Medicare Advantage Plans

I have looked at the advantage plan. I current have a "F" supplemental plan. When I had my heart attack my cost was $0.00. I do pay $500 per month.

I understand the advantage plan may cost less per month, but the co-pay for a hospital stay can be $$$$$

I want to hear other people thoughts also.

ljhl wrote:
My wife and I have had original Medicare Parts A&B with a separate Supplemental and Prescription Drug plans for several years now. I was looking at Advantage plans and wondered if traveling from our stick home in Texas to our summer RV site in Maine would be a problem with the Advantage plan. If either of us needed to see a doctor while in Maine, would we be out of luck, insurance wise? Thanks for any of your experienced info!

you should ask the plan provider those questions...and more.

when we turned 65 in '15 and '16 we chose traditional medicare, a plan F supplement and a Part D drug plan. like virtually everyone on this forum we normally are away from home 5-7 mos a year and we had the same questions you have.

we wanted to stick with Blue Cross (we'd been with them for 30+ years and we're very happy) so we didn't investigate any others like Humana, etc. I asked BCBS about their Part C plans (Advantage Plans). at the time the BCBS Part C plans functioned like an HMO. we would've been assigned a primary care doc who would be in charge of everything including when and who to see when a specialist was needed. when we left our home area we were required to give them 2-weeks notice in order to be assigned a new PCP in wherever we were headed. If we only went to Mesa, AZ this might not have been a problem but we usually take 3-4 weeks to get to Mesa and then another 5-6 weeks getting home. one year we put 7000-mi on the MH. if we didn't give the notice and we had an emergency maybe it would be covered, maybe not depending on the situation and how whatever doc or hospital we used coded the event. sounded way too iffy for us. since then i've had a bad vision event and my wife had a foot problem in AZ. the bills for the vision problem ran into 5-figures. maybe it would've been covered, maybe not.

we also learned that if we switched to the Part C and then wanted to switch back to Medicare with a supplement we might have to take a physical to qualify for the supplement. be sure to ask about that. initially no physical is needed for a supplement.

IMO the 'come-ons' for the Part C plans are the modern day equivalent of the medicine shows. hurry, hurry, hurry...free, free, free! what they don't tell you about are the co-pays and deductibles. ask about that. Part C plans can save you $..if you are and stay healthy.

maybe the Part C plans have changed over the past 5-years but we're happy with what we have.

Going through these decisions myself for when I fully retire and lose the company plan next August. Right now I’m thinking that because we travel getting an F or G plan supplemental plan instead of an Advantage plan makes sense. If we stayed home the Advantage might be cheaper, but that’s not going to happen.

Dave

I have an advantage plan PPO which is good anywhere and I really like it.

United Healthcare Advantage plan through AARP claims to cover any provider who takes Medicare, might be a place to start. All of the Advantage plans are listed on the medicare.gov website and in a book put out by Medicare called "Medicare and you". It can be downloaded or mailed.

Ask your independent insurance agent that sold you the plan. He/she will know, find out and/or report.

We have been using Medicare with BSBC Supplemental and Express Scripts Plan D for 10 years. Has worked everywhere in the country. Dave had quadruple bypass last March and Pacemaker implanted in June. All done in Phoenix area. We paid nothing out of pocket for all of the surgeries, ICU stays, etc., which totaled almost $500K. Never had to check to see if it would be covered, only see physicians who except Medicare and everything is covered.

I passed out from heat exhaustion awhile back and United Health Care paid quick except for $250 of ambulance and $90 emergency but VA picked that right up. First time I ever used it as I usually use VA

ljhl wrote:
My wife and I have had original Medicare Parts A&B with a separate Supplemental and Prescription Drug plans for several years now. I was looking at Advantage plans and wondered if traveling from our stick home in Texas to our summer RV site in Maine would be a problem with the Advantage plan. If either of us needed to see a doctor while in Maine, would we be out of luck, insurance wise? Thanks for any of your experienced info!

To answer your question, possibly. Advantage Plans typically provide out of network coverage for emergency care only. But if you are back home in Texas, will your doctors be in your plan's network? Advantage Plans refer to "out of network " providers. That statement would be more accurate if it read "completely on your own".

Like you, my wife and I have 'original ' Medicare, a supplement, and a Part D drug plan. My wife needed hearing aids, a Costco membership took care of that with reasonably priced and good hearing aids. We have dental insurance as well. More monthly cost than an Advantage Plan, but as long as we can pay the premium, we have no desire to change.

Finally, something to consider. If you leave original Medicare, go to an Advantage Plan, and want to return to original Medicare, you will be subject to medical underwriting for a Supplement.

We have Scan Health and it has been terrific, with no disappointments.

Several surgeries, continual blood tests and monitoring. Prescriptions zero of close to it.