Medicare Advantage

Calling on the board's collective experience here.

Just went on Medicare (wife retired, off of her health plan) and need a supplemental insurance. Anyone have any experience with Medicare Advantage, or is a supplemental from a private company better?

I don't need a Cadillac plan, hoping to spend between $100-$200 a month. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Give me “Thread Titles on SJ You Didn’t Expect to See in 2003” for $1,000, Alex.

 

I have a Blue Shield supplement. Premium is $229/mo. No copays. Last year, I had a total hip replacement. Paid $0. My wife started Medicare a few months ago. Her Blue Shield supplement premium is $130/mo. I'm not sure about why it is different from mine. We have been getting co-pay bills for partial charges for lab work. They tell me that there is a Medicare deductible (something like $250) that has to be reached, that's why the co-pay. Confusing to me.

Prescriptions are another story. I've tried to arrange the 3-month/3-refill mail-in and been fairly successful. But I keep having to change companies every year because the premiums double or triple (Cigna uses Express-Scripps). It went from $10, to $30 to $75/mo. the past three years. I'm with Wellcare now. $10.90/mo. premium. I haven't had to order from them, yet. The prescription company you use depends on what drugs you take ... or so I'm told. I have an insurance advisor. They get paid by the companies, not by you.

 

If you're lucky, you'll get there too.

 

Wife and I are sticking with the traditional supplement. There are good and poor Advantage plans -- some are HMOs, which may limit your choice of doctors. There is just a wide variation in quality. Traditional supplementa are closely regulated. There are different plan levels, usually designated with a letter code, and every provider in that level offers the same coverage. Moreover, there is no question about whether your insuance will be accepted.

Rather than run through a bunch of other points, I suggest you check out this other forum that I frequent. It has a lot of good info for people of a certain age. Medicare Advantage disadvantage - Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community

 

I have Humana through the Newspaper Guild
It’s pricey but it covers everything, including dental and optical