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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
    
Location: Texas | jd&ez - 2016-10-17 10:42 PM Fun2Run - 2016-10-17 10:35 PM I switched to United Health Care thru AARP, and I'm pretty happy with it. There's 0 deductible, 0 copay for your primary dr., $30 for specialist. No extra cost. Talk to an agent near you to see if it's good in your state. You have a Medicare advantage plan. There are extra costs. I believe on the plan you are on it's $265/day co pay for hospital admission for up to 8 days. Some of those AARP/UHC plans the copay is for 5 days. Either way a 3-4 day hospital stay will cost you a lot of money in copays.
Then the part B medication are not covered over the 80% that medicare would pay. So you would pay 20% on drugs administered in a doctor's office. That could be very expensive.
And again, since it's an MA plan it has a network and if you move out of the service area you would have to change plans.
And with MA plans the providers do actually bill the carrier since medicare is removed from the billing.
Actually, I'm OK with that, compared to the deductible and 80/20 system of regular Medicare. But I'm healthy, knock on wood. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | Fun2Run - 2016-10-18 11:39 PM jd&ez - 2016-10-17 10:42 PM Fun2Run - 2016-10-17 10:35 PM I switched to United Health Care thru AARP, and I'm pretty happy with it. There's 0 deductible, 0 copay for your primary dr., $30 for specialist. No extra cost. Talk to an agent near you to see if it's good in your state. You have a Medicare advantage plan. There are extra costs. I believe on the plan you are on it's $265/day co pay for hospital admission for up to 8 days. Some of those AARP/UHC plans the copay is for 5 days. Either way a 3-4 day hospital stay will cost you a lot of money in copays.
Then the part B medication are not covered over the 80% that medicare would pay. So you would pay 20% on drugs administered in a doctor's office. That could be very expensive.
And again, since it's an MA plan it has a network and if you move out of the service area you would have to change plans.
And with MA plans the providers do actually bill the carrier since medicare is removed from the billing.
Naturally an MA plan is usually better than just Medicare alone. But when compared to supplements MA plans fall short for most people.
I'm just talking about the benefit comparison. If the price was the same everyone would chose a supplement over MA.
That's the rub. Supplements are far more expensive to buy. That doesn't mean they won't save you money though. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Bumping this back up for Teehaha  |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | Bump again |
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Expert
Posts: 1207
| Anybody have Silver Script? I have Medicare Part A and B and Aetna for my supplement and just last month got Aflac. But I have no prescription coverage, but I also am not on any prescriptions so far (knock on wood). |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Sandok - 2016-11-15 9:40 AM Anybody have Silver Script? I have Medicare Part A and B and Aetna for my supplement and just last month got Aflac. But I have no prescription coverage, but I also am not on any prescriptions so far (knock on wood).
If you do not sign up for part D coverage (prescriptions) from day 1 of becoming medicare eligible your premium for that coverage when you do sign up will include a penalty forever. |
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| Sandok - 2016-11-15 10:40 AM Anybody have Silver Script? I have Medicare Part A and B and Aetna for my supplement and just last month got Aflac. But I have no prescription coverage, but I also am not on any prescriptions so far (knock on wood).
neither was i when that started years ok so i got penilized i had to buy it 5.00 extra a month then 15.00 plus policy |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | Sandok - 2016-11-15 9:40 AM Anybody have Silver Script? I have Medicare Part A and B and Aetna for my supplement and just last month got Aflac. But I have no prescription coverage, but I also am not on any prescriptions so far (knock on wood).
I do....because it was the cheapest.....I check every year, because like you, I take no prescriptions. 2016 it was $11.40 but this next year it goes to over $15 but still the cheapest. |
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 To the Left
Posts: 1865
Location: Florida | According to Paul Ryan you don't need to worry about. Along with eliminating Obamacare he also expects to end Medicare and replace it with private insurance supplement (like Obamacare). Good luck America. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | Sandok - 2016-11-15 9:40 AM Anybody have Silver Script? I have Medicare Part A and B and Aetna for my supplement and just last month got Aflac. But I have no prescription coverage, but I also am not on any prescriptions so far (knock on wood).
You don't have to buy a part D. But unless you get extra help the only time you can buy it is right now during annual enrollment. That would effective for Jan 1, 2017 if you buy one now.
You would have a penalty for every month you didn't buy a part D from the time you became eligible. The penalty is 1% per month. That'[s applied to the national average drug plan, not what you may actually pay. That average is about $32 this year. That comes out to 32 cents per month penaty.
If it's been 12 months then that's almost $4 per month extra you would pay for your part D plan. |
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Location: in the ozone | I am on Medicare due to a health issue (before I turn 65) and have the Blue Cross Advantage for medical & scripts. I do plan to buy a supplement when I am eligible to do so. (we've not been allowed to, although a year ago we could - but was very high rate) |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | slipperyslope - 2016-11-15 11:14 PM
I am on Medicare due to a health issue (before I turn 65) and have the Blue Cross Advantage for medical & scripts. I do plan to buy a supplement when I am eligible to do so. (we've not been allowed to, although a year ago we could - but was very high rate)
That's right, you could only buy a med sup when you first got part B and for under 65 the companies don't want to sell you a supplement. They only offer a few limited plans to people under age 65 and price them high enough to keep you from buying them.
At age 65 it all starts over and you have 6 months to buy any med sup sold in your state by any company with no medical questions. And the prices change drastically.
I was talking to guy yesterday that's 63 and on medicare. To buy a med sup now would cost him almost $500/mo. And only then if he could qualify and he wouldn't. Same plan would cost him $125/mo when he turns 65. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | Here is some info some might find useful. I will update as we get more info;
There are changes coming in 2017 to Part B Premiums and Deductibles.
The Part B deductible is being increased from $166 to $183 in 2017.
The Part B Premium Increases are based on your current premium amount.
If you are currently paying $104.90, the increase will be equal to your Cost of Living Adjustment.
Example: If you are paying $104.90 and your adjustment is $3/month, your Part B premium is now $107.90.
If you are currently paying $121.90 AND receiving your Social Security Benefit, your increase will also match the Cost of Living Adjustment.
Example: If you are paying $121.90 and the Cost of Living Adjustment is $3, your Part B premium is now $124.90
If you are currently paying $121.90 and NOT receiving Social Security, your Part B premium will increase to $134 on January 1.
If you are currently paying greater than $121.90, the new IRMAA rates apply. I do not have that table. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | slipperyslope - 2016-11-15 11:14 PM I am on Medicare due to a health issue (before I turn 65) and have the Blue Cross Advantage for medical & scripts. I do plan to buy a supplement when I am eligible to do so. (we've not been allowed to, although a year ago we could - but was very high rate)
Medicare supplement (Medigap policies) only work with original Medicare. If you participate in an Advantage plan you cannot buy a supplemental policy. |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Aaron said on there commercial that there are no networks only network is that your physician take.mediare |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | SC Wrangler - 2016-11-18 10:54 PM slipperyslope - 2016-11-15 11:14 PM I am on Medicare due to a health issue (before I turn 65) and have the Blue Cross Advantage for medical & scripts. I do plan to buy a supplement when I am eligible to do so. (we've not been allowed to, although a year ago we could - but was very high rate) Medicare supplement (Medigap policies) only work with original Medicare. If you participate in an Advantage plan you cannot buy a supplemental policy.
I took what SS posted to mean they would change to a med sup at age 65 and the open enrollment. But you are correct, you cannot have both. |
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Expert
Posts: 1956
Location: Ky | daisycake123 - 2016-11-20 10:02 AM Aaron said on there commercial that there are no networks only network is that your physician take.mediare
Did you mean Anthem? They have medicare advantage plans and they have medicare supplements. On supplements there are no networks because they supplement medicare. Med sup carriers do not bill the doctors or hospitals. They bill Medicare. Then Medicare bills the supplement carrier and tells them what to pay.
On the advantage plans Anthem does have netowrk providers. And with their plan you can still go to any hospital or doctor that's not in their network. You will pay a higher co-pay if you chose to do so. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1613
Location: Wild Wild West | Bumping this up. |
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Folks on-line