Responding to Mail Medicare Supplement Solicitations? (plan, doctor, coverage, benefits)

[PastTense01]

I am starting to receive Medicare Supplement solicitations in the mail by companies such as United Healthcare, Physicians Mutual, the Farm Bureau in this state...--as I will be eligible for Medicare in 5 months.

Anything find out anything useful by responding to these? Or just a bunch of high-pressure salesmen?

[livecontent]

Since you have internet access, go to the Medicare site Medicare.gov and put in your zip code https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan...ions/home.aspx and you can find all the plans that are available. You can also get information about all the different types of supplement plans. You can download a copy of Medicare And You http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf which will explain much; be sure to read it thoroughly. You will also receive in the mail a copy of this publication that will have regional information.

I would not respond or totally trust all the garbage you will be getting in the mail, now that you are on Medicare. It is best to go to official list and to the links to the insurance websites and contact them directly. Never respond unless you verify it is a Medicare provider of coverage.

Once you elect coverage, it is illegal for any insurance company to pressure you to change to their plan. They can send information but they cannot solicit you with more high pressure ways, as in having a salesman call you unless you initiate the contact.

Be prepared: You now going to become a mail drop for insurances, hearing aids, funeral plans, home health care providers, scooters, cell phones, safety alerts etc. My advice--get a big waste basket.

Livecontent

[veuvegirl]

If you find a good sales rep they will be very honest with your needs. But if you are aging in, now is the time to shop for the best plan that suits you.

[GreggT]

Originally Posted by livecontent

Since you have internet access, go to the Medicare site Medicare.gov and put in your zip code https://www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan...ions/home.aspx and you can find all the plans that are available. You can also get information about all the different types of supplement plans. You can download a copy of Medicare And You http://www.medicare.gov/publications/pubs/pdf/10050.pdf which will explain much; be sure to read it thoroughly. You will also receive in the mail a copy of this publication that will have regional information.

I would not respond or totally trust all the garbage you will be getting in the mail, now that you are on Medicare. It is best to go to official list and to the links to the insurance websites and contact them directly. Never respond unless you verify it is a Medicare provider of coverage.

Once you elect coverage, it is illegal for any insurance company to pressure you to change to their plan. They can send information but they cannot solicit you with more high pressure ways, as in having a salesman call you unless you initiate the contact.

Be prepared: You now going to become a mail drop for insurances, hearing aids, funeral plans, home health care providers, scooters, cell phones, safety alerts etc. My advice--get a big waste basket.

Livecontent

Excellent Advise!!
No matter what company you deal with on Medicare Supplement Plans, the coverage is the same (A-F) however the difference is the rate you pay and the customer service. On the web site Livecontent suggested you look at, "somewhere" there is a link rating the various companies available in your state. You might also ask your doctor which company they find the easiest to work with. The company we picked the "F" Plan as it covers most everything even out of state. The company was not the cheapest by far but they have pretty good company service, were rated the best in the state by both Medicare and Consumer Reports.

[matisse12]

Gregg T, are you saying that all MEDICAP policies which supplement original Medicare all offer the same coverage but at different monetary costs?

Also, if I understand correcting MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS offer different coverage and are not all the same. Is that correct?

[Ariadne22]

Originally Posted by matisse12

Gregg T, are you saying that all MEDICAP policies which supplement original Medicare all offer the same coverage but at different monetary costs?

Also, if I understand correcting MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS offer different coverage and are not all the same. Is that correct?

What state are you in? There are C-D people all over the country on Medicare. Someone here no doubt lives near you.

Yes, Medigap policies are all the same. Premiums vary, depending on whether company uses attained age, issue-age, or community-rated policies. Another difference is company reputation and customer service. In addition, of course, you'd need drug coverage.

Costs of Medigap Policies

Consider a high-deductible F if your health is reasonably good. Deductible is $2,070/yr, lowest premium in WI for high-deductible F for 70y/o is $53/mo. through BCBS. Two other companies offer high-deductible F in WI - both have higher premiums and are companies I never heard of.

Otherwise, any good Medigap will run you about $150/mo, at least, and then you need to buy Part D, as well.

Advantage Plans are, for the most part (not all of them), HMOs, so you generally are limited to doctors in the insurer's network. I have UHC Advantage in WI, which includes drugs. Zero premium, but out-of-pocket can go as high as $4,450/year for coinsurance, deductibles, etc. Does cover some preventive stuff w/no copays and has a few other bells and whistles, none of which I've used.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by PastTense01

I am starting to receive Medicare Supplement solicitations in the mail by companies such as United Healthcare, Physicians Mutual, the Farm Bureau in this state...--as I will be eligible for Medicare in 5 months.

Anything find out anything useful by responding to these? Or just a bunch of high-pressure salesmen?

By the time you're 65 - you'll have enough mail like this to start a large bonfire (I have a month to go).

I suggest getting a good independent insurance agent who represents many companies - including the company or companies that interest you the most (for whatever reason). It's easier to deal with 1 agent than 5.

FWIW - our agent is about 70. Which helps. Not only are he and his wife on Medicare - but so are most of their friends.

The agent should be able to explain things like "attained age, issue-age, or community-rated" (already mentioned by Ariadne) - and he/she should also have a general sense of a company's reputation and service in the area where you live. Note that my husband and I wound up on the AARP UHC plans J - now discontinued - for my husband - and plan F for me - mostly because we had 4 parents on AARP UHC - and the service was excellent. I might have picked the high-deductible plan F - but UHC doesn't offer it where I live (although all plans are standardized in terms of benefits - companies aren't required to sell all of them in any particular geographical area).

My husband has had excellent service from UHC. Especially in an area that could be troublesome. We go to Mayo JAX - and - although Mayo JAX accepts regular Medicare patients (not Medicare Advantage patients) - it doesn't "accept" Medicare. So we get our bills directly from Mayo - and are expected to pay them ourselves (although Mayo notifies Medicare and UHC of our bills). We always get our checks from Medicare and UHC before we get our bills from Mayo. I think more providers may go to this model in the future - so you want a company that pays promptly. Also - because Mayo works this way - it is entitled to charge us 15% more than Medicare allows. The only Medigap plan that picks up that extra 15% now is Plan F.

I'm not sure a doctor's opinion can help. Because some excellent doctors just aren't very good when it comes to coding/billing. Robyn