Medicare for full timers

eddiemac66 wrote:
I just began full-timing and while in Florida last winter I joined up with a Medicare group that seemed real good. They actually paid my monthly fee to SS and gave me real good service. The fly in the ointment is the fact that they want me to stay in the florida area (their area) at least 6 months out of the year to receive this service. Is this commonplace or what? What do other full timers do?

Is this a Medicare Advantage plan? If so, you will be chained to their area for anything but emergency care. You'd be better off with regular Part A and Part B, then add a supplement and a drug plan. Takes a little more work, but works better for Fulltimers.

Barb

Moved from class A forum

What you have is a HMO supplement which has special requirements.

What you need if you travel is a PPO supplement whereby you can use any doctor or facility of your choice. What's especially neat about that is that you can go to the best in the country! We have used Transamerica through Good Sam for 10 years and they have always paid everything with no copays. We've had multiple surgeries, including cancer. It works great.

Of course with many new 'rules' coming up in government everything might change for all of us. :(

eddiemac66 wrote:
I just began full-timing and while in Florida last winter I joined up with a Medicare group that seemed real good. They actually paid my monthly fee to SS and gave me real good service. The fly in the ointment is the fact that they want me to stay in the florida area (their area) at least 6 months out of the year to receive this service. Is this commonplace or what? What do other full timers do?

Some plans let you go anywhere anytime, and others require your to remain in a given area. Some let your travel outside the country, and others will not cover you outside the country. I have heard that some of the AAPR plans are quite popular with full timers who travel all over. Don't know which one cause I am still covered under my wife's work plan. But am researching cause she is coming up on retirement.

Medicare is administered by the Federal government not a private company so it's difficult to understand what you're asking. You need to contact the company you signed up with and ask them, no one here will have the answer. You didn't even state the name of the plan and it still wouldn't make any difference.

eddiemac66 wrote:
I just began full-timing and while in Florida last winter I joined up with a Medicare group that seemed real good. They actually paid my monthly fee to SS and gave me real good service. The fly in the ointment is the fact that they want me to stay in the florida area (their area) at least 6 months out of the year to receive this service. Is this commonplace or what? What do other full timers do?

Go to a "UPS Store" in Florida and get a po box from them. They don't require residency DL's to get one like the Gov Post Office does and they provide you with a real 'address'.

Have your medicare info sent to that Florida address and then you can maintain that group service.

The UPS Store will forward your mail when ever you need it. Note: this is NOT the post office. They have all the services of a post office but it is 'privately' owned and provide you with a real address. Locations are all over.