Crazy Advertising for Medicare Advantage/Supplement Plans

[Golden sunsets]

This is not a new phenomenon, but seems to have reached a crazy pitch this year, as we approach open season.

We have been deluged with Phone, Television, On-Line, Print and Mail advertising for Medicare Advantage and/or Supplement plans that have:

No Additional Premiums
Zero Copays
Health Reimbursement Accounts up to $1,700
Zero Cost Dental Coverage
Zero Cost Vision Coverage
Other Miscellaneous bennies

What is the deal? None of this makes any sense to me and I've ignored it in years past. We actually basic Medicare A&B and Federal Retiree Annuitant Supplement Plans, along with Vision and Dental plans provided by the Federal Government, but several friends have brought up these crazy adds.

Is all of this advertising just hogwash?

 

[Time2]

This is not a new phenomenon, but seems to have reached a crazy pitch this year, as we approach open season.

We have been deluged with Phone, Television, On-Line, Print and Mail advertising for Medicare Advantage and/or Supplement plans that have:

No Additional Premiums
Zero Copays
Health Reimbursement Accounts up to $1,700
Zero Cost Dental Coverage
Zero Cost Vision Coverage
Other Miscellaneous bennies

What is the deal? None of this makes any sense to me and I've ignored it in years past. We actually basic Medicare A&B and Federal Retiree Annuitant Supplement Plans, along with Vision and Dental plans provided by the Federal Government, but several friends have brought up these crazy adds.

Is all of this advertising just hogwash?

I have a neighbor that works in a call center and gets these calls. She explained to my that to get the benefits that those commercials hype, you have to my on Medicaid. Then you get all that free stuff.
My thinking on all the commercials you see, these companies are overpaid if they can afford all that TV time.

 

[disneysteve]

This is driving my mom - and us - nuts. Every time we talk to her she's telling us about all of the calls she's been getting, starting at 8 am and lasting the entire day. We keep telling her to ignore them, don't answer, let the answering machine pick up, and she says she does, but still sometimes tells us about the conversation she had with one of the callers. And it's got to be pretty annoying to a 91-year-old lady to have her phone ringing 15 or 20 times a day from one of these places. I'll be glad when open enrollment ends.

 

[Amethyst]

Medicaid pays for rides to the doctor? Dental work? Very hard to believe.

And all the ads say "Medicare." If it's really just Medicaid, why not say so?

I'd always assumed these ads were for expensive supplemental insurance. The whole "that you deserve" thing is to lure foolish old people to call, thinking they somehow got the wrong Medicare benefit booklet and are missing out on real Medicare benefits.

Then when they call, they get a big sales pitch, and some are buffaloed into signing up for large extra premiums.

Somebody (not me) should do some research. Call the number (IT'S FREE! after all), adopt a squawky old-person voice, and tell 'em you want all the benefits You Deserve. Then see what kind of pitch results.

I have a neighbor that works in a call center and gets these calls. She explained to my that to get the benefits that those commercials hype, you have to my on Medicaid. Then you get all that free stuff.
My thinking on all the commercials you see, these companies are overpaid if they can afford all that TV time.

 

[Lcountz]

You can compare for yourself at Medicare.gov.

No need to endure the sales pitch...just follow the questions and enter your zip and you get the plans available in your area.

These are MEDICARE plans, and YES some do offer the things you hear on TV.

 

[VanWinkle]

Many states have approved a dual plan for people on Medicaid. They are now able to get a Medicare/medicaid approved plan that takes them away from the gov pay system to and Insurance company that pays the bills. They offer additional benefits based on income. I assume this is saving the Medicaid system money or why else would they do it(Lobbyists).

 

[Amethyst]

But...where do you look to see what it will cost?

I'm not even on Medicare, so my interest is academic.

 

[Calico]

This is not a new phenomenon, but seems to have reached a crazy pitch this year, as we approach open season.

We have been deluged with Phone, Television, On-Line, Print and Mail advertising for Medicare Advantage and/or Supplement plans ....

Phone ads - no problem; I don't answer if I don't know the caller
TV ads - no problem; I don't own a TV
Online ads - no problem; I ignore them
Print ads - no problem; there is a direct line from my mailbox to the recyling bin - the stuff doesn't even make it in the house

 

[Sunset]

We are getting about 10->15 phone calls per day as well, it's still annoying with the answering machine screening as the phone rings.

As to WHY -> because each person they sign up, the gov't gives them the amount allotted to 1 person ( I think it is ~$13,000). So their plan simply has to pay out less than that per year and they made a profit.

 

[youbet]

This is not a new phenomenon, but seems to have reached a crazy pitch this year, as we approach open season.

We have been deluged with Phone, Television, On-Line, Print and Mail advertising for Medicare Advantage and/or Supplement plans that have:

No Additional Premiums
Zero Copays
Health Reimbursement Accounts up to $1,700
Zero Cost Dental Coverage
Zero Cost Vision Coverage
Other Miscellaneous bennies

What is the deal? None of this makes any sense to me and I've ignored it in years past. We actually basic Medicare A&B and Federal Retiree Annuitant Supplement Plans, along with Vision and Dental plans provided by the Federal Government, but several friends have brought up these crazy adds.

Is all of this advertising just hogwash?

You asked a question, but then you answered it yourself. Why bothering asking?

Why are private insurance companies offering supplemental policies and substitute policies for Medicare and advertising them? Because we don't all have the generous fed gov coverage that you have Golden.

We actually basic Medicare A&B and Federal Retiree Annuitant Supplement Plans, along with Vision and Dental plans provided by the Federal Government,

When the fed gov finally gets around to providing this Cadillac coverage that you receive to all of us and not just an elite few, then the private companies will vanish and the annoying advertising will stop.

The fed gov is wrong to not provide access to the same retiree medical coverage to all citizens as it does to fed retirees.

 

[Golden sunsets]

You asked a question, but then you answered it yourself. Why bothering asking?

Why are private insurance companies offering supplemental policies and substitute policies for Medicare and advertising them? Because we don't all have the generous fed gov coverage that you have Golden.



When the fed gov finally gets around to providing this Cadillac coverage that you receive to all of us and not just an elite few, then the private companies will vanish and the annoying advertising will stop.

The fed gov is wrong to not provide the same retiree medical coverage to all citizens as it does to fed retirees.

Youbet: You seem quite hostile, but I'll play your game for now. Despite having coverage via Medicare + federal retiree coverage, I am still curious to figure out if the advertised claims have any merit. If they did, the premiums would be less than ours but provide more coverage, so I posited the question.


Regarding the question on coverage to annuitants versus the general public, are you seriously suggesting that the general public should receive similar coverage for the same price as a person who worked for 40+/- years for an employer who provided a subsidy for retiree health insurance as part of their benefit package? Come on. You're mixing apples and oranges.

 

[VanWinkle]

But...where do you look to see what it will cost?

I'm not even on Medicare, so my interest is academic.

For Medigap cost, a SHIP counselor can get accurate quotes. For Medicare Advantage just go to Medicare.gov and you can look up the cost in your area.
I am a SHIP(Senior Health Insurance Program) counselor.

 

[youbet]

are you seriously suggesting that...........

Nope. I'm seriously suggesting what I said, not what you paraphrased.

 

[Amethyst]

It's good coverage, but not free, at least not to me. Health, dental, and vision plans all carry premiums and co-pays.

As for being an elite few Federal employees at higher levels of responsibility, are paid salaries that most similar employees of private companies wouldn't deign to accept. They could be managing a billion dollar budget and a thousand employees, at a salary less than $200K (sometimes quite a bit less).

Still, you are welcome to believe whatever you want. The grass is always greener, etc.

Why are private insurance companies offering supplemental policies and substitute policies for Medicare and advertising them? Because we don't all have the generous fed gov coverage that you have Golden.


When the fed gov finally gets around to providing this Cadillac coverage that you receive to all of us and not just an elite few, then the private companies will vanish and the annoying advertising will stop.

The fed gov is wrong to not provide the same retiree medical coverage to all citizens as it does to fed retirees.

 

[ivinsfan]

You asked a question, but then you answered it yourself. Why bothering asking?

Why are private insurance companies offering supplemental policies and substitute policies for Medicare and advertising them? Because we don't all have the generous fed gov coverage that you have Golden.



When the fed gov finally gets around to providing this Cadillac coverage that you receive to all of us and not just an elite few, then the private companies will vanish and the annoying advertising will stop.

The fed gov is wrong to not provide the same retiree medical coverage to all citizens as it does to fed retirees.

Wow what brought that on. In tact the Medicare Advantage push started with the government paying large monthly sums for in effect reinsurance for Medicare recipients. In our state irs almost 800 bucks every month foe every person they turn to the dark side its totally messed up

 

[youbet]

It's good coverage, but not free, at least not to me. Health, dental, and vision plans all carry premiums and co-pays.

Sure. And it sounds good. I'd like to see the details and have access to it as an option to the private plans I purchase. My premiums could be set the same way they set Medicare premiums.

As for being an elite few Federal employees at higher levels of responsibility, are paid salaries that most similar employees of private companies wouldn't deign to accept. They could be managing a billion dollar budget and a thousand employees, at a salary less than $200K (sometimes quite a bit less).

I'm not sure what that has to do with ordinary citizens having access to the same medical insurance plans that gov retirees do (at appropriate costs). And I'm not sure it's always true. In any case, I think I'm more interested in the zillions of rank and file folks than in the few who manage billion dollar budgets and a thousand employees.

Still, you are welcome to believe whatever you want.

Thanks. That's a privilege I don't always get. But I'm not sure you understand what I'm saying. I think it's great that OP and you have fed health insurance and are therefore are bothered/offended by the private companies hawking their policies to us plebeians. And I'd also like to have access to those public plans just as I have access to Parts A and B. They could be priced to us in the same way that Parts A and B are.

I don't want to take anything, not a single thing, away from fed employees. I just want to also be allowed to participate just like I'm allowed to participate in Parts A and B.

 

[youbet]

Wow what brought that on. In tact the Medicare Advantage push started with the government paying large monthly sums for in effect reinsurance for Medicare recipients. In our state irs almost 800 bucks every month foe every person they turn to the dark side its totally messed up

Why not give folks access to fed retiree supplemental plans instead of having Medicare Advantage plans?

Just trying to think of ways to have the fed retirees who have fed plans not have to be bothered by the private companies hawking their products at this time of year.

 

[ivinsfan]

Why not give folks access to fed retiree supplemental plans instead of having Medicare Advantage plans?

Just trying to think of ways to have the fed retirees who have fed plans not have to be bothered by the private companies hawking their products at this time of year.

My goodness you rained on your parade. The O P was asking why companies do so much hawking of these products. If you want to get bent get bent over the government overpaying private companies so they (our government)aren't hassled by Medicare payments. Actually a fed retiree here has talked about their Medicare supplement and they pay virtually the same amount as I do

 

[youbet]

The O P was asking why companies do so much hawking of these products. If you want to get bent get bent over the government overpaying private companies so they (our government)aren't hassled by Medicare payments. Actually a fed retiree here has talked about their Medicare supplement and they pay virtually the same amount as I do

Wasn't OP's point that he didn't understand the "deal" since he had fed insurance?

What is the deal? None of this makes any sense to me and I've ignored it in years past. We actually basic Medicare A&B and Federal Retiree Annuitant Supplement Plans, along with Vision and Dental plans provided by the Federal Government,

Remember, I'm not asking fed retirees to give up a single thing. I'm just asking for access (with appropriate payment) to the same thing. It'll never happen, but that's how I feel.

And what's with this "get bent" stuff?

 

[ivinsfan]

Wasn't OP's point that he didn't understand the "deal" since he had fed insurance?



Remember, I'm not asking fed retirees to give up a single thing. I'm just asking for access (with appropriate payment) to the same thing. It'll never happen, but that's how I feel.

And what's with this "get bent" stuff?

You seem mad. I thought the OP was just asking why they do so much advertising.

 

[youbet]

You seem mad. I thought the OP was just asking why they do so much advertising.

Hmmmm...... I'll have to reread my posts because I'm definitely not mad. I didn't like OP paraphrasing me, but that's something I never like. I'd rather be quoted exactly than paraphrased in a misleading way.
But, no, not mad.

Since OP spent so much of his post saying that he didn't understand what the deal was since he had fed supplemental insurance, I thought that was part of it. And I'm just saying I'd like to have access to fed supplemental insurance too. And a side benefit would be that private companies would likely have a much smaller audience to advertise to if enough of us found the fed insurance desirable and went with that. Just like we go with Medicare Parts A and B instead of private insurance.

 

[aja8888]

Maybe someone should start a poll on what everyone spends on Medicare and Fed insurance and include Sup plans, MA and Tricare?

Here's what we spend Monthly on Medicare:

DW:

$148.50 - Medicare premium
$400 - Plan F Sup Ins.
$26 - Part D

we also spend ~$3 K on drugs OOP for here annually.

ME:

$148.50 - Medicare premium
$279 - Plan G Sup Ins.
$26 - Part D

My drugs are minimal cost.

It's a lot for two people over 75. Like over $12,000 annually. Thanks Medicare! So with drug cost its about $15,000. +

 

[ivinsfan]

Youbet I wish they would raise part a and b so we all have the same coverage and just quit letting any insurance companies make money off of Medicare one and done for everyone No middle man

 

[youbet]

Youbet I wish they would raise part a and b so we all have the same coverage and just quit letting any insurance companies make money off of Medicare one and done for everyone No middle man

Can I ask again...... What's with the "get bent" stuff? That seems a little heavy.

I agree that changing A and B so that no supplement or D would be required would be good. And that would also eliminate the hawking of private policies at this time of year. And it would eliminate the need for non-gov folks to review and often change one or both policies every year.

 

[aja8888]

Youbet I wish they would raise part a and b so we all have the same coverage and just quit letting any insurance companies make money off of Medicare one and done for everyone No middle man

That would be nice and maybe then they can get rid of the Medigap (Supplemental) policies. Part D is a killer if you need Tier III or Tier IV drugs. Big ripoff.

You ought to see what happens after you decide on a Part D policy and after 1/1/XX they drop a Tier III drug.