There must be a tremendous amount of profit for vendors of Medicare Advantage Plans!

[Amethyst]

Must be like when I was in college and everyone was going on about the 50's, which I couldn't remember, although I was alive for some of it. Everything I heard and saw about the 50's seemed so out-of-date and even a little creepy. That must be how the 70's and 80's look to you...

Well, I totally missed that! All my hazy memories are from the 1900s.

 

[Ginny]

Yes, our friend gets $250 per person, once, to sign up a client. A small business person making money! Yay, I'm all for it.

 

[txtig]

I'll be glad to not see Joe for a while.

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Joe on TV talking about Alabama football. Now, as a LSU fan, there’s not much I hate more than Alabama football. But strangely, it was kind of a relief to see Joe and not have to hear him hawking those damn Medicare Advantage Plans.

 

[Chuckanut]

Our mute button is wonderful. We mute Joe Nameth every day. And we mute all of those prescription drug ads. No wonder US drug prices are so much higher than other countries.

Here's an interesting experiment to do the next time the drug ads show up on TV. Keep the sound on but close your eyes. Avoid looking at all the images of happy people enjoying life with family and friends thanks to Pretenda. What do you feel about the drug now?

 

[Amethyst]

I don't watch TV, but Mr. A. keeps the set on during the day so I hear all the daytime ads. What really stands out, is how sad and grim the daytime market is. Nothing interesting or pretty for sale at all.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Oh NOoooo! Say it isn't so!
What about "Eight oh oh, three two five - three five three five"?

Probably better than, "One OH three ZERO four OH nine."

 

[JoeWras]

Here's an interesting experiment to do the next time the drug ads show up on TV. Keep the sound on but close your eyes. Avoid looking at all the images of happy people enjoying life with family and friends thanks to Pretenda. What do you feel about the drug now?

There's some weird vibe in those ads. It is almost sport to look at the new stereotypes they are generating.

I'm especially intrigued by the fact that people who take Pretenda always have convertibles or classic cars.

That's only one of the many other "feel good" things they slip in.

 

[troutnut1]

I wonder how many people fall for the Prevagen "It's made from jellyfish" anti-dementia pills?

Exactly! We always crack up when the old guy or gal says “I’ve been taking Prevagen since...well I can’t remember when...and blah, blah blah...”

When one of their folks says “I’ve been taking it since the evening of August 12, 2017” I might look into it.

 

[kaboom62]

Starting Medicare part B in January 2021. Worried about dental coverage. I have a lot of crown? Is there a plan that helps with that?

 

[rk911]

Based on the amount of Ads on TV during Enrollment Season, that do not come cheap. There must be a big kickback to Agents/Services that pay for them.

Let alone the cost of Joe Namath's and Danny Glover's Fees!

Same goes got Carshield and other Car insurance programs (That Clark Howard and most of the smart money advises against)

If the insurance companies channeled that money in our healthcare cost and quality, it would make for a better healthcare world.

Really Grinds my Gears.... Sorry. Other than the fact I am sick of Joe Namath's whiney voice.

don't forget Bill Engvall. i for one am very happy the enrollment deadline has passed most of those ads will, should, disappear. free! free!! free!!! shout the ads. 'get all you deserve' they say. i did a dive into one of those plans and found that the 'all' didn't live up to the hype. you were able to pick one and only one of the freebies for the entire calendar year.

we received bad news the other day. we have original medicare with a supplement. our primary care doc whom we've had for nearly 20-years has informed us that he will no longer be able to see us unless we switch to one of a few select Medicare Advantage plans. we like our plan and have no plans to and won't change. he said he is doing this because the govt is slow to pay. big surprise. so we now we will be seeing a new doc. all good things come to an end.

 

[audreyh1]

Must be like when I was in college and everyone was going on about the 50's, which I couldn't remember, although I was alive for some of it. Everything I heard and saw about the 50's seemed so out-of-date and even a little creepy. That must be how the 70's and 80's look to you...

Well not really as I was coming of age in the 70s, and graduated college and started my career in the early 80s. Those times seem quite normal to me. 50s definitely seem out there! 60s quite wild although I was old enough to catch quite a bit of it from the sidelines and we were still celebrating the 60s in the early 70s.

 

[JJpop]

We have Medicare Advantage and I am more than happy with it.
I had bills over 300,000 the last year and paid about 3200 out of pocket.
Every single test and procedure was approved.
I can go to Stanford and see one of the best specialist in the country and have a 20 dollar copay.

 

[Amethyst]

Oh, sorry - didn't realize we were contemporaries. Had assumed you were younger!

Well not really as I was coming of age in the 70s, and graduated college and started my career in the early 80s. Those times seem quite normal to me. 50s definitely seem out there! 60s quite wild although I was old enough to catch quite a bit of it from the sidelines and we were still celebrating the 60s in the early 70s.

 

[Maidensong]

Like the ACA plans Medicare Advantage has whopping deductibles before they pay. And it's true that agents make more to sell this product than to sell one of the supplement (Medigap) plans that pick up what basic Medicare doesn't pay. We decided to go with a supplement because we didn't want to have to go through underwriting to change from an MA plan to one that actually covers us.

We opted for a Medicare Supplement Plan G for each of us. I look at it as insurance against the financial disaster of a serious illness or hospitalization. We each have a different Part D for prescription coverage because I have so many pills and the DH so few. We'll pay the regular $148.50 each for basic Medicare, $252.12 a month for our combined supplement and $15.70 & $23.90 for our Part D. So $588.72 for the two of us to provide really good coverage no matter what happens.

 

[jcgc50]

Do you really get additional benefits (free dental, free vision, free meal, etc.) often with low or no premiums?

Did you save thousands of dollars and $144 added back to your social security checks every month by using their plans?

You still have to pay for Part B. If anyone thinks they are able to get those benefits and someone doesn't pay I have a bridge for sale I want to interest you in. Stockholders and executives have to be satisfied.

The advantage plans are costing taxpayers more than traditional Medicare and typically pay the provider less.

This is an older article but still true as far as I know. https://publicintegrity.org/health/...costs-taxpayers-billions-more-than-it-should/

 

[Go Bolts]

Like the ACA plans Medicare Advantage has whopping deductibles before they pay. And it's true that agents make more to sell this product than to sell one of the supplement (Medigap) plans that pick up what basic Medicare doesn't pay. We decided to go with a supplement because we didn't want to have to go through underwriting to change from an MA plan to one that actually covers us.



We opted for a Medicare Supplement Plan G for each of us. I look at it as insurance against the financial disaster of a serious illness or hospitalization. We each have a different Part D for prescription coverage because I have so many pills and the DH so few. We'll pay the regular $148.50 each for basic Medicare, $252.12 a month for our combined supplement and $15.70 & $23.90 for our Part D. So $588.72 for the two of us to provide really good coverage no matter what happens.

Most MA Plans do NOT have “whopping deductibles” like ACA Bronze plans.

In fact, many have zero deductible with zero premium. In some plans the insurance company rebates some or all of the Part B premium. IMHO if you’re in relatively good health, you can definitely save a good bit of money going with the MAPD plans.

I just went on a local MAPD plan. They rebate $114 of the Part B premium. So my Net Part B Premium is only $34.50/month. I have zero premium to the Plan and zero deductible. Many services have zero or low copays. My max Out of Pocket is $4,500.

Additionally, I was able to drop my Part D PDP and Medicare Supplement plans. Another $82/mo. savings, for most others, that number will be much higher (I had a cheap Plan K). Plus they throw in silver sneakers, routine dental (which I doubt I’ll use) and a number of other benefits.

Bottom line is I’m saving $2,352 guaranteed for the year versus a Max OOP of $4,500 which may or may not be incurred.

PS — the agent makes more on a MAPD sale than a Medigap sale because MAPD is a higher cost product, apples vs. oranges comparison.

 

[VanWinkle]

Most MA Plans do NOT have “whopping deductibles” like ACA Bronze plans.

In fact, many have zero deductible with zero premium. In some plans the insurance company rebates some or all of the Part B premium. IMHO if you’re in relatively good health, you can definitely save a good bit of money going with the MAPD plans.

I just went on a local MAPD plan. They rebate $114 of the Part B premium. So my Net Part B Premium is only $34.50/month. I have zero premium to the Plan and zero deductible. Many services have zero or low copays. My max Out of Pocket is $4,500.

Additionally, I was able to drop my Part D PDP and Medicare Supplement plans. Another $82/mo. savings, for most others, that number will be much higher (I had a cheap Plan K). Plus they throw in silver sneakers, routine dental (which I doubt I’ll use) and a number of other benefits.

Bottom line is I’m saving $2,352 guaranteed for the year versus a Max OOP of $4,500 which may or may not be incurred.

PS — the agent makes more on a MAPD sale than a Medigap sale because MAPD is a higher cost product, apples vs. oranges comparison.

+1 This post is a good explanation of the difference.

 

[H2ODude]

Once on a MA plan, if you want to go back to standard Medicare w supplement (because maybe you have developed issues that would not be covered so well under your MA plan) doesn't that subject you to underwriting by the supplemental insurance?

 

[VanWinkle]

Once on a MA plan, if you want to go back to standard Medicare w supplement (because maybe you have developed issues that would not be covered so well under your MA plan) doesn't that subject you to underwriting by the supplemental insurance?

Yes this is true. I have better coverage under my MA plan than I had when
working for a major Insurance company. I can risk 4400 dollar a year out of pocket max. I did the math, and I would have to max out the 4400 for 7 years to be better off with medigap G. If I max out for more than 3 years, I'm likely checking out anyway. YMMV. No deductible and it has to cover everything that Medicare covers.

 

[athena53]

The advantage plans are costing taxpayers more than traditional Medicare and typically pay the provider less.

This is an older article but still true as far as I know. https://publicintegrity.org/health/...costs-taxpayers-billions-more-than-it-should/

This is very interesting and would explain why a senior-focused chain near me, "Partners in Primary Care" accepts ONLY Medicare Advantage plans. I'd be their ideal member, too- correctly rated I'd say I'm pretty low risk but if they could collect more by claiming I was higher-risk I'd most likely be a very profitable member.

 

[CardsFan]

Most MA Plans do NOT have “whopping deductibles” like ACA Bronze plans.

In fact, many have zero deductible with zero premium. In some plans the insurance company rebates some or all of the Part B premium. IMHO if you’re in relatively good health, you can definitely save a good bit of money going with the MAPD plans.

I just went on a local MAPD plan. They rebate $114 of the Part B premium. So my Net Part B Premium is only $34.50/month. I have zero premium to the Plan and zero deductible. Many services have zero or low copays. My max Out of Pocket is $4,500.

Additionally, I was able to drop my Part D PDP and Medicare Supplement plans. Another $82/mo. savings, for most others, that number will be much higher (I had a cheap Plan K). Plus they throw in silver sneakers, routine dental (which I doubt I’ll use) and a number of other benefits.

Bottom line is I’m saving $2,352 guaranteed for the year versus a Max OOP of $4,500 which may or may not be incurred.

PS — the agent makes more on a MAPD sale than a Medigap sale because MAPD is a higher cost product, apples vs. oranges comparison.

You lost me with the last comment (in bold by me). You wrote 5 paragraphs about how much cheaper the Advantage plans are, and then you say the sales person is paid more because it is a higher cost product.

Huh?

 

[VanWinkle]

You lost me with the last comment (in bold by me). You wrote 5 paragraphs about how much cheaper the Advantage plans are, and then you say the sales person is paid more because it is a higher cost product.

Huh?

Medicare advantage covers the entire health insurance policy while medigap only covers those costs not covered by original medicare. That would make sense that the total cost(to the federal government) is higher with medicare advantage than a medigap policy. Although it costs the government, it actually costs the senior less in premium. The Congress decided to change the way the premiums are paid instead of just a standard amount. They changed it to a risk adjusted premium model that makes it much easier to overstate the risk by the insurance companies.

VW

 

[Maidensong]

This question really is a matter of understanding your personal situation. If you are relatively healthy, you may do well with MA. If, like me, you have a chronic degenerative condition whose only cure is an eventual lung transplant, Plan G is the best bet not to have nasty financial surprises.

 

[VanWinkle]

This question really is a matter of understanding your personal situation. If you are relatively healthy, you may do well with MA. If, like me, you have a chronic degenerative condition whose only cure is an eventual lung transplant, Plan G is the best bet not to have nasty financial surprises.

+1 Exactly correct!!