Selecting Medicare Options

[JOHN CARRIGAN]

The first thing I have learned about additional coverage plane is that they choose which hospitals and Doctors are "in-network". If you go somewhere else other than the ones on their lists of approved facilities, your on your own. Unless you get a letter of referral from your primary care giver before you go to hospital or "out-of-network" Doctor. And, you must get your primary care Doctor to provide yet another letter of referral for each and everyone of additional Doctors care that are required and are "out-of-network". When my wife and I set down with some providers ALL OF THEM will tell you that almost every hospital or Doctor you might need in the future are on their "in-network" lists. Not until I was diagnosed with acute leukemia and was sent to the very best facility and Doctors in our area for hundreds of miles and the bills began to be sent back denied payment,"out-of-network" did I learn I was with the wrong provider!!
My point? Don't assume just because your are in good health now, you won't someday need the very best care possible to survive. PRE-CHECK EVERYTHING!! Make a list of anything and everything that could happen to you in the future. Then take that list to your primary care Doctor for him to advise you which facilities, and specialists in each of those fields are the very best for YOU, and not just the insurance providers. Then when you sit down with a provider, ask him to show you proof BEFORE you commit that each and everyone are "IN-NETWORK" for them!

 

[MichaelB]

Hello John and welcome to the forum. There are all kinds of health insurance coverage options. Your experience shows how important it is to understand the type of coverage you are getting when you enroll in a specific plan.