Turning 65 next year and starting to look at medicare supplement insurance. We plan to travel a great deal and most supplements that I've seen thus far seem awfully regional specific. Does anyone have any thoughts on a good supplement policy that doesn't tie one down to a certain area?

I believe that the ones with regional restrictions are Medicare Advantage plans. These plans sometimes come with dental and prescription coverage but also with the restrictions you mentioned.I have supplemental plan F which covers me anywhere Medicare is accepted.

United Healthcare through AARP.

dramsey1 wrote:Turning 65 next year and starting to look at medicare supplement insurance. We plan to travel a great deal and most supplements that I've seen thus far seem awfully regional specific. Does anyone have any thoughts on a good supplement policy that doesn't tie one down to a certain area?you may be confusing a Medicare Supplement with a Medicare Advantage Plan. a Medicare Supplement plan is accepted anywhere where the US flag is flown by any medical provider that accepts Medicare. whereas a Medicare Advantage Plan is an alternative to traditional Medicare and combines Medicare Parts A, B, sometimes and a Medicare Supplement...an "All-In-One" plan. Medicare Advantage Plans function like an HMO in that you are assigned (or pick) a primary care physician who is in control of managing your health. if you leave your "home" area you may have coverage that works like a PPO which allows you to see medical providers but at a much lower benefit level and higher co-pays. But each Medicare Advantage Plan can set it's own rules so be sure to ask.ALL of the Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized and vary only by the premium amount. I chose Plan "F" as it covers virtually all of the charges not covered by Medicare itself. and because we travel a lot I made sure that I'd be covered anywhere in the country.

wgriswold wrote:I believe that the ones with regional restrictions are Medicare Advantage plans. These plans sometimes come with dental and prescription coverage but also with the restrictions you mentioned.I have supplemental plan F which covers me anywhere Medicare is accepted.Same here, but we have Plan G which has a small deductble.Don't get an HMO or an advantage plan. Many doctors don't accept them. Get a regular "Supplement" and you are covered in every state. I had a knee replacement five years ago that cost 30,000 dollars and it cost me zip.All these ads you see on TV and get in the mail are not the good supplements.Guy

Medicare Supplemental Insurance | Good Sam Community

SpeakEasy
Explorer
May 02, 2017
jplante4 wrote:
OH48Lt wrote:
Talk with a certified advisor that works with multiple companies. He/she will make recommendations based on your particular needs. They do not charge for this service, they get paid by the insurer.

This is the best way to do it. Very difficult trying to make sense of all the plans, especially the drug plans. The good news is you can change the plan every year.

x a million.

Your best advice is to IGNORE pretty much everything else you've read in this thread. Get some professional help. This is a pretty complicated question you're asking, and the answer that is best for you will be different from the answer that is best for someone else. Too many variables.

-Speak
jplante4
Explorer II
May 02, 2017
OH48Lt wrote:
Talk with a certified advisor that works with multiple companies. He/she will make recommendations based on your particular needs. They do not charge for this service, they get paid by the insurer.

This is the best way to do it. Very difficult trying to make sense of all the plans, especially the drug plans. The good news is you can change the plan every year.
time2roll
Nomad
May 02, 2017
Interesting rate information as I manage Mom's healthcare. For the most part the co-pays are less than these premiums but could go well over at times. Everyone's situation is different. Thank you for the perspective.
Mountain_Mama
Explorer
May 02, 2017
OH48Lt wrote:
Talk with a certified advisor that works with multiple companies. He/she will make recommendations based on your particular needs. They do not charge for this service, they get paid by the insurer.

This is what we did for my husband. She printed out a list of starting with the lowest cost one, which happened to be Cigna in our area. We went with it & Plan G that you pay the deductible for annual Dr. apps. She did tell us that we will not be able to ever change to plan F later if we want to. Also, annually he may not be able to change companies just to get lower premiums due to the fact of his health problems & a change would have to be approved by the new company's underwriters...Might or might not happen.
OH48Lt
Explorer
May 02, 2017
Talk with a certified advisor that works with multiple companies. He/she will make recommendations based on your particular needs. They do not charge for this service, they get paid by the insurer.
1995brave
Nomad
May 02, 2017
I turn 65 this year and the phone calls and mailings have started. So tired of two to four calls daily that I just hang up on them. I'm retired military and have Tricare for life. When my wife developed kidney failure we went through Humana for her Medicare coverage. I get monthly statements from Medicare and Tricare on payments, I owe nothing, but I had to pay the bills it would be over 50 thousand per month. When I sign up it will be through Humana, just to keep everything under one company. Tricare also uses Humana Health System.
Thunder_Mountai
Explorer II
May 02, 2017
robbiesgram wrote:
United Healthcare through AARP.

In my opinion, this is the only way to go. Friend who handled the insurance for my employer is two days younger than me enrolled in it. She did the research. I didn't even ask any questions. Just signed up. No regional restrictions. Had total knee replacement. Saw no bills. Had a shoulder rebuild and had to pay around $50 for something or another. I'm sure there are other plans just as good but why look.

The tricky one is the prescription insurance. It is a bit complicated. I'm only on a couple of nasal prescriptions. So, I went with the cheapest program. If I was on major medications, I would have to do some research.
Captain_Happy
Explorer
May 02, 2017
United of Omaha. So far it's been good everywhere I've been. And I've had it for years now.
NanciL
Explorer II
May 02, 2017
time2roll wrote:
rk911 wrote:
ALL of the Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized and vary only by the premium amount.
What is a premium range for these plans?

It goes according to you age and it raises each year.
I am 81 and mine is $1800 for the year. That is for 100 percent coverage with a $ 150 per year deductable.

My wife is 79 and hers is $1600

But if you search around each year for the ones that are in your state, you can change and get the one with lowest cost.
As someone said above the coverage is governed by the Feds, so with it you can't go wrong.
A few years ago when it made its annual jump we changed insurers to a lower cost one and it went back $ 200.
I think since we both started with it we have been able to keep it quite low by bouncing back and forth between three or four insurers

jack L
pnichols
Explorer II
May 02, 2017
We have used Medicare along with the United Healthcare Plans through AARP for years.

Virtually no paperwork to fill out to use it and .... we walk out of hospital operating rooms, emergency rooms, and doctor's offices owing nothing ... anywhere in the U.S.A. - which is great if you want to travel all over in your RV.

I agree with posters above - it's pretty obvious that we need congress to once again get involved constructively (like they did for Medicare and Supplement Plans) and put the same type of controls in place to create the same kind of national uniformity of coverage for Prescription Drug Plans that we get with Supplement Plans!