Medicare Advantage Plans

I get calls regarding Medicare Advantage plans every week. It is so annoying I just ceased answering the phone. Every health insurance company in the country are trying to get my cash for a plan over the phone; forget it. I'm fortunate to have Medicare Parts A and B and Tricare for life. I don't need anything else.
 
glowe said:
How can insurance cost zero?? Either somebody pays or you get really poor care is the only way I see it?????
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I pay Medicare $185 a month. The Advantage plan has no cost. Medicare pays them directly.

We also get $100 a year free for items like bandaids and toothbrushes. We get a catalog to chose what we want and it is mailed to the house.

If we DO go to the dentist or eye doctor, we get a bonus of $10 each time. It's good for coupons to stores or restaurants.

Just filled out the Annual wellness survey online and got a $30 bonus for that. Go to the doctor for the annual visit and that's good for another 30.

When I worked I was stuck with BCBS because that's what the company offered. Of course I had to PAY for it, and the benefits were....like none.
 
I was in the healthcare business for many years. Saw the other side. Many Advantage plans require enormous amounts of time from the provider’s office. Why do you care? If they can’t, won’t, don’t have the staff to do it on a timely basis, YOU don’t get your care on a timely basis.

Medicare advantage plans offer less care than Medicare. Period. Many offer other things they may be advantageous to you. Hearing aids, dental, etc. Then some offer less valuable things, gym membership, discount cards, etc.

It is an individual choice, based on your needs and your location. As many have said, get help in deciding. Even with what I knew from being in the business, I got help.
 
Bugkiller99 said:
If they can’t, won’t, don’t have the staff to do it on a timely basis, YOU don’t get your care on a timely basis.

Medicare advantage plans offer less care than Medicare. Period.
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If my care EVER is not timely, then certainly I will change something.

I don't understand how you can get less care. I have BOTH Medicare and Advantage. Please explain....
 
glenwolde said:
As a side note to you Advantage Plan people: You know those phone calls/emails you get about "Free" wellness check home visit? Heck my current plane even pays you $100 to do it. There was an article in the WSJ about them.

Don't fall for it. The insurance companies are allowed to do this under the premise that they can help find health problems that are missed. But guess what? they abuse it. Must be lucrative if they can afford to send a PA or NP to your house for zero cost.

If they "find" something the insurance company gets paid for it from Medicare. Even if it's never treated. I really don't want to pick up a diagnosis for something that's not legit. Who knows what complications that might cause down the road.
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Those "wellness care" visits where the NP comes to the house are the same basic questions and vitals that the MA asks before you see the primary in the office. At least that's what they were when my Mom got a couple.

After the second visit, I asked them to stop calling me about it when I realized it was a waste of everybody's time.
 
Bugkiller99 said:
I was in the healthcare business for many years. Saw the other side. Many Advantage plans require enormous amounts of time from the provider’s office. Why do you care? If they can’t, won’t, don’t have the staff to do it on a timely basis, YOU don’t get your care on a timely basis.

Medicare advantage plans offer less care than Medicare. Period. Many offer other things they may be advantageous to you. Hearing aids, dental, etc. Then some offer less valuable things, gym membership, discount cards, etc.

It is an individual choice, based on your needs and your location. As many have said, get help in deciding. Even with what I knew from being in the business, I got help.
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Given my folk's medical issues, I don't see how an advantage plan would offer less care than Medicare. Everything has been covered. Everything.

The only issue I had was getting copay assistance for off lable use of some cancer drugs. Even then, it wasn't that bad - just paperwork. That was direct from the pharmaceutical company.
 
Ματθιας;142214455 said:
Those "wellness care" visits where the NP comes to the house are the same basic questions and vitals that the MA asks before you see the primary in the office. At least that's what they were when my Mom got a couple.

After the second visit, I asked them to stop calling me about it when I realized it was a waste of everybody's time.
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I used to blow 'em off too, until this year. My medicare advantage provider started incentivizing us by offering a $50 OTC drugs bonus if you accept the visit. Did do it virtually, though, which was better than a house visit, for me anyway.
 
No, it's not a game. As mentioned previously, Medicare pays them to handle all of the administrative stuff that Medicare would otherwise have to do.
 
I was with getting my health issues resolved by the V.A. before I went on Medicare at 62 or 65 whatever is was. I went with United Healthcare for the bare minimum as it was required by the V.A. even though they handled all of my needs. I was assigned a doctor through the local United Healthcare organization, never met him, but his name was on my card.
With the recent cutting back of the V.A. and concern about my healthcare needs I decided I would meet my doctor. I was told I needed a new doctor as I had been dropped for lack of interest. My wife was walking around and ran across a brand new clinic opening up with doctors available. I went in, signed up and had a very nice first time meeting with a true doctor since hooking up with Medicare. She wanted me to get a few tests besides what the V.A. offered, I complied. She recommended I get a colonoscopy considering my father's death due to colon cancer and the fact that the last colonoscopy I received was from the V.A., again I complied and they found thirteen very small polyps, all benign. She told me that our local V.A. does not use state of the art equipment which probably missed them a couple of years ago. A physician friend of mine told me that she probably saved me grief if I had waited the five years the V.A. had recommended. In the end all I have to say is that you get what you pay for, in my case I was out of pocket a little less than a grand for Medicare sponsored medical treatment but may have done myself a favor. If you are doing everything you can on your end to enjoy your life which includes, exercise, eating well and taking proper vitamins, minerals, etc. why not do what you can to make sure you are receiving good medical care. My wife is constantly after me to spend a little more for something beneficial to my health. She says "You'll spend a couple hundred bucks on some do-dad for your firearms or other things your interested in, think about your health as well."
 
Denverd0n said:
No, it's not a game. As mentioned previously, Medicare pays them to handle all of the administrative stuff that Medicare would otherwise have to do.
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Game schwayme.

You work and they give you BCBS (which you pay for) and then you need meds for HBP and they make you take **** that makes you sick.

Now you retire and get a Medicare Advantage program and you both end up with cancer, and you both have joint problems and need PT, and the Advantage pays ALL with a little copay.

Yeah right. The game is that we won the lottery.
 
pawngal said:
Yes, Medicare Advantage Plans are a minefield. They brag about covering glasses, hearing aids and all that stuff to cover up what they don't cover. And always touting their low premiums. Myself, I never considered one. I pay a LOT for a Medicare supplement insurance plan but I have the peace of mind knowing that it is accepted everywhere Medicare is accepted.
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OK, the back story on my experience with the Medicare supplement that I have and my late hubby had. When hubby turned 65 had a call from Mutual of Omaha about the Medicare supplement plans, opted for the best one they offered. He was diagnoised with stage 4 cancer. Treated first locally, then to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 8+ years later, about $1.2 million in charges, I paid I think $20.
We have good medical facilties locally for routine stuff but often are referred out of town or out of state. If anyone can show me a Medicare Advantage program that would provide the same full coverage at Mayo in Minnesota, Avera in Sioux Falls, SD, Sanford in Iowa, SD, ND, & MN, University of Iowa Hopitals, I would gladly listen. But in the meantime I'll keep what I know.
 
pawngal said:
OK, the back story on my experience with the Medicare supplement that I have and my late hubby had. When hubby turned 65 had a call from Mutual of Omaha about the Medicare supplement plans, opted for the best one they offered. He was diagnoised with stage 4 cancer. Treated first locally, then to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. 8+ years later, about $1.2 million in charges, I paid I think $20.
We have good medical facilties locally for routine stuff but often are referred out of town or out of state. If anyone can show me a Medicare Advantage program that would provide the same full coverage at Mayo in Minnesota, Avera in Sioux Falls, SD, Sanford in Iowa, SD, ND, & MN, University of Iowa Hopitals, I would gladly listen. But in the meantime I'll keep what I know.
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Now I'm cornfused. When you said "Medicare Supplement", I thought you were referring to a "Medicare Advantage" plan. Are there 2 different versions?

My best friend underwent stage 4 cancer treatment, and then a quadruple bypass. Roswell Park is our local cancer hospital and it is up there with the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo. We call him the Million Dollar Man, and his Supplement saved his life (and his bank account).
 
LVSteve said:
Been researching the subject. Boy, what a minefield. It's not made any easier by some extremely poorly written websites. Some sites seem to go out of their way to make it hard to determine if your existing doctor is covered. The other gag is to try and hide your maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) until the last minute. Oh, and some of those MOOP numbers are eye watering.

Any tricks I am missing?
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As you can see by all the chatter, it is a minefield.

I stay with the same insurance for the past 40 years. It’s good in the US of A and abroad. Go where I want when I want no questions, no pre approvals, no ifs ands or buts.
Dubbed The Gold Cadillac Plan by every doctor I’ve ever seen.

No free toothbrushes though. :( :D
 
GypsmJim said:
Now I'm cornfused. When you said "Medicare Supplement", I thought you were referring to a "Medicare Advantage" plan. Are there 2 different versions?

My best friend underwent stage 4 cancer treatment, and then a quadruple bypass. Roswell Park is our local cancer hospital and it is up there with the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo. We call him the Million Dollar Man, and his Supplement saved his life (and his bank account).
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Medicare supplement vs. Medicare Advantage
Two entirely different policies.
Medicare Supplement is accepted by ANY medical provider that accepts basic Medicare.
Medicare Advantage are network based, coverage is good within the network, out of network, all bets are off.
 
Last edited:
pawngal said:
Medicare supplement vs. Medicare Advantage
Two entirely different policies.
Medicare Supplement is accepted by ANY medical provider that accepts basic Medicare.
Medicare Advantage are network based, coverage is good within the network, out of network, all bets are off.
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THIS!!! Medicare Supplement plans never come free, far from it as far as I can see. I'm sure they are worthwhile if your previous history has seen serious action.
 
pawngal said:
Medicare supplement vs. Medicare Advantage
Two entirely different policies.
Medicare Supplement is accepted by ANY medical provider that accepts basic Medicare.
Medicare Advantage are network based, coverage is good within the network, out of network, all bets are off.
Click to expand...

That's not quite correct. It omits Medicare Advantage PPO plans:



 
pawngal said:
Medicare supplement vs. Medicare Advantage
Two entirely different policies.
Medicare Supplement is accepted by ANY medical provider that accepts basic Medicare.
Medicare Advantage are network based, coverage is good within the network, out of network, all bets are off.
Click to expand...

How much, ballpark figures, are the the premiums for a supplement.
 
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