Hubby got his Medicare card today! (security, 401k, cost, mom)

[leastprime]

Congrats!
Now investigate Advantage Plans.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by TheOldPuss

Doing the happy dance! We're one step closer!

Are the new Medicare cards credit card size? Mine is larger than a credit card and it just barely fits my wallet.
It brings to mind something about designing by committee.

[HollyhockGarden]

No -- they are still bigger. My Hubby just got his too.

[mathjak107]

i thought about how poorly these cards are sized too. why in the worlds would they ever design something to be carried that is to large to even fit comfortably in a wallet .

[mathjak107]

Originally Posted by leastprime

Congrats!
Now investigate Advantage Plans.

you better do a whole lot more research on this . many of the advantage plans can certainly end up being a disadvantage plan compared to medicare and a supplement . so look in to your options very carefully and weigh your options .


do not believe for 1 second that you get the same coverage even though the rules say you are supposed to, as the for profit advantage plans have far more latitude to say no .

i mention a few times that we know someone who has pituitary gland cancer . her advantage plan will only approve removal of one side of the gland even though the doctors want the whole thing gone because the other side is not in the greatest shape .

the advantage plan said no , they will wait until the other side is cancerous than approve a 2nd surgery . the doctors are going this is ridiculous , medicare always approves both sides every time without even a question . .

but when you have a for profit advantage plan and not a not for profit insurer like medicare you have no way of saying whether medicare would have covered both sides so even though advantage plans are supposed to cover the same things as medicare you don't have medicare to know what they would have authorized in your case .

so advantage plans rule your health care and know damn well that they can review and deny procedures because you have no way to compare what medicare would have authorized since you don't have medicare .


nothing is ever a problem with advantage plans until they are a problem as we saw with quite a few people we know once they hit the problem area .

a co-worker bragged about how little his advantage plan cost him for years . then his wife got breast cancer . it was 4500 a pop for chemo plus other costs up to his max of i think 6500 dollars in out of pocket . but since this happened later in the year it ran in to the following year , so he got hit for a 2nd 6500 bucks .

that does not include out of pockets for his own healthcare either , that has 6500 bucks exposure too .

so make sure you do your homework here and don't just jump in to an advantage plan because of price . it may end up costing you far more
.

[xray731]

Have to say - my parents were in the same boat. They had an advantage plan that cost them $40 monthly for each of them. When mom found out there were $0 cost plans she was upset they'd been paying $80 a month for their plan so they switched. Not only were co-pays and prescriptions higher - when dad had a triple bypass - they had to pay $750 a day for his hospital stay as anything after so many days was not covered and he didn't bounce back as quickly as most people.

Had they still had the plan costing them each $40 a month - they wouldn't have been charged anything. You have to look ahead and see if that cost each month may save you in the long run - especially if you don't have a large savings acct or 401K to draw from.

[nicet4]

Originally Posted by TheOldPuss

Doing the happy dance! We're one step closer!

I've had mine for almost 5 years and I love it!

Best health insurance I ever had and my total cost is about $300 which includes the $134 monthly payment for Part B.

Now all he needs is a supplement (be careful in choosing) to cover costs not covered by Medicare along with a Plan D which is pharmacy.

[nicet4]

Originally Posted by xray731

Have to say - my parents were in the same boat. They had an advantage plan that cost them $40 monthly for each of them. When mom found out there were $0 cost plans she was upset they'd been paying $80 a month for their plan so they switched. Not only were co-pays and prescriptions higher - when dad had a triple bypass - they had to pay $750 a day for his hospital stay as anything after so many days was not covered and he didn't bounce back as quickly as most people.

Had they still had the plan costing them each $40 a month - they wouldn't have been charged anything. You have to look ahead and see if that cost each month may save you in the long run - especially if you don't have a large savings acct or 401K to draw from.

Everyone is different but my wife and I both have Plan G and in my opinion it is hard to beat. Our maximum medical every year is our Part B deductible which is $183 and we are done paying anything!

I think our Plan G from Cigna runs around $135 each but as a plus they have the silver sneakers program which gives is a free (yes, free) membership to Anytime Fitness which is right around the corner!

And then there is the Plan D for prescriptions which I think run around $30.

[shokwaverider]

What about AARPs Supplement Plan. I have heard good things about it.

[TheOldPuss]

Thanks, everyone - your input is helpful as we navigate the supplement issue. We are currently in the Midwest, but thinking of heading to the SW for our primary residence & coming back in the summertime. Decisions, decisions!