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Originally Posted by
Poodle Head Mikey
I have found a guy who seems to be quite knowledgeable, quiet, make-of-fact, and could answer every question of mine in a way which Easily went through my BS Filter. Didn't even touch the rim. <g>
And then after 1/2 hour or more on the phone, when I said: "OK; I think that concludes our meeting for today." (which is one of my standard lines <g>) He said: "OK; take some time to think it over and then call me back if you want. Well; unless you decide to go with somebody else or whatever. In the mean time, if you have any questions, or want to go over it all again - call me any time."
I have his number if anybody wants it. I talked to what seems like a 200 people and he was head and shoulders above the rest. His boss has a really informative website which I can post if anyone is interested.
My basic conclusion so far is that an Advantage Plan is not any advantage (to the consumer!) that I can see. My basic logic being: If someone has Medicare A and Medicare B directly from Medicare itself - what do they need an insurance company for? Why hand something already being handled over to an insurance company to 'manage'? No matter what the insurance company says - I am sure that they Are going to be making a profit on the deal. Or they wouldn't be doing it. And if the price they collect is exactly the same as just paying Medicare directly - the only way the insurance company can make money is by cheating the consumer out of something. A part of this no doubt 'making a profit' comes from their apparently very restrictive requirements in regard to just exactly Who the consumer can get their health care service From.
To me; keeping Medicare A and Medicare B as-is - and then buying a Medigap policy to pay for what A & B do not pay seems the superior approach. C is an Advantage Paln. D is for drug coverage E,F,G (and there might be an H - I forget now). Are varying versions of the same coverage. E is a budget plan covering less and F is (was) a full-coverage plan costs slightly more than E. And there is a newer one: Plan G
Plan G is exactly the same as Plan F - with the sole exception that G does not cover the annual deductible of a little less than $200. But as of very recently Plan F is not going to be available for future newcomers. Which creates the insurance-grade problem that without a constant influx of younger and healthier subscribers, combined with the older ones dying off - the F plan's costs will increase faster than will other still-open-enrollment plans. So G is the superior choice looking forward.
I have found that Consumers in general know pretty much nothing. They all just took a shot in the dark and bought whatever was in front of them. And, as the greatest marketing efforts are pushing Advantage Plan, that's why I find most people I've talked to have. The mega-advertising for the Advantage Plans is yet another black mark against them. If the insurance companies want to sell them That Bad - I am sure that the plan primarily benefits The Insurance Company - and not the consumer.
The decision that I've settled on is: Keep Medicare A and Medicare B and buy the top-dog Plan G Medigap policy to pay for what A & B excludes. Basically; everything but the annual deductible.
For perspective: I think the lesser plan was $85. and the best was maybe $125. Which to me makes it a no-brainer to go with the best for only another $40. a month.
If anybody can talk me out of the above - I am all ears: Let's hear it.
PHM
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"I help a friend of mine with various things and his latest confusion is in regard to medicare."
What did your friend decide?
As far as you if you still go between NJ and Fla that would be the biggest reason to stay with regular Medicare as already stated. Did the guy you spoke of so highly of even bring this up?
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Steve lives full time in FL and I'm sure 'the decision' will come down to me making it for him. <g>. He has always been loudly opinionated, despite sometimes being wrong, and often abrasive - but he's gotten much worse over the last ten years or so. He has stacks of health issues but is a doctor-believer rather than a health-believer so he just keeps getting worse.
No; the medicare guy I found the most helpful did not mention the state-difference-traveling thing. I doubt that Steve will ever travel anywhere - it would be a major-expedition kind of thing anyway. He has all kinds of medical crap that would have to be taken for one thing. But his travel is not My problem - I'm not his friggin life-manager; I'm just trying to help with his medicare concerns. <g>
I think the helpful guy I spoke with was Jason but I'm not sure now. The guy I wanted to talk to is Filip but he was not in the office when I called.
But in Jason's defense; I have a NJ phone number and so he assumed that I was calling about myself as a NJ resident. Or maybe incoming calls get computer directed to the people licensed to handle the correct state? I just thought of that possibility. <g>
One of my questions Was about the various states and I was told that the various aspects of the plans are consistent except for 3 of the 50 states - I can't remember which three that is - but apparently none of them are FL or NJ <g> - with the only meaningful difference being the selling broker's license. Which licensing is apparently done on a state-by-state basis. He said that he did not have a license for FL - so he would lateral off the sale to someone in their office who Was licensed in FL if I decided to get the policy through them.
PHM
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Originally Posted by
pageyjim
"I help a friend of mine with various things and his latest confusion is in regard to medicare."
What did your friend decide?
As far as you if you still go between NJ and Fla that would be the biggest reason to stay with regular Medicare as already stated. Did the guy you spoke of so highly of even bring this up?
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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Post Likes - 1 Likes, 0 Dislikes
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That is: 4.0 ?
Originally Posted by
Dad
PSA of less than 4 is good.
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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Originally Posted by
Poodle Head Mikey
Steve lives full time in FL and I'm sure 'the decision' will come down to me making it for him. <g>. He has always been loudly opinionated, despite sometimes being wrong, and often abrasive - but he's gotten much worse over the last ten years or so. He has stacks of health issues but is a doctor-believer rather than a health-believer so he just keeps getting worse.
No; the medicare guy I found the most helpful did not mention the state-difference-traveling thing. I doubt that Steve will ever travel anywhere - it would be a major-expedition kind of thing anyway. He has all kinds of medical crap that would have to be taken for one thing. But his travel is not My problem - I'm not his friggin life-manager; I'm just trying to help with his medicare concerns. <g>
I think the helpful guy I spoke with was Jason but I'm not sure now. The guy I wanted to talk to is Filip but he was not in the office when I called.
But in Jason's defense; I have a NJ phone number and so he assumed that I was calling about myself as a NJ resident. Or maybe incoming calls get computer directed to the people licensed to handle the correct state? I just thought of that possibility. <g>
One of my questions Was about the various states and I was told that the various aspects of the plans are consistent except for 3 of the 50 states - I can't remember which three that is - but apparently none of them are FL or NJ <g> - with the only meaningful difference being the selling broker's license. Which licensing is apparently done on a state-by-state basis. He said that he did not have a license for FL - so he would lateral off the sale to someone in their office who Was licensed in FL if I decided to get the policy through them.
PHM
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Hope your friend gets better.
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Thanks for the thought. I always hope everyone will get better - but Steve won't and I have given up on trying. He eats like he has a death-wish, recently started shooting insulin, won't exercise, sleeps at random intervals, etc. His wife is very nice and seems relatively healthy although she has always been somewhat goofy. And she never has an opinion about Anything. <g>
Originally Posted by
pageyjim
Hope your friend gets better.
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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Am plowing thru the medicare crap myself. My thought are that the part C folks tend to offer vision, dental and drugs as a part of their plan for the same $$ as you'd pay the gov't for part A and B. Plans vary wildly on what they cover. Wish there was a way to pull up a table that shows the coverage side-by-side. If you trip across one, post it for all of us hapless seniors!
“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
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Originally Posted by
Poodle Head Mikey
That is: 4.0 ?
Correct, 4.0 is at the very high end. 23&Me offers a DNA based health screening for prostate cancer among many others. https://www.23andme.com/?utm_source=...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
There is not better place for the working men than the union! 100% UA the only HVAC union!
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I think the Plan C (Advantage Plans) coverages are (or can be) as varied as the companies who provide them.
I think the E, F, and G (Medigap Plans) coverages are all the same no matter which company provides them.
PHM
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Originally Posted by
Juan Madera
Am plowing thru the medicare crap myself. My thought are that the part C folks tend to offer vision, dental and drugs as a part of their plan for the same $$ as you'd pay the gov't for part A and B. Plans vary wildly on what they cover. Wish there was a way to pull up a table that shows the coverage side-by-side. If you trip across one, post it for all of us hapless seniors!
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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Have you looked here:
https://www.medicare.gov/supplements...digap-policies
Sorry but I have little to nothing on Advantage Plans as I've already concluded that they are a not a good deal for the end user.
PHM
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Originally Posted by
Juan Madera
Am plowing thru the medicare crap myself. My thought are that the part C folks tend to offer vision, dental and drugs as a part of their plan for the same $$ as you'd pay the gov't for part A and B. Plans vary wildly on what they cover. Wish there was a way to pull up a table that shows the coverage side-by-side. If you trip across one, post it for all of us hapless seniors!
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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gov't babble and confusion..... but penalties for non compliance.
I miss my Constitutional Republic.
Socialism cum communism really sux.
“A dying culture invariably exhibits personal rudeness. Bad manners. Lack of consideration for others in minor matters. A loss of politeness, of gentle manners, is more significant than is a riot.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
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PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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In researching this stuff I came across the above guy: David Belk. He's a doctor from California. He has written at least one book called something like: The US Healthcare Scam
He has also videoed his lectures to other doctors in regard to the same topic. I was interested in what he pointed about about medicare supplement policies - as that is the vortex I am presently in - but his overall points about health insurance are interesting in an overall 'healthcare' way too.
You may want to go to youtube and search for David Belk or for US healthcare scam and see for yourself. It speaks directly to why the ACA and any related efforts are pretty much doomed to failure. As well as removes a lot of the mysteries in regard to our health insurance in general.
PHM
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When faced with the choice between changing one's mind, and proving that there is no need to do so, most tend to get busy on the proof.
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Originally Posted by
Poodle Head Mikey
In researching this stuff I came across the above guy: David Belk. He's a doctor from California. He has written at least one book called something like: The US Healthcare Scam
He has also videoed his lectures to other doctors in regard to the same topic. I was interested in what he pointed about about medicare supplement policies - as that is the vortex I am presently in - but his overall points about health insurance are interesting in an overall 'healthcare' way too.
You may want to go to youtube and search for David Belk or for US healthcare scam and see for yourself. It speaks directly to why the ACA and any related efforts are pretty much doomed to failure. As well as removes a lot of the mysteries in regard to our health insurance in general.
I haven't read his book, but I've watched most of his YouTube videos. He explains how we're being scammed through our health insurance and how their Medicare advantage and Supplement plans simply aren't needed by most seniors. He recommends only getting Part A and Part B, leaving the Part D prescription drug coverage to sign up only if you need expensive drugs.
He also makes a point that this privatization of Medicare will eventually lead to its demise. The insurance companies continuously scare older folks with horror stories of enormous medical costs of Medicare to convince them they need supplemental coverage to survive when it just not true. It make people believe that Medicare alone is totally inadequate.
Do you know that Medicare actually pays these private insurers around $1000/month for each of these Advantage plans? That to me sounds like they scammed medicare too. 
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