Deleted. The topic has been derailed and bloviated.
.
.
Last edited:
deleted ...
- Thread starter WAYNO
- Start date
- Status
That actually looks pretty good. I've had no such offering from my medicare advantage plan. I wonder who's really paying for these perks. 
Found out that the government mandates biannual doctor visits for advantage plan folks. Seems some of the plans weren't so hot on preventative care so the could pocket the money.
That $50 probably gets them $500.
That $50 probably gets them $500.
jmca
Single-Sixer
I would like to know also
![Pampers Sensitive Baby Wipes, Clinically Proven, Fragrance Free, Unscented, Water Based, Hypoallergenic, Multi-Use, Hand Wipes 336 Wipes Total (6X Flip-Top Packs) [Packaging May Vary]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KLBHu9CAL._SL500_.jpg)
I don't do "Advantage Plans"; I pay the extra money and stick with pure Supplemental med. insurance to cover what Medicare doesn't.
I don't get offered any freebies or incentives. I always thought: 'you get what you pay for'. Of course, I could be wrong, but I am more than adequately covered and that's my goal.
J.
I don't get offered any freebies or incentives. I always thought: 'you get what you pay for'. Of course, I could be wrong, but I am more than adequately covered and that's my goal.
J.
jmca
Single-Sixer
My understanding is Advantage plans can limit treatment when traveling because of "in network" verses "out of network" provider issues?
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
My Advantage Plan costs $0 per month. Doctors visits are free. Tier 1 meds are free. We get $25 every quarter for OTC stuff. I get a $10 gift card every time I go to the doctor. Specialists (like cardiologist) cost $35 per visit. I get several gift cards if I do an annual wellness visit / checkup / blood tests.
Extra advantages are annual vision and dental checkups. Glasses or crowns are offered a discount but it's not free.
My understanding is that Medicare pays my AP company to do all the paperwork, thus they don't charge me a dime. That's where they make their money.
If we travel and need emergency care out of network, there is no extra charge. (Now if we're snowbirds and live in FL in the Winter, they won't cover that)
A recent cancer caused tens of thousands of dollars of doctor and hospital charges, yet our out-of-pocket costs were mere hundreds.
Extra advantages are annual vision and dental checkups. Glasses or crowns are offered a discount but it's not free.
My understanding is that Medicare pays my AP company to do all the paperwork, thus they don't charge me a dime. That's where they make their money.
If we travel and need emergency care out of network, there is no extra charge. (Now if we're snowbirds and live in FL in the Winter, they won't cover that)
A recent cancer caused tens of thousands of dollars of doctor and hospital charges, yet our out-of-pocket costs were mere hundreds.
It truly depends on where you live. Which seems ridiculous to me. Rates and coverage is based on the county you live in. In other words, 36 miles and a map line can drastically change what you get.
We’ve had an advantage plan for three years and it has been very good. It is a zero premium plan. As good as BC/BS.
I have a friend that got into selling medicare plans. It’s amazing the differences in plans. He did say among his peers Humana is known as humaNO.
We’ve had an advantage plan for three years and it has been very good. It is a zero premium plan. As good as BC/BS.
I have a friend that got into selling medicare plans. It’s amazing the differences in plans. He did say among his peers Humana is known as humaNO.
JohnL
Buckeye
Same here. I do not trust the insurance companies. Original Medicare has never rejected a procedure or not paid a claim. Supplemental has to pay if Medicare pays. No problems of any kind.
I'm one of the very fortunate. My wife and I both have Medicare. My wife also has medical through he retirement that covers both of us. We have an HMO that is one of the best in the country. And other than all copayments we pay nothing.
My wife says one of them, I think the advantage plan, is really bad and she is trying to get me off of it. I got a letter two weeks ago that my plan with United Health Care through AARP was no longer going cover visits with my Doctors as of July 1st and so she has been on the phone with Medicare to get me a early pass to a different system..... I really can't figure out any of this too many names and options in my opinion... I do know I would get this stuff from United about how all the 'free' stuff I could get... and my thought was it isn't free somebody has to pay for it somewhere down the line and I realized who it is that is paying for all this free stuff... us the tax payers.... I can't fix it or get away from it... but basically it is a form of socialism.... but it seems folks don't mind socialism as long as it helps them out and it's not called that.
Mother in law got into some deep dew-dew involving some 'plan' she signed up for. Something about failing to reveal all her 'resources'. We had to get a lawyer to bail her out of the repercussions.
DGW1949
Hawkeye
Whatever that stuff is that's pictured in post #1, it looks like something that was meant to be throwed to the hogs. I can't imagine having to eat it for two weeks, but hey, whatever floats your boat. LOL.
DGW
DGW
As long as you are healthy and never need serious medical care advantage plans are okay but you are limited to doctors that are stupid enough to sign on to the plan, you have to get clearance for any medical care beyond routine visits, you can get emergency care anywhere but you can't elect to go to one of the big medical centers that specializes in your condition. These plans are the big money makers for insurance companies and they are ripping the government off. Expect that there will be a big crackdown by DOGE on them and UnitedHealthCare is the worst. And to make matters worse, if you are on an advantage plan you may not be able to get a supplement if you want to go back to regular medicare. You are screwed.
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
As a lifelong gun owner I will not have anything to do with AARP. They are about as socialist as they come.
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
My Advantage Plan has large books that show what doctors are covered, what meds and what hospitals. Looking at it closely I cannot find a single local one that is NOT on the list.
The wife and I have both recently gone thru cancer and some orthopedic issues. We asked our PCP for suggestions and they gave us a doctor to call. No referrals needed.
Once on a vacation in FL a medical emergency arose. Ambulance, ER, etc. were all fully paid except for the $35 copay.
We have Original Medicare AND an Advantage Plan......TOGETHER. No need to go back because we're already there.
This thread has been very interesting. It seems to me that some areas in the country have poor medical coverage. Maybe need to call Joe Namath's number next time he is on TV promoting.
You can not legally have original medicare and an advantage plan at the same time. Perhaps a look at from the DOGE group is in orfer.
https://www.google.com/search?clien...+have+original+medicare+and+an+advantage+plan
epags
Single-Sixer
Can one of you posters enlighten me. What Medicare supplement plan costs nothing? One poster said " My Advantage Plan costs $0 per month"
My wife and I have Medi-Gap plans (Plan F). Our premiums are $217/month for me, $240/month for my wife. Ever since we signed up for these when I retired in January, 2022, we have not been billed one cent and this after a number of medical complications my wife endured running up over $125,000 in medical bills late last year. Aflac covered all of it.
On top of this, one of my retirement benefits is medical insurance premium reimbursement. I pay the premiums and submit for reimbursement. So, we have zero out of pocket medical expenses and this coverage is mobile, we can use any medical facility in the country and some overseas (we don't travel anymore so this does not really apply to us).
Our local medical facility (Adventist Health in Ukiah), gladly accepts Medicare without issue, and this includes several specialists that me and my wife need.
Dan
On top of this, one of my retirement benefits is medical insurance premium reimbursement. I pay the premiums and submit for reimbursement. So, we have zero out of pocket medical expenses and this coverage is mobile, we can use any medical facility in the country and some overseas (we don't travel anymore so this does not really apply to us).
Our local medical facility (Adventist Health in Ukiah), gladly accepts Medicare without issue, and this includes several specialists that me and my wife need.
Dan
Last edited:
My wife is in charge of my medicare and what ever extra I have and she keeps trying to explain it to me... she's even shown me articles that explain it all and I still don't understand... she spent hours last week with medicare getting me an exemption so I could switch from one plan to another with out a penalty.... now today I get back from walking the dogs and she says my drug insurance card has come in and I'm telling her how the Blue Cross folks who she signed me up with last week have my name wrong.... then she says the drug thing is a different company... what? why is that... because it's different insurance and she says it like the difference between house and car.. . and how one insurance pays for doctors and another pays for drugs... and all the time I'm thinking this is really stupid... you can't get the drugs if you don't have a doctor to write the prescription so why can't it all be under one insurance..... I really don't even want to try to figure this out.. .I want to go out on my porch and smoke a cigar and either drink a beer or a shot of bourbon but before she who must be obeyed went to the back of the house to row for a half hour she said she wanted me to order take out but was not sure what and so here I sit sober .... waiting on her to 'get off the lake'. Damn life is hard....
Once you are on Social Security, every year they send out a manual called "Medicare & You" with the year right after it. It goes into great detail (although it can be confusing in some parts).
What we did was engage a social security insurance broker. We had already decided on Plan F but he helped us with obtaining Part D (prescription drug coverage). He looked for companies that had the lowest premiums and keeps us up to date on best companies/lowest prices. It has worked perfectly for us and as I mentioned in my post #26, we have spent zero on any medical cost since I retired.
Dan
What we did was engage a social security insurance broker. We had already decided on Plan F but he helped us with obtaining Part D (prescription drug coverage). He looked for companies that had the lowest premiums and keeps us up to date on best companies/lowest prices. It has worked perfectly for us and as I mentioned in my post #26, we have spent zero on any medical cost since I retired.
Dan
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
Yeah no kidding. The poster you replied to obviously does not know what he is talking about, or lives in a blue state. I did not reply to him (his diatribe was directed at ME) because you said what I would have.
GypsmJim
GypsmJim
Yes, maybe depends on the State you live in. Higher co-pays...may be also state related....I dunno. I only live in MY state.
In my case, doctor's visits are ZERO copay. Specialists are pocket change and no referrals needed. Half our meds are FREE and the higher Tier meds are also pocket change.
If anyone is spending more than they think they should, maybe they should call up Joe Namath and see what he has to say.
I believe that Medi-Gap is the other name for Supplemental plans (neither is an Advantage plan).... Ours are $260.25 EACH ($520.50 per month for both of us ) on top of our monthly Medicare premiums... Getting old ain't cheap ))))
J.
))))J.
My wife says the Advantage plan is good until you actually get really sick or something bad happens then they start denying the big bills... I had no problem with it... seems I've not paid much over the last 5 or 6 years.. I do have a co-pay for a doctor visit but it was usually around $40 or so and every once in a while the pharmacy would want about the same.... but now she has moved me over to the other system....medi gap? and now I will be paying for it every month... along with what they are taking out of my SS for the part B.... it just all seems a little too complex for something that could be a lot simpler .... but then that would look too much like socialism.... which is pretty much what I think we are but it is just hidden from us with all this red tape.
The reason she changed me over is I got a letter saying the United Health program I was on was not going to cover my doctors or potential hospital after July 1st... seems they can't agree on a new contract.... I think it is because United Health is having to dig deep in their pockets to come up with the money to pay their new CEO even more millions of dollars... probably some of it for his or her security....
The reason she changed me over is I got a letter saying the United Health program I was on was not going to cover my doctors or potential hospital after July 1st... seems they can't agree on a new contract.... I think it is because United Health is having to dig deep in their pockets to come up with the money to pay their new CEO even more millions of dollars... probably some of it for his or her security....
Your wife is a smart woman...!!!!!
One catastrophic illness and all you spent on premiums will be paid back to you 10000X....
I'd prefer to pay it out and NEVER collect anything back.
IMHO,
J.
mrs50sls56
Single-Sixer
Medicare.gov gives you incredible detail on which plans are available in your Zipcode. If you input your “formulary” (drugs you take), it will rank all available RX Plans (Part D) by total cost; drugs + premiums, lowest to highest. All Medigap Plans are also listed in great detail. Easy, Peasy. This needs to be done in open enrollment, if you want to change plan providers. Should at the least, review every year, as premiums change, providers can change in your area.
- Status
