "network" restrictions, pre-approvals etc... harder when traveling to different locations.
My previous employer reqd us to use AARP /United Healthcare (to receive a supplement$) but have been very satisfied so far (7 yrs and a few operations)

[Park Super]

Standard Medicare parts A and B. If you are not on prescriptions or even if you are we buy ours with cash at Costco. Great prices and if you are a member, you get deep discounts as well.

[magicbus]

Originally Posted by Park Super

Standard Medicare parts A and B. If you are not on prescriptions or even if you are we buy ours with cash at Costco. Great prices and if you are a member, you get deep discounts as well.

I learned the hard way that it is cheaper to just sign up for Part D and avoid the penalty that accrues for every year you don’t take it. I take no meds and signed up for part D this year. My med plan costs $6.42/month PLUS a penalty of $4.60/ month as long as I live and that was only after not having a prescription plan for a little over a year after retiring. Having no plan is great until something happens. Get a Part D plan and avoid the penalty which will be more than the plan after 2 years!

[Persistent]

I agree. Medicare A, B, D. I added a low cost high deductible Medicare supplement. My wife has a low deductible higher cost supplement.

Use GoodRX.com to get prescriptions from the nearest lowest cost pharmacy and a typical 80% cash discount. Walmart Pharmacy often sells for the lowest cost. Pick n Save (Kroger) actually has some free with GoodRX.com prescriptions. GoodRX is free and once you find and bookmark the drug lookup page, it is extremely easy to use. Display it on your phone and show it to the pharmacy or print a "coupon".

My "D" plan is $30 a year. It is a Wisconsin State "Senior Care" plan for low income seniors. I do not have low income, but it meets the "be insured" for future discount requirement. I do not expect to meet the deductible or low income requirement to collect anything in the near future. I will switch if drug costs become a burden.

We discontinued my wife's drug plan and are saving money by using GoodRX and cash. Several prescriptions are now cheaper that the copay the insurance required.

All of this is valid for me and my wife for the entire USA.

[AudiDudi]

Part A - free
Part B - $164.90
Part D - $7.60 via Wellcare
Part G - $122.00 via PanAmerican

Can see any Dr. that accepts Medicare.

[twogypsies]

We also use a supplement rather than an Advantage plan. We've had multiple hospitalizations and surgeries and I can't recall when we last had a bill. No co-pays with a supplement! We never had an issue when traveling.

We also use a prescription plan D - Silverscript/Aetna costs us $5.40/m this year. Last year WellCare was the best price. Enrollment for Part D starts in Oct - Dec.

We have one very expensive drug and using Good Rx is the cheapest for that.

We found that for traveling using WalMart is the easiest. They are found everywhere and it's easy to transfer from one place to another.

[Country Road]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

We also use a supplement rather than an Advantage plan. We've had multiple hospitalizations and surgeries and I can't recall when we last had a bill. No co-pays with a supplement! We never had an issue when traveling.

We also use a prescription plan D - Silverscript/Aetna costs us $5.40/m this year. Last year WellCare was the best price. Enrollment for Part D starts in Oct - Dec.

We have one very expensive drug and using Good Rx is the cheapest for that.

We found that for traveling using WalMart is the easiest. They are found everywhere and it's easy to transfer from one place to another.

We are grandfathered in with Medicare Schedule F which became no longer available after January 1, 2020. I would miss the coverage because since we’ve had it, we’ve never received an additional payment request from anyone. We use it anywhere in the US.

[AudiDudi]

Originally Posted by Country Road

We are grandfathered in with Medicare Schedule F which became no longer available after January 1, 2020. I would miss the coverage because since we’ve had it, we’ve never received an additional payment request from anyone. We use it anywhere in the US.

The issue with Schedule F is that there are no new, younger, more healthy people signing up for it - therefore premuims are rising faster than scheude G as people get older and require more care. Eventually, schedule F will have 0 people in it and will go away.

[SailorSam]

We attended a free seminar at a local college on Medicare 101. As a result of that, we "hired" a local insurance broker who got our medical needs and did a search to find what would work best for us. Based on our traveling, we were recommended to get a Medicare supplement plan as opposed to an Advantage plan. They then searched for which plan was the most cost effective for us, this was for both the supplement plan and our prescription plan. Initially, my DW and I got different plans, but two years on, we were recommended to change my DW's plan and we are now both carrying a policy from the same company. The agent reviews our needs every year and provides updated recommendations. As a result, we have changed our prescription plan several times.
Note that the cost of these plans can change every year and are dependent on your "home" address. So what works for us won't necessarily work for you. Also, by law, all of the supplement plans cover the same stuff. Prescription plans can all have different schedules for drugs, so your specific needs will dictate which plan is best.
My understanding is that most of these brokers get paid a commission for getting you signed up with them. Based on talking to friends, our broker is giving us the best deal for our needs. For these plans, you can elect to pay the bill directly or have the cost deducted from your Social Security check. I think the deduction route is best - no chance of losing coverage due to non-payment.

We picked our particular agent because they also offer a financial planning service. They operate as fiduciaries requiring them to base their recommendations on our best interest, not what gets them the highest commission. There are also a few nation-wide companies offering these services, in our case our local guy got us a better deal! Nation-wide company did not work with all of the available suppliers.

One other note, all companies are required to accept you when you first sign up, no medical review allowed. After that, to change they may require do a health review before accepting you for coverage.



YMMV - good luck and happy travels.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Country Road

We are grandfathered in with Medicare Schedule F which became no longer available after January 1, 2020. I would miss the coverage because since we’ve had it, we’ve never received an additional payment request from anyone. We use it anywhere in the US.

Same here... we're grandfathered into Supplement Plan J which we got in 1990's. It's been amazing for us!!

[SailorSam]

Originally Posted by Country Road

We are grandfathered in with Medicare Schedule F which became no longer available after January 1, 2020. I would miss the coverage because since we’ve had it, we’ve never received an additional payment request from anyone. We use it anywhere in the US.

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Same here... we're grandfathered into Supplement Plan J which we got in 1990's. It's been amazing for us!!

We looked at both of those plans. The premium cost of the plan was higher by the amount of the deductible cost that was charged for the similar plan with the deductible (F vs G or J vs K). Our agent also said that they expected the premium for both of these plans to increase faster than the with deductible plans that were available. A case of pay me now or pay me later.

[BillJinOR]

The point of all of it is to get a supplement plan and stay away from advantage plans. There are some advantage plans that have wide area coverage, but not many. Advantage plans take you out of Medicare and put you in what is essentially private insurance with their own network. And they can offer some additional benefits like dental hearing vision. However, you give up the ability to see any doctor that will except Medicare without going out of network at normally higher cost to you.
I have a union arranged retirement advantage plan through united healthcare but it’s not available to the public and covers any dr that takes Medicare payment , no co pay no deductible, no network. With additional benefits. Including drugs and hearing.
My DW in contrast pays 164.50 Medicare B 170 for a united healthcare supplement g ( not an advantage plan) and 30 bucks for a drug plan About 365/Mo. all in. Rates are based on your “domicile”. address. That would be about the amount you would look at paying. With an advantage no cost plan you could look at just the 164.50 or if your very low income the 164.50 can be rebated back also .. But who you can see and when is highly controlled and there are copays for everything and deductibles. Not good for someone traveling a lot.
I will add a G or any other supplement plan is identical coverage from one insurer to the other , but the rates aren’t , shop wisely.