If You Have A Medicare Supplement Are You Happy With It?

My plan is part of my retiree benefits. The only thing I pay is the Medicare part B premium. The plan was free before I became eligible for Medicare. My co pays are only $10 for doctor visits and nothing for surgeries, post op follow ups and lab tests. Most of my prescriptions are $5 for 90 days. A couple are $18. I love my doctors so I hope there are no changes to the plan.
 
We have a Medicare Advantage Plan with Prescription Drug coverage, through Humana. So far, it is working out well. In addition, the company supplies its retirees with a HRA (Healthcare Reimbursement Account) that covers the bulk of the premiums, plus Vision and Dental premiums. Over the past 3 or 4 years that we've had this plan, our total "out of pocket" expenses have been minimal. I did, however, have to be taken to the hospital via ambulance, about 3 weeks ago...Kidney Stone....and it will be interesting to see how the insurance handles that.
 
I have Mutual Of Omaha Plan G never had to use it, I hope it is the same coverage as other plan G's that cost more.( $112 is what monthy cost is. Anyone use this plan ?? I am a newbei to medicare, Advantage plans scare me with the out-of-pocket cost. ?? thanks for this forum ....UPDATE: just signed up for BCBS of IL.Plan F High Ded. $48 monthly.
 
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Plan G is a better deal than Plan F.. The only thing it doesn't cover that plan F does is the $166 part B deductible, and the premiums are less money.. Doing the math, it will save us $80 a year over the Plan F.
 
they do not offer a plan g in queens in nyc . but that is okay . we got a better deal . the high deductible f-plan cost us 2k less a year than an f-plan would . we have not only very little in pay outs but silver sneakers covers my wife's gym membership which is 480.00 by itself . that is almost 1/2 the premium amount right there .
 
I have a medicare advantage plan with almost no out of pocket costs, even in the year I had both hips replaced. I don't know why people have the idea that advantage plans have huge out of pocket costs. It isn't true in my experience. My sister and I have different Advantage plans and that's not a problem with either of them--- no deductibles either. And no premiums -- just the regular Medicare premium. The max out of pocket per year for mine is $3,400 for 2017, and I came nowhere near that the year I had both hips replaced -- very expensive procedures. My out of pocket for both hips together was well under $1,000. I paid the surgeon out of pocket $50 for each hip (that included follow-up visits, etc.). I didn't pay anything for x-rays (of which I had a zillion), or lab work.
 
advantage plan out of pockets vary as much as snow flakes . my co-worker bragged about how little his advantage plan cost . that is until it didn't .
everything was always covered . he spent weeks in a hospital with a blood disease and nothing .

well that was until his wife got cancer and chemo had a 4500.00 co-pay . she got it towards the end of year and he got whacked for 9k because he hit two out pockets .

she is doing fine but has needed more treatments through the years and it has been costing him more in uncovered stuff then a supplement would have .

kaiser has some good advantage plans . i would have taken one if we had them available . but they aren't here and the ones that were available sucked so we skipped advantage plans .

but because you have not had issue's with your does not mean advantage plans as a group don't have costs , holes and issues as they sure do .
 
The problem with Advantage plans is NOT the hospitalization part.. That is covered same as traditional Medicare part A, and it includes the Medicare part A deductible which is picked up by the Supplement to traditional Medicare. The problem lies in the Outpatient total outpatient copayments.. or "out of pocket" expenses.. Particularly for the major treatments like Chemo.. My Traditional Medicare, and supplement provide me with ZERO out of pocket expense.. no matter what.
 
All Medicare Supplements of the same letter are identical. No company is better than any other.

Usually Plan F is the least cost effective. Depending on where you live Plan G or Plan N may be much better choices.

And I agree about Medicare Advantage. In many areas doctor/hospital costs are comparatively minimal. It's the cost of chemo, radiation and dialysis can be be very costly. In many locations the potential out of pocket costs are as high as $6,700. Some as low as $2,000. But the bottom line is access to care is limited with Advantage Plans.

Rick
 
GreenSky said:
All Medicare Supplements of the same letter are identical. No company is better than any other.

Usually Plan F is the least cost effective. Depending on where you live Plan G or Plan N may be much better choices.

And I agree about Medicare Advantage. In many areas doctor/hospital costs are comparatively minimal. It's the cost of chemo, radiation and dialysis can be be very costly. In many locations the potential out of pocket costs are as high as $6,700. Some as low as $2,000. But the bottom line is access to care is limited with Advantage Plans.

Rick
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I just enrolled in Plan G for that reason.. Lower premium than Plan F and the only out of pocket I have is the $166 part B deductible.. which is more than made up for by the lower premium. Otherwise the coverage is identical to plan F.
 
we took a high deductible f-plan . it was very cost effective . 2k deductible but we save 2200 a year in premiums over an f-plan here in nyc . maybe we spent 400-500 a year the last 2 years . the plan cost us arount 100 a month but it also pays for my wife's gym which is 40 a month .
 
I'll be on Medicare in 2 years and as of now the HDF seems most appropriate both for myself and my wife. We're paying over $1,300 annually to share a $3,000 deductible and $8,000 out of pocket (thank you every democrat that passed Obamacare) and in today's dollars will pay under $200 for Medicare, HDF and drug plan.

Good choice of plans.

Rick
 
spot said:
I have Mutual Of Omaha Plan G never had to use it, I hope it is the same coverage as other plan G's that cost more.( $112 is what monthy cost is. Anyone use this plan ?? I am a newbei to medicare, Advantage plans scare me with the out-of-pocket cost. ?? thanks for this forum ....UPDATE: just signed up for BCBS of IL.Plan F High Ded. $48 monthly.
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Well I canceled the Plan F HD and decided to stay with M Of Omaha Plan G. I also learned that when you change plans you may have a waiting period, and answer medical questions. Lots to learn about Medicare !!!!
 
whether you have a waiting period or questionnaire is based on state . ny is one of the few states where you can move freely acrooss plans . we are also not age based like most states .age has nothing to do with what you pay here .
 
spot said:
Well I canceled the Plan F HD and decided to stay with M Of Omaha Plan G. I also learned that when you change plans you may have a waiting period, and answer medical questions. Lots to learn about Medicare !!!!
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There is no waiting period with replacement coverage.

Be careful about Mutual of Omaha. They have a history of low rates and then close the company to new sales. They then form another company. People with health problems can't qualify to change companies and get stuck with ever increasing premiums.

I represent many companies but I won't sell them.

Rick
 
Old thread, new question. I am about a year away from medicare and trying to get informed.
This thread talked about different plans and how they were working out.
I was curious as to the cost of some of these supplemental plans.
 
Do at least check into Medicare Advantage plans. I know some on this forum disparage them, but both my sister and myself are on one and are delighted with it. We pay no additional premium at all, just the regular medicare premium. I've had both my hips replaced and total outlay was about $1,000 (for both together, for all expenses). My sister has heart problems and she has had very little outlay, either Yes, you do pay a bit ($50 in our cases) for specialists visits, but that is more than balanced by not having to pay monthly premiums. Also, we have a yearly maximum out of pocket of about $3,600, but again, that is more than balanced by not having to pay premiums. Neither of us has reached that maximum out of pocket, by the way, not even the year I had both hips replaced. Ours is a local HMO affiliated with a big hospital and huge medical group (and other physicians) here, which contains most of the best specialists in our area. Ours also has the rx benefit.

Do check out the advantage plans in your area. Some are excellent, as ours is, others not so much.
 
Different States do have various plans..I would say that most plans average about $200 Monthly premium and some do increase yearly as you age. Caution: Some plans will start with a low premium the first year and jump up the next year!!
 

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