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I would so appreciate some advice or personal experience from anyone who has knowledge in this area.
I have a little more than a month left to enroll in a Medigap plan during my initial Medicare enrollment time frame. I have done a lot of reading here and on the Medicare site and have decided that the High Deductible Plan F is the best fit for me. I called the Life and Health agent at my insurance company and she emailed the 4 companies that offer the High Deductible Plan F in my area (49837). They are Mutual of Omaha at $38.18 monthly, Medico Corp $45.15, Humana $52.71, and American Continental $52.98. I would go with Mutual of Omaha(for cost reasons only) if I hadn't read some disparaging comments about them on this site. I don't know anything about the other companies.
This is where you come in. Will you please give me your thoughts? Thanks so much!!
Ask your agent to get a quote from you for United American. Their rate for a female age 65 in your zip code is $27 a month and they have not increased their HD Plan F premium rates in Michigan in at least four years. Most of the companies that you listed have increased rates during that time period. Mutual of Omaha introduced their HD-Plan F for the first time within the past year so they don't yet have a rate increase history with it.
Also, most companies use what is known as attained age rating where your premium increases by a few percentage points each year that you age (since people tend to have more medical expenses as they age). Unlike with a lot of companies, United American's rates do not increase after age 80 (aside from the periodic rate increases that they file with the Department of Insurance).
Thanks, Moshe, that sounds great, but she did not indicate that United American was available in my area. I wonder if that is because the insurance agency that she works for does not deal with that company. How did you find out that United American is available where I live?
Thanks, Moshe, that sounds great, but she did not indicate that United American was available in my area. I wonder if that is because the insurance agency that she works for does not deal with that company. How did you find out that United American is available where I live?
which is not always a complete list. For example, Medico and MOO are not listed. I've discovered these gaps for my state, as well, when later checking the WI OIC site for Medigap insurers.
I run an insurance agency in Maryland and subscribe to a quoting database that has all current rates for companies across the country. We are not licensed in Michigan, but I looked up rates for your zip code.
It is possible that your agent does not represent United American. Their rates tend to be high for most plans other than HDF, so many agents do not sign up with them. If you like working with the agent, tell him/her that you found this rate you are interested in and ask if they can get appointed with United American so they can sign you up. If they don't want to, you can call the company directly.
Ariadne22 - I agree that the government site is not complete. Insurers are not required to submit their rates to them and so their listing is only partial. Even at the state level where rates are filed with each state, consumer guides may not be comprehensive since insurers are often given the choice to opt out of sharing their rates publicly.
Thanks Moshe and Ariadne22 for your replies. I found the website for United American yesterday and sent them an email last night. They are supposed to get back with me but so far I have heard nothing. If I don't get any response from them by the end of next week, I will give them a call. My local agent hasn't returned an email message that I sent her last week either. Maybe because the HDF plans are so inexpensive they just don't want to bother.
Before I posted here, I spoke to a Mutual of Omaha agent on the phone. She spent the entire conversation trying to talk me into Plan G but I have already decided that a HDF is the best fit for me. So, Can I just call United American and enroll by phone? I tried Medicare.gov find a plan several times and did well with finding a drug plan but the Medigap plans not so much.
Thanks again, everybody, any other thoughts or words of wisdom? Anything else I should know or think about, I only have about a month left to enroll.
I'm in CA and have a Plan F, but for a friend I manage the finances for, Plan F HD was the best for her circumstances.
The agent I used for mine told me about Standard Life & Accident, but said I had to work with them directly. The woman I connected with at Standard has been so communicative and responsive. Signed my friend up last year and paid $250 for the year; this year it was $262.
I don't know if they're available in Michigan, but it'd be worth a call.
I'm in CA and have a Plan F, but for a friend I manage the finances for, Plan F HD was the best for her circumstances.
The agent I used for mine told me about Standard Life & Accident, but said I had to work with them directly. The woman I connected with at Standard has been so communicative and responsive. Signed my friend up last year and paid $250 for the year; this year it was $262.
I had the same excellent experience w/Standard Life a few years ago via an email exchange. Another CD poster from AZ bought an hd-F from them a couple of years ago at my recommendation. He posted back this year, so far his premiums haven't changed.
I had the same excellent experience w/Standard Life a few years ago via an email exchange. Another CD poster from AZ bought an hd-F from them a couple of years ago at my recommendation. He posted back this year, so far his premiums haven't changed.
correct, started at 67 y.o. at $373 a year and the same on renewal last year
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