I hate health care plan selection season.

I agree with Fuzzybuddy. The Medicare advantage insurance companies get very aggressive and oppressive this time of year. It's disgusting. All of the Medicare approved medicare advantage plans are listed in the back of your Medicare book they mail out each year. You can read them yourself. The insurance companies are making a ton of money from seniors or they wouldn't be doing all that advertising. Often your medical co-pays don't add up to as much as your insurance premiums over a number of years and that's what they're counting on.
 

I agree with Fuzzybuddy. The Medicare advantage insurance companies get very aggressive and oppressive this time of year. It's disgusting. All of the Medicare approved medicare advantage plans are listed in the back of your Medicare book they mail out each year. You can read them yourself. The insurance companies are making a ton of money from seniors or they wouldn't be doing all that advertising. Often your medical co-pays don't add up to as much as your insurance premiums over a number of years and that's what they're counting on.
 
I agree with Fuzzybuddy. The Medicare advantage insurance companies get very aggressive and oppressive this time of year. It's disgusting. All of the Medicare approved medicare advantage plans are listed in the back of your Medicare book they mail out each year. You can read them yourself. The insurance companies are making a ton of money from seniors or they wouldn't be doing all that advertising. Often your medical co-pays don't add up to as much as your insurance premiums over a number of years and that's what they're counting on.

Insurance companies are making money that is the way capitalist systems work.

Maybe it depends on where you live if co-pays apply. My advantage plan I have no co-pays for doctors or specialists. I do have a $6.00 co-pay every 90 days for a generic cholesterol med. Considering my total out of pocket for complete cervical spine rebuild 2 years ago was a little over $600.00 I am happy with my advantage plan.

I ignore any advertising because I have a great plan rep that advises me of changes if they benefit me. Might not be the same in every state though.
 

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I shred all that stuff the minute it comes in. It bugs me that AARP and a couple of others are now putting their stuff in bigger envelopes that I have to cut in two to get into the shredder.

I am signed up for paperless stuff from my own plan so I don't have to deal with their paper, either. I hate paper! I get their annual notice of changes, etc. and can scan for what matters to me and not have to slog through the whole thing. Having it digitally makes it so much easier if I need a question answered during the year -- like is this or that covered. I can just search for it digitally and not have to deal with half a kilo of paper.
 
I'm still getting stuff. Should have called Wellcare like I had planned. Got an envelope from them and Amerigroup instead of Americare. I don't know if they are affiliated. It is very annoying because I don't toss the junk mail, I shred anything with my name on it. Sometimes your name is on a couple of places on the enrollment forms.
 
Insurance companies are making money that is the way capitalist systems work.

Maybe it depends on where you live if co-pays apply. My advantage plan I have no co-pays for doctors or specialists. I do have a $6.00 co-pay every 90 days for a generic cholesterol med. Considering my total out of pocket for complete cervical spine rebuild 2 years ago was a little over $600.00 I am happy with my advantage plan.

I ignore any advertising because I have a great plan rep that advises me of changes if they benefit me. Might not be the same in every state though.
 
It's health care plan selection season til Dec. 7th (?). If your not on Medicare, you will be, so be prepared for feeling like prey, by roving bands of insurance companies. My mail box is filled with thick envelopes telling me how much an insurance company loves me, and all the money it'll save me. Every commercial on TV will be kind, caring insurance companies, going bankrupt by saving me all that money. They drive a truck up to your house, and just shovel cash at you. But there's one health care plan commercial, I can't stand. It's the one where seniors start dancing when they sign up for a plan. Talk about nausea.
I've said it all before, "GLAD I DON'T HAVE CABLE" Most commercials are directed at imbeciles or that is the way they make you feel.
 
Insurance companies are making money that is the way capitalist systems work.

Maybe it depends on where you live if co-pays apply. My advantage plan I have no co-pays for doctors or specialists. I do have a $6.00 co-pay every 90 days for a generic cholesterol med. Considering my total out of pocket for complete cervical spine rebuild 2 years ago was a little over $600.00 I am happy with my advantage plan.

I ignore any advertising because I have a great plan rep that advises me of changes if they benefit me. Might not be the same in every state though.
The monthly payments you make to private insurance companies come out of your pocket too. How much were they over the last few years? I doubt you got spine rebuild for $25 per month insurance payments. It's odd that some people don't think insurance payments are out of their pocket expenses. Whose pocket do they think they come out of?
 
The monthly payments you make to private insurance companies come out of your pocket too. How much were they over the last few years? I doubt you got spine rebuild for $25 per month insurance payments. It's odd that some people don't think insurance payments are out of their pocket expenses. Whose pocket do they think they come out of?
You don't understand how my advantage plan works. I pay zero for Doctors & Specialists. I make no monthly payments of any kind. I don't have supplemental insurance that I pay for. The little over $600.00 was for the co pay for the hospital. 3 weeks in a rehab facility was at no cost to me. It would be nice if everyone had what we have but I'm guessing not every advantage plan works the way mine does.

I should mention for 13 years before my surgery use of my advantage plan was that $6.00 co-pay for a prescription & the two years after the same no high cost needs. So for 15 years the deduction for Medicare paid health was profit for my advantage plan carrier. Some require a lot some not so much.
 
You don't understand how my advantage plan works. I pay zero for Doctors & Specialists. I make no monthly payments of any kind. I don't have supplemental insurance that I pay for. The little over $600.00 was for the co pay for the hospital. 3 weeks in a rehab facility was at no cost to me. It would be nice if everyone had what we have but I'm guessing not every advantage plan works the way mine does.

I should mention for 13 years before my surgery use of my advantage plan was that $6.00 co-pay for a prescription & the two years after the same no high cost needs. So for 15 years the deduction for Medicare paid health was profit for my advantage plan carrier. Some require a lot some not so much.

My plan works similarly. I had both hips replaced in 2013 (in separate surgeries one month apart) and the total, including both hips and everything related thereto, out of pocket I paid was well under $1,000 -- I think it was about $750, but I don't remember precisely. Most of that was the hospital co-pays and the one time co-pay of $50 to the orthopedic surgeon and a couple of small co-pays for prescriptions. I picked my own surgeon and had a private room at the best hospital in town for both surgeries. No other co-pays for lab work, x-rays, etc., or anesthesiologists or other doctors involved.

A great deal, I think for two new hips and the ability to walk again.

My Advantage plan has no monthly premium, either.
 
I agree with Fuzzybuddy. The Medicare advantage insurance companies get very aggressive and oppressive this time of year. It's disgusting. All of the Medicare approved medicare advantage plans are listed in the back of your Medicare book they mail out each year. You can read them yourself. The insurance companies are making a ton of money from seniors or they wouldn't be doing all that advertising. Often your medical co-pays don't add up to as much as your insurance premiums over a number of years and that's what they're counting on.
We have a Insurance Broker that we go to for our Medicare Advantage insurance. The problem is the broker represents 4 companies and has seminars for all four. Last year they represented just two, Humana and BC BS. They run many big newspaper adds for all four...it must cost the Insurance companies big bucks to pay for the adds and the cost to rent rooms to put on the seminars. Like we will go to all four. No way!
 
We have a Insurance Broker that we go to for our Medicare Advantage insurance. The problem is the broker represents 4 companies and has seminars for all four. Last year they represented just two, Humana and BC BS. They run many big newspaper adds for all four...it must cost the Insurance companies big bucks to pay for the adds and the cost to rent rooms to put on the seminars. Like we will go to all four. No way!
If your broker is like mine he or she will ask you questions about your health & explain what company or plan best meets your needs.
 
Joe Namath must be on the Advantage plan.🙄🙄🙄 🤣

My friend wanted to go from Plan G to advantage plan. She is the one that tried to get me to go on plan G. I chose plan n. I think her plan went up enough she thought Joe Namath had the plan for her. But she ended up staying on plan G
 
If your broker is like mine he or she will ask you questions about your health & explain what company or plan best meets your needs.
I did that and they just said if I like the plan we are on we should stay on it. I could have spent hours there trying to fine out how plan one pays for this or that vs the other three plans....I will stick with BC BS. $40 a month.
 
Considering my total out of pocket for complete cervical spine rebuild 2 years ago was a little over $600.00 I am happy with my advantage plan.
"cervical spine rebuild" wow, what does that consist of? I need a thoracic spine rebuild, I'm in pain every day. Of course Kaiser-Permanente won't give me any pain meds since I'm over 65, I rely on movement(stretching, yoga, Taichi) and heating pads for relief.
I'd gladly pay $600...hell I'd pay 10 times that for some effective relief. How can I get that?
 
Most of the doctors I see don't take Advantage plan insurance. Whi would that accept tradition Medicare and not Advantage? I have to stay on basic Medicare for my former employer to pay for my Part D prescription plan.
I have no idea, ask your doctor. But to have MA plan I also have basic Medicare so your doctor should bill Medicare I think.

Basic Medicare is costing me $159 a month in 2021.
 
Most of the doctors I see don't take Advantage plan insurance. Whi would that accept tradition Medicare and not Advantage? I have to stay on basic Medicare for my former employer to pay for my Part D prescription plan.

Here, almost all doctors, specialists and GPs alike, do take Advantage plans; also almost all pharmacies, physical therapists, etc., do
 
You don't understand how my advantage plan works. I pay zero for Doctors & Specialists. I make no monthly payments of any kind. I don't have supplemental insurance that I pay for. The little over $600.00 was for the co pay for the hospital. 3 weeks in a rehab facility was at no cost to me. It would be nice if everyone had what we have but I'm guessing not every advantage plan works the way mine does.

I should mention for 13 years before my surgery use of my advantage plan was that $6.00 co-pay for a prescription & the two years after the same no high cost needs. So for 15 years the deduction for Medicare paid health was profit for my advantage plan carrier. Some require a lot some not so much.
What is the name of the Advantage plan you belong to Knight?
 

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