Wife's Medicare Options in One Year? (plan, coverage, claim, deductible)

[reubenray]

It has been five years since I was able to find the plan (HD-F) that I have and it has worked good for me. My wife just turned 64, so she has started to get bombarded with mail. I believe it was someone on this forum (Ardianne?) that pointed me to most info. My wife is so excited about getting off the expensive BCBSAL plan that pays very badly. Here's hoping we can find something for her that cost less and pays better. If I recall I believe the HD-F plans have been deleted.

[reed303]

Plan F's were not so much "deleted" as they were made "not available" to anyone turning 65 after Jan 1 2020.

The next best Plan is G, which only adds a small Part B deductible ($198 in 2020) to what Plan F covered.

[SCGamecock]

Originally Posted by reubenray

It has been five years since I was able to find the plan (HD-F) that I have and it has worked good for me.... If I recall I believe the HD-F plans have been deleted.

High Deductible 'G' (HD-G) is new for 2020 and virtually the same as HD-F. Check with your HD-F insurance company to see if they offer HD-G. They both have a $2340 deductible for 2020. The $198 Part B deductible counts toward meeting the $2340 for both plans.

18. What changes are made to High Deductible Plan options? Since Plan F High Deductible cannot be sold to those "newly eligible" Medicare beneficiaries, a new Plan G High Deductible is created.

20. For high deductible plans, does payment of the Part B deductible count towards the plan deductible? For Plan G High Deductible; while the Part B deductible is not covered (reimbursed), in most situations, it does count towards the High Deductible plan's deductible.

Source: https://www.naic.org/documents/commi...edigap_faq.pdf

There is one theoretical difference between HD-G and HD-F. If the HD-G's $2340 is met with all Part A cost sharing, you will also be responsible for the $198 Part B deductible. This is highly unlikely as Part B services are usually incurred before Part A services and Part B claims process faster than Part A claims. IMHO, this should not be a factor in the decision making process.

[gentlearts]

We went from F to N (Aetna) and are very happy with it. I am not sure why we chose N instead of G, but compare the two to see which is best for your circumstances.

We also have a separate Part D.

We do not have any chronic illnesses, but both of us have had joint replacements and other surgeries, and the coverage has been super.

[Ariadne22]

Reuben, yes, as stated above HD-G is now sold in place of HD-F for people first eligible for Medicare in 2020 and after. If your wife is healthy, that plan should be fine for her, as well.