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I just saw Senator Marco Rubio on TV. He says there is currently a gag order on Medicare Advantage companies preventing them from telling you what changes are coming to your Medicare Advantage plans under Obamacare before a certain date. He says there are letters that will go out in October telling you this is what you have now, this is what you won't have in January 2014 due to changes in the Affordable Care Act. He mentioned his mother will get one.
As a person who isn't on Medicare yet (but I'm close to the time I'll have to be planning for it), I haven't been keeping up with with specific coverage items and costs for Medicare Advantage or even Medicare. That is, I know something about the Obamacare law itself but have deliberately kept myself in the dark about specific Medicare and Medicare Advantage coverage items, costs and processes because I know it's all going to change before I'm eligible for Medicare so why get even more confused now with the changes. The whole process of getting on Medicare scares the c**p out of me already even before the Affordable Care Act kicks in. I'm thinking, though, it's time I took my hands off of my ears and stop yelling LALALALA! at the top of my lungs to drown out any talk about the subject.
But, not being on Medicare yet means I won't get a letter.
So, I'm wondering... I know Medicare is the same for everyone but the Advantage plans are not. When you get these letters, will you all promise to post about your individual plans along with changes to Medicare and translate what the changes mean to you with regard to the action you'll have to take to get the kind of coverage you need, personally, and what it means in terms of cost or the processes that will change for, for example, the number of tests, labs, x-rays, specialist visits, etc? Cost meaning how much more (or less) you'll be paying for the same amount or less coverage. What's going away for you personally that you won't be able to compensate for - What's your doctor telling you is going to change - that kind of thing. Are any doctors you know dropping Medicare patients? I think it would be really helpful for those of us that are close to Medicare eligibility.
Also, have any of you seen any changes yet? For example, I'm not on Medicare but now every 6 months I see the same doctors, I have to fill out pages of information like I'm a new patient even though nothing has changed from the old paperwork. I think this has to do with the electronic records requirement (which by the way was not in the Affordable Care Act but in the Stimulus bill that preceded it which is maybe why we are seeing those changes already.)
Color me skeptical about anything a politician says. First, I'm not sure who would have the authority to impose a "gag order" on companies providing health care under Medicare contracts. But even if that's so, and even if the good senator is speaking the whole truth, I just don't know what purpose is being served by his statement. We'll all have to wait until October to find out, I suppose.
But never fear, LauraC, you will hear plenty about it in the Retirement Forum and in the Health Insurance sub-forum if major changes are announced in October.
I don't blame you for hesitating to learn about the complexities of Medicare. The first time I read the "Medicare and You" handbook it was totally incomprehensible. Here is one suggestion: When the time comes that you feel you need to know about this stuff, seek out some level-headed person you know who is already a Medicare enrollee and ask that person to tell you about it.
Laura - Like you, I have not spent any time on this issue since I have a few years to go and also believe much will change by then. However, my last couple of visits to my doc have been just plain weird. I am now very curious about how this is going to change things.
Here is one suggestion: When the time comes that you feel you need to know about this stuff, seek out some level-headed person you know who is already a Medicare enrollee and ask that person to tell you about it.
Instead of this, I highly recommend finding the equivalent of a SHINE counselor in your state to meet with to find out the facts. They are trained in this area and will be able to answer questions with some authority. Their service is free. I too am about to go on Medicare and am seeing a SHINE volunteer this summer.
I have been on Medicare for several months now and have had a couple of doctor visits and there has been no change. They don't ask to see my card. They know me and when I am done they say bye. No paperwork, no money exchanged. I get a statement from a Medicare service company and what they don't pay goes to my secondary coverage provider and I eventually get a bill from my doctor on the final amount I need to pay. Not sure about a specialist etc etc. My doctor says that can be interesting in some cases. It might have to do with the level and provider of your secondary if you have. I expected more paperwork but so far smooth sailing.
This all makes me glad that where we live, only fee-for-service Medicare services are available. We're too rural for anything else. One less hassle and no chance (thus far) that we'll be "forced" into an Advantage (misnomer?) plan with healthcare network limitations.
I may not know much but what I do know after receiving two years of services under Medicare spanning the entire spectrum of routine office visits to emergency room visits to hospitalization to major surgery is that I have yet to be required to pay for anything out of pocket. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Regardless, I'm concerned with what potential damage will be wrought by the ACA which no one, including those administering it right now, seem to fully understand. I suppose it could work and be advantageous but the opposite could prove true as well. Decidedly a "wait and see" proposition.
I haven't seen anything about Rubio's comments in any news source on the www. Anybody have a link to the suggestion Sen. Rubio has raised this issue, or that it's an issue? Thanks.
My only concern is that the health care law is thousands of pages long. Does anyone really know all of the provisions and what they are going to entail?
I am sure that in 12 months or so, we will find all of the "gotchas" that we know nothing about.
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