Massachusetts Advantage plans (medical, hospital, blood, coverage)

[Im45us]

Si I went to the Medicare.gov site and looking at Medigap plans and they list 2 choices for this state and the price listed says estimated cost $9010.00 per year per person. Is this correct and is this what is also call an Advantage plan. If yes that sure seems like an awful lot of money. I also assume this is on top of the part B and part D premiums?

Am I missing something?

Ivan

[Ariadne22]

No, you weren't looking at Advantage. The MA website does, in fact, list that number for the most comprehensive Medigap in MA.

That said, most people on Medigap find all their Medicare-approved medical expenses are paid 100% by the Medigap.

The $9,010 under Medigap is an inflated number which includes your Part B premium, Medigap premium, Part D premiums and drug copays and other non-approved Medicare expenses. Part D costs and non-approved Medicare expenses are the variables personal to you and can be very expensive depending on your personal situation.

EX: My sister pays $2k/year for her Medigap, but pays out-of-pocket another $6k/year for medication. She, of course, is also paying premiums for Part B & D, as well.

Strongly recommend you consult:

Massachusetts SHIP Website:
www.massoptions.org
Phone: 1-800-243-4636 (option #3)
Program Name: Serving the Health Insurance Needs of Everyone (SHINE)
About: The SHINE Program (Serving Health Information Needs of Elders) is a state health insurance assistance program that provides free health insurance information, counseling and assistance to Massachusetts residents with Medicare and their caregivers. The SHINE Program is administered by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs in partnership with elder service agencies, social service and community based agencies and Councils on Aging. The program is partially funded by the federal agency Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Find your State’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP)

or find a good Medicare insurance broker.

[in_newengland]

I just moved out of MA and I had an advantage plan--Blue Cross PPO--and it was free. I think office visits were $25 co-payment and specialists were $45. Good coverage for hospitalization and paid nothing for blood tests. Tufts was another good, free or low cost plan but my dr stopped accepting it. People who had Tufts said it was wonderful.