REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
I got a different page. Apparently, I'm even more Medicare-challenged than Al!
I think what you found were the Medicare Advantage plans available in his zip.
I got a different page. Apparently, I'm even more Medicare-challenged than Al!
Okay, my zip is 95570 (Trinidad, CA), but when I put in 95501 (McKinleyville), there are some to choose from.
Medigap Policy A, Medigap Policy B, etc. Are those standard policy types? That is, do all Policy Bs have the same benefits, etc??
Are independent agents a good idea, or should I view them as I do financial planners?
Thanks, guys.
You should be able to see the costs for the various letter plans offered by UHC by going to:I have a couple of months before the window opens, but I'm leaning towards the AARP plans, probably F if they offer it. It looks like their contractor offers it, but I can't see the plans until the window opens.......
You should be able to see the costs for the various letter plans offered by UHC by going to:
https://www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com
Then on the upper right, click on "View Plan Rates"
Then scroll down, and enter your zipcode or state, can go two ways from there. Right to your area, or better yet, download the PDF for your state, where you will find it split up by zipcode blocks. By looking through the PDF for your state, you can see the costs for all the offered letter plans in your zipcode block all on one page. Use the appropriate condition page, for example: "Non-Tobacco Monthly Plan Rates for (state)" as you would be a new entrant into Medicare, and are guaranteed admission.
They were recently updated, the rates up on the website now are for plan effective dates July 2018 - June 2019.
Okay, my zip is 95570 (Trinidad, CA)...
...we never use insurance to cut costs (only to eliminate catastrophic expenses)...
For the other carriers, you can go directly to the CA DOI website below but the rates are not as current.You should be able to see the costs for the various letter plans offered by UHC by going to:
https://www.aarpmedicaresupplement.com
<snip>
They were recently updated, the rates up on the website now are for plan effective dates July 2018 - June 2019.
Al, are you saying you don't see ANY Medigap providers when you put in your 95570 zip because I see dozens when I use your zip in Medicare.gov.
Yes, that's exactly right (but see below):
However, based on your post, I tried it in a private browser window. When I did that, I saw what you saw.
I guess the government screws up in mysterious ways.
Yes, that's exactly right (but see below):
However, based on your post, I tried it in a private browser window. When I did that, I saw what you saw.
I guess the government screws up in mysterious ways.
What I have learned from this discussion is that the Medicare.gov site is untrustworthy.
I saw that site. The prices through OneExchange/ViaBenefits may be different or they may not offer the AARP plans at all. I'm going to attend one of their seminars over the summer, so I will ask the hard questions then and hope I get correct answers.
I don't know how these people are compensated. Do they receive a commission on the policy they sell you? Are they paid by the employer to provide information and unbiased advice? I half expect to have to put up sales resistance to whatever they want to sell me.
Besides OE 'services', my former employer also has a healthcare reimbursement account for over-65 retirees. If you purchase your Medigap and/or Plan D through OE...OE will handle the reimbursement account for you. Otherwise, you need to collect your healthcare receipts and send them in to yet another service provider. I opted to go the non-OE route.
Looks like the Medigap polices for under 65 is highlighted - is that what is selected?
No, I checked that. The blue text shows that you can select that.
But choosing the zip that's 25 miles away fixed things.
I assume I can take a month to decide on this stuff, yet (birthday in September)?
Last week we sat with our Fidelity person . We were told , please don't quote me on this but she did give me the full brochures and went over them from her standpoint .
1 medicare
2 part B
2 part F
She said F covers everything , or the 20% that part b does not . She recommends this and has her mother and father on it . She said the government messed up with F and it will Sunset in a few years , but there will be something comparible.
Yes, that's exactly right (but see below):
However, based on your post, I tried it in a private browser window. When I did that, I saw what you saw.
I guess the government screws up in mysterious ways.
Al, I don't have any productive answers, but I have two comments:I assume I can take a month to decide on this stuff, yet (birthday in September)?
I think you may be overstating the potential problem. I've been using the Medicare.gov website for several years and haven't run into any problems like Al has experienced.
IMO the biggest problem is the govt's choice of language/terms associated with Medicare. Until you spend some time learning the jargon it can be confusing to decipher the world of Medicare-Medicap-Advantage-Part A-Part B-Plan A etc.
One Exchange (OE) is paid by the employer. From my experience, they offered a limited choice of plans ALL of which were all more expensive that the one I found through working with the Senior Solutions online site, and weren't all that unbiased.
OE also is very aggressive in calling repeatedly to "help" you with your Medicare decision.
Besides OE 'services', my former employer also has a healthcare reimbursement account for over-65 retirees. If you purchase your Medigap and/or Plan D through OE...OE will handle the reimbursement account for you. Otherwise, you need to collect your healthcare receipts and send them in to yet another service provider. I opted to go the non-OE route.
omni
About what I expected. The original brochure I saw last Fall said that I was free to pick a Medigap plan but the reimbursement was direct if I went through them and I would have to send the receipts to them if I purchased the plan myself. If they offer the AARP Plan F and it's only a couple of dollars more, I will consider the additional cost a convenience fee for not sending in receipts. That's going to be important as I get older and less capable of managing these things.
I'm confused - are referring to sending in receipts for some sort of healthcare reimbursement account provided by your employer similar to what omni550 described? Or are you under the impression you have to send in receipts to your Medigap insurer for reimbursement?