which insurance and part d?

[frank]

my wife is eligible for medicare and part d in december. with so many options on supplemental insurance and part d copays and what is covered, is there a program or calculator somewhere to show the different prices for different companies and which part d providers would work out best in her particular situation? I am confused by all the options and people trying to sell insurance from companies I never heard of. mostly it is telemarketers and cold calls. I haven't actually started checking locally for pricing. looking for suggestions and companies and plans that have worked well for people on this site. thanks

frank

 

[kaneohe]

For Rx Pt D, go to medicare.gov and click on that first green button....Find a Plan. Input the Rx used , pharmacies used or mail order, and then find the plans. When you find some plans that look interesting, click on the plan name to see further details about plan premiums and Rx costs.

For Medigap supplement plans, try here https://medicare.oneexchange.com/
If you go to the red "Getting Started" tab, you won't need to register .
You'll find different alphabet plans from cheapest to most expensive/comprehensive.

To determine what the alphabet plans cover:
https://www.medicare.gov/supplement-other-insurance/compare-medigap/compare-medigap.html

One consideration in the beginning: it is not easy to change supplement plans later w/o going thru underwriting
(medical screening) so in the beginning you might want to pick a more comprehensive plan since it seems to be
easier to downgrade than to upgrade later.

 

[meierlde]

For part D the critical issue is to look at what drugs she is taking. If mostly generics look for a plan that pays first dollar for them (typically tier 1 and 2) Other plans lump them under the deductible of typically $400. Then consider if your willing to commit to a using a local Walgreens or Wal-Mart for drugs.

 

[Bamaman]

I too went to Medicare.gov and went through their computer program for our state and community to see which Part D program was best for us.

Some people are in Medicare Advantage programs that group all plans together. The hospital group controlling healthcare in the region north of my home has prohibited any of their hospital owned doctors and affiliated hospitals from accepting any patients with Medicare Advantage--1700 physicians and nurse practitioners in total.

That means 10's of thousands of patients have had to change doctors and watch carefully that they don't go to any of the affiliated hospitals that are not accepting the Advantage plans. Most will end up in HCA hospitals throughout 7 states. I would assume the disagreements were to do with the rate of payments--money issue.

I'm type II diabetic, and have chosen to go on insulin with a pump. Because I'm on a pump, Medicare Part B covers insulin and all my supplies. My doctor has to "code" my prescriptions in a way that Part B pays--saving me big money. Insulin is now $255 per tiny vial--up dramatically from the past. If I wasn't on the pump, my insulin would be $1770 for 3 month supply--and my co-pay would be substantial.

Needless to say, it's very important that you pick the right program and understand what your specific needs are.

 

[ejman]

Since we only take a couple of generic BP drugs we went for the cheapest part D we could find - Humana $17/mo. If (when) we start needing expensive drugs we'll have to reevaluate and sign up accordingly when renewal time comes.

We also signed up for Medicare's plan G for the supplement part since the only difference between that and F is the deductible. One of the advantages of living in a rural/semi rural area as we do is that all of the providers accept Medicare. They couldn't make a living otherwise. I understand that's not the case in many large metropolitan areas.

 

[MBSC]

2017 Iowa Medicare Supplement Plans & Premiums: http://www.therightcalliowa.gov/Resources/2017_Med_Supp_Guide.pdf

For Medicare Supplements (Medigap), I respectfully suggest you contact your local Council on Aging or a local SHIP counselor to assist you. The process is much easier face-to-face. Based on the choices available in the above brochure, if I wanted Plan G, I would look into AARP/UHC and American Continental. AARP/UHC may not have the lowest age 65 rate but their rates are structured such that everyone age 77+ pays the same rate. If I were interested in Plan HD-F, any of the companies listed with competitive rates at both age 65 and 80 are fine.

Find a SHIP counselor: SHIIP :: Find A Counselor

The Part D questions were answered in your previous thread here: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f38/right-part-d-plan-86191.html

 

[NoMoreJob]

I chose traditional Medicare (A/B) and basically the best Medigap plan I could afford. The exception is that I went with G instead of F because F is going away and an aging insured pool could mean greater comparative rate increases. I purchased the most comprehensive plan because it's likely that in later years the paperwork is going to be more difficult for me to handle. Also, if I'm not doing well I don't want my wife saddled with me and a bunch of medical paperwork. I also like that G (and F) cover 'excess charges' which I'm guessing could become more commonplace as the politicians attempt to control the cost of Medicare through future reductions in reimbursement amounts to doctors. Seems to me that more doctors may be adding 'excess charges' as allowed by Medicare.

As others have suggested it can help to have a counselor or advisor/broker if you don't feel compentent to find all the information yourself. I have a broker that I've used in the past and he was helpful to me even though I didn't go with his exact recommendation. He was aware of a rate change which will save me about $12/month for a long time to come buy doing just a little more work. I would have had no way to find the information without hime.

Good Luck!

Sorry, almost forgot. Since you can change your Part D plan every year it's just a matter of looking at every plan available in your area and picking the one that provides the best prices on medications you take. Then re-shop every year, especially if your medications change. I take no medications now so just went with the cheapest plan available. If you don't buy a plan there is a relatively expensive penalty applied when you do want one so best to buy something.