Poll: Medicare users - what type of plan(s) do you use?

[cloudeleven]

If you're age 65+ and use Medicare as your health insurance, what plan(s) do you use? Medicare Part A/B/D/Medigap (and which Medigap - F, F with high deductible, or one of the other ones)? Or Medicare Advantage? Also do you have separate dental and/or vision insurance?

Also, what was the primary factor(s) that helped you decide between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?

 

[REWahoo]

No dental or vision insurance. Individual plans for those two aren't worth what you pay for them.

We stay away from Medicare Advantage plans so that we have our choice of doctors/hospitals rather than be limited to a specific network.

 

[MissMolly]

I'm not on Medicare yet, I have another year and half to go. My husband is on Medicare and we have a Medicare Advantage plan. But it's a PPO not an HMO Advantage plan so absolutely no restrictions on hospitals or doctors (assuming they accept Medicare). So just because it's a Medicare Advantage plan does not in all cases equal restrictions on your providers. We chose this plan as it was available at a very, very reasonable rate through my retirement system. Mine will be 100% paid for by the retirement system. The Advantage plan also covers drugs, so no need for a separate Part D.

 

[ejman]

Medicare A/B/D + Medigap G ( don't see that option listed so didn't vote)

 

[brucethebroker]

Took the Advantage plan through AARP/United Health Care. Had UHC previously and had good experience. Like the buying power/oversight of AARP on the plan. You don't have to be an AARP member to buy one.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Medicare A/B/D + Medigap G ( don't see that option listed so didn't vote)

Ditto to plans and to not voting.

 

[MichaelB]

Medicare A/B/D + Medigap G ( don't see that option listed so didn't vote)

+2

 

[misanman]

Medigap G - not an option so didn't vote

 

[savory]

Medigap N. Considered F high deductible but N seemed to be easier to manage with its $20/$50 deductible per visit vs paying until the deductible was reached. (Not sure N is the easiest way but had to make a decision).

Like F, it has international travel coverage.

 

[NoMoreJob]

I recently went through the process of choosing and ended up with A/B and G Medigap. I chose G for a couple primary reasons.

First, I wanted a plan that would be simple to administer in later years. F would be the simplest but it is going away soon which means insured pool under F is therefore going to begin to age. This is likely to result in rising premiums under F. F is currently the most popular plan in our area which suggests to me that G will be most popular when F goes away since G will be the 'richest' plan as F is now. This should bode well for the insured pool (lots of 'younger' people signing up for G).

F and G are the same with the exception that F covers the part B $184 annual deductible but G does not. The second thing that drove me to G is that the difference in premiums where I am are substantially more than $184/year so financially it was an easy choice.

Of course the formula for which plan is 'best' depends on the individual and on the area where the policy is being purchased.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[Walt34]

We simply kept the same insurance after retirement as while working. It is heavily subsidized by my former employer and I'd be a fool to change. When I went on Medicare it became secondary to Medicare and covers almost anything that Medicare does not. Vision and dental limited but it does cover checkups and minor dental work.

 

[rodi]

We went through this decision process last winter as DH started medicare Jan 1. He ended up (after I told him what to get) with:
- Medicare F+ (high deductible)
- Medicare D

He was most thrilled to learn that his F+ plan came with silver sneakers - free gym membership. He's going to the gym a LOT now.

 

[Katsmeow]

DH is on Medicare and is on traditional Medicare + Plan F medigap. We looked at the Plan F high deductible but basically it worked out the same as the plan F when you considered all the costs. Didn't really save anything.

We preferred regular Medicare since almost all doctors in this area take it and we didn't have to worry about being in network or not. One of the best things about Medicare for DH is that he hasn't had to worry about whether something is in network or not.

 

[RE2Boys]

On Medicare but way to few options to even consider voting. Many more choices out their than you listed.

 

[aja8888]

I recently went through the process of choosing and ended up with A/B and G Medigap. I chose G for a couple primary reasons.

First, I wanted a plan that would be simple to administer in later years. F would be the simplest but it is going away soon which means insured pool under F is therefore going to begin to age. This is likely to result in rising premiums under F. F is currently the most popular plan in our area which suggests to me that G will be most popular when F goes away since G will be the 'richest' plan as F is now. This should bode well for the insured pool (lots of 'younger' people signing up for G).

F and G are the same with the exception that F covers the part B $184 annual deductible but G does not. The second thing that drove me to G is that the difference in premiums where I am are substantially more than $184/year so financially it was an easy choice.

Of course the formula for which plan is 'best' depends on the individual and on the area where the policy is being purchased.

Good luck with your choice.

Yep, G for me, full F for DW.

 

[Bamaman]

The region to the north of us is controlled by one major hospital, 100's of doctors' practices they've purchased and affiliated hospitals in their management system in 6 states. That's 1,700+ physicians and CNP's.

Medicare Advantage is no longer accepted by any of them. Does that tell you something about how well doctors and hospitals are reimbursed by Advantage?

Thousands and thousands of patients were essentially sent to other physicians and hospitals--many of which may not be the best for the patient's particular problem.

 

[mf15]

Both of us have plan F HD, saves about 200/month over regular plan F.
For some reason this year, the plans dropped about 10/month and we are
a few years older than when we started,plan goes up with age. So right now I am
paying about 62/month which is where I started 4 years ago.

One thing I don't like about Advantage plans is that you can't change to regular medicare without underwriting, unless the you move out of the area or the plan is cancelled.
Wife had Aetna Advantage plan, was real glad Aetna cancelled plans in our area
3-4 or so years ago.

For me, I like to control monthly cash flow,so the HD plan limits cash out/month.

If something major happens, and you hit the 2000 deductible, I can deal with that.


Old Mike

 

[athena53]

Took the Advantage plan through AARP/United Health Care. Had UHC previously and had good experience. Like the buying power/oversight of AARP on the plan. You don't have to be an AARP member to buy one.

That's interesting- when DH signed up for Medicare the agent told him he had to be an AARP member. I'll remember that when I sign up, which will be early next year.

One good point she made was that if you get Medicare Advantage and then want to switch to another plan they have to re-underwrite you and you could be turned down. I haven't researched this. I was very happy with DH's UHC supplement- good coverage and they paid claims promptly. He had dental coverage through Delta Dental, which didn't seem worth it to me and when we moved across the state line we tried everything to get our address changed and ran into a brick wall (had to call people, got voicemail, they never called back).

My Dad in SC has Mutual of Omaha's supplement and is very happy with it.

My gym accepts Silver Sneakers but I think it's off-peak hours only which wouldn't work for me. My schedule varies a lot and sometimes I want to get to the gym first thing in the AM. I've also got an upgraded membership that lets me bring DS in as a guest for free when he visits and lets me use the one near him (3 hours away). Don't want to lose that.

 

[MBSC]

We looked at the Plan F high deductible but basically it worked out the same as the plan F when you considered all the costs. Didn't really save anything.

As a clarification for future viewers of this thread, traditional Medicare still pays first when you have Medigap HD-F. The member only pays the remaining cost share until they have paid $2200 (2017) in cost sharing, then HD-F takes over. So, only in the years where your cost sharing is high does it work out about the same as regular F.

 

[REWahoo]

As a clarification for future viewers of this thread, traditional Medicare still pays first when you have Medigap HD-F. The member only pays the remaining cost share until they have paid $2200 (2017) in cost sharing, then HD-F takes over. So, only in the years where your cost sharing is high does it work out about the same as regular F.

Good point.

I've had HD-F for five years and fortunately never come come close to meeting my annual cost sharing amount. I estimate it has saved me roughly $8k over what the non HD Medigap F premiums would have cost during that time.

 

[CRLLS]

I assisted DW in her choice earlier this year. I enter MC later this year. We chose F-HD over the Plan F and hope if doesn't get closed in 2020 for new applicants. The difference in premiums were close to $1,200 per year each. We figured if only one of us had > $5K of "Medicare approved" expenses each year, which should be ~$10K (?) in full, retail billing dollars, then The Plan F-HD would be the better choice . Only in years that both of us are considerably ill would the full-boat Plan F have been the better choice. That has never happened, ever. Both of us are in fairly good health and have only been hospitalized a couple of times over the last 45 years, so DW went with F-HD and I'll do the same.

I think it is terrible about may require underwriting (my emphasis on "may" is understated) when/if you change plans. How are we supposed to make a 30 year financial prediction on what our medical needs might be or who/when that "may" would become a mandatory "shall". That was probably the biggest determining factor in our selection. There needs to be an easier, simpler, less stressful way to enter Medicare. We spent a lot of time and energy in selecting our choices. I understand the need to prevent just changing plans based on a given year's expected medical needs, but.......

 

[athena53]

There needs to be an easier, simpler, less stressful way to enter Medicare. We spent a lot of time and energy in selecting our choices. I understand the need to prevent just changing plans based on a given year's expected medical needs, but.......

Totally agreed on this- I retired a week after a crisis at work made me realize it was time to walk away from toxic politics forever. DH was 75 and had been on my employer's policy. It was primary coverage and he never tapped into Medicare until then. VERY stressful and confusing even though I came from the property-casualty side of the insurance business so I could handle a lot of the jargon. We had COBRA but I wanted to get off of that ASAP. The scramble for coverage was one of the most stressful parts of ER.

 

[Chuckanut]

I bought into a diluted Medicare version of my previous health plan that essentially beefs up my coverage to what I had when I was working. It's a bit expensive compared to some of the others Medicare supplement plans but it gives me good coverage, lots of doctors and freedom to choose the one I want, Rx coverage is great and deductibles and caps are a lot lower than the plans on the exchange.

If I never get seriously sick it is a waste of money. Here's hoping I waste a lot of money over the next 20 to 30+ years.

One negative - no silver sneakers.

 

[mickeyd]

Poll options did not apply to us. We both pay M/C A&B fee, but get Tricare-for-life at no cost. Our PCP is part of a local Military Treatment Facility (MTF), so we pay no deductible or co-pay and meds are free.

 

[youbet]

No dental or vision insurance. Individual plans for those two aren't worth what you pay for them.

We stay away from Medicare Advantage plans so that we have our choice of doctors/hospitals rather than be limited to a specific network.

FYI. Some Medicare Advantage plans do have specific networks, but not all. My DW's Humana plan covers her at any doc/facility that accepts Medicare assignment. In other words, she can go to any provider I, a traditional Medicare user, can. Unfortunately, we've been testing this lately as DW has developed a significant health issue and sees a number of specialists she shopped widely for before choosing.

But, you do have to shop plans and understand what you're getting. Despite DW's satisfaction with her Medicare Advantage plan and its "same as Medicare" network, I stuck with traditional Medicare.