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I don't see where this is a bargain, Gregg, paying $500.00 @ month for myself and husband, for supplemental. Up until now, it was $250.00 @ month! I heard Obamacare was causing insurance rates to go up so here it is! We are in Florida. I'm 69, husband is 72. I don't know what Medicare F is???
My husband is also a vet so we were going to check VA Health but I don't know how well it pays and where there services are.
Just what Plan do you have? If you don't know what a Plan F is (or Plan A, Plan B, etc.) Is it possible that you have an Advantage Plan? The highest cost BC/BS Medicare supplement plan is a Plan F at $196.60. Tell us about yourself
We got our bill, from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, our supplement insurance with medicare, for the next three-month period and it doubled! Thanks Obamacare. Two people with minimal health probs is now going to cost us $500 @ month! That's without prescription coverage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by janie69
I don't see where this is a bargain, Gregg, paying $500.00 @ month for myself and husband, for supplemental. Up until now, it was $250.00 @ month! I heard Obamacare was causing insurance rates to go up so here it is! We are in Florida. I'm 69, husband is 72. I don't know what Medicare F is???
My husband is also a vet so we were going to check VA Health but I don't know how well it pays and where there services are.
Jan, something is wrong, here. UHC in FL offers Medicare supplement plans and I KNOW their rates are not that high. However, your BCBS plan may be age-rated and will be subject to greater rate increases than a community-rated plan. Generally, UHC uses community rating. Very knowledgeable people on this board use the UHC supplement plan in FL.
You've been getting off VERY CHEAP at $125 for a supplement plan. VERY CHEAP.
Do some shopping around during open enrollment which is coming up in October. Rates in FL tend to be a bit higher because of so many elderly in the state. BCBS may not be the company for you. Consider a hd-F plan. And, if you don't know the differences in lettered plans, you need to educate yourself.
Again, your earlier rate of $125 was NOT THE MARKET RATE for most supplement plans in this country, although some cost-sharing plans - plans other than letter F - do have lower premiums, but higher deductibles and copays. Was this a cost-sharing plan? If not and if by some fluke you were paying that ridiculously low rate for supplement plan F, you've been spoiled. Obamacare has NOTHING to do with that.
Many vets are eligible for TriCare - you may want to investigate that, as well.
We got our bill, from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, our supplement insurance with medicare, for the next three-month period and it doubled! Thanks Obamacare. Two people with minimal health probs is now going to cost us $500 @ month! That's without prescription coverage.
Ouch, is that for each of you, or both of you?
My mother's paying over $400/monthly for her Mutual of Omaha Medicare supplement, which doesn't include medication either. I tried to persuade her to get into a Medicare Advantage plan, but she preferred the devil she knew. Next year, when she expects us to pay it for her because she can't afford it anymore, we'll talk more emphatically about her other options. Our supplements aren't cheap either.
Gregg, paying $500.00 @ month for myself and husband, for supplemental. Up until now, it was $250.00 @ month!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Travelassie
My mother's paying over $400/monthly for her Mutual of Omaha Medicare supplement,
Seeing as how your mother is paying $400/mo. (way too high), can't figure out why Jan thinks $250 is so awful. Standard cost for supplements these days, w/o drug coverage, for people her/hubby's age is in the area of $200/mo.
We got our bill, from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, our supplement insurance with medicare, for the next three-month period and it doubled! Thanks Obamacare. Two people with minimal health probs is now going to cost us $500 @ month! That's without prescription coverage.
Hmmm. Could that be a company retiree health plan? My cousin worked for a company for many years, enrolled in their heath plan when he retired. It was great until the company was merged with another a few years ago. The insurance premiums more than doubled. Plus they added $3000 in deducts/copays. He switched to an Advantage plan from Kaiser last year. A much better deal even if he and his wife both maxed out on the Advantage copays.
If you live in a larger metro area where the Advantage plans are popular you might check them out. The Kaiser plan has zero premiums and is good insurance from what I've heard.
If you live in a larger metro area where the Advantage plans are popular you might check them out. The Kaiser plan has zero premiums and is good insurance from what I've heard.
No Kaiser plans in FL. Kaiser in CA/CO is great. If our major health consortiums in WI would offer their own Advantage plans at their facilities - either Aurora or Froedtert - I'd be there in a minute. For now, we go through UHC which always presents the problem - even at an in-network facility - of the doc at that facility actually being in-network, as well. Nasty surprises result when you get a bill from an out-of-network provider for services provided at an in-network facility. Hasn't happened to me, because I don't doctor, but that possibility never leaves my mind.
Advantage in FL is or is not a good choice, depending on location and networks. Robyn, who lives in FL, says Advantage is not widely-accepted and is not a good choice in that state, although some here have family on Advantage in FL and think it's all right. Depends on which part of the state you're in.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 07-14-2013 at 05:09 PM..
Well as I said something is not right in what the OP is presenting. The HIGHEST BC/BS Florida supplement is $196.60 for the Plan F (look it up), about $9.00 a month more than mine in Alabama. When I turned 65 my premium was 168.00 so in 4 years my premium has increased about $16.00, I am guessing in Florida it's the same.
Considering the OP has not presented any facts, could be they are just a political hack.
The OP may also be exaggerating slightly, as we all tend to do when upset. But I do believe the OP is suffering a sting from a recent big jump in premiums.
But I agree that it is still not a terrible price for your ages, and considering your husband gets admitted a few times a year. If that's true, then that $500 a month is a bargain as we all know a single hospitalization can quickly explode into a small fortune in costs.
And you also never know what could happen... as we get older, sudden new diagnoses appear that can be very expensive to treat and life long. Or you could be unlucky like my father and get hit by a car and become paralyzed.... you never know what will happen tomorrow.
Money spent on insurance is the most important, cost-effective use of our money.
But if you feel you are being gouged, simply shop around and see if you can get a better deal. I do that all the time.
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We are in Florida. I'm 69, husband is 72. I don't know what Medicare F is???
