I am on disability, and in August I get on Medicare. What do I need to know about Medicare and getting a supplemental insurance? I don’t know anything hardly so any advice is appreciated.
Iwent, I added to your subject line in the hopes that you will be able to get better responses.
I use to work for a health insurance company in the part for Medicare Advantage.
Medicare Advantage is like a PPO you have copays for everything (doctor visits, labs, x-rays, surgery, etc) and most plans don’t have an additional premium just your Part B premium through Medicare. You have specific doctors you have to go to.
Supplement plans - Pay a higher premium in addition to Part B buy you can go to any doctor and it pays 100% after Medicare.
Choose the plan that works for you. If you don’t go to the doctor that much a Medicare Advantage plan might be for you. If you go to the doctor a lot and have and are in the hospital a lot a supplement plan might be better.
Also don’t forget to get something that covers your drugs.
Having an insurance agent that specializes in Medicare come to you may help with any specifics .
Hi Iwent,
Medicare can be very overwhelming and confusing when you first get on.
I think that you should contact an insurance broker who specializes in Medicare. There is no consultation fee.
They will look at your situation and will tell you what is the best plan for you.
This is what I did and I am very happy with their choice.
I heard very recently that more and more seniors are leaving the Medicare Advantage plan because as they age and are having health problems, that plan is getting too expensive, although it might have worked for them originally.
Do not be hasty in making your decision, because you will have to wait a year to change plan.
Best wishes,
Cicina
I’m a former healthcare finance executive… I remember when I did my analysis; I came to the conclusion that I Would not benefit from a supplemental plan. My Ataxia condition is acquired (TBI) and I don’t visit the doctor often and I am not “degenerative” and don’t take many pills so this risk analysis may not be right for you. Note that some supplemental plans include drugs some do not. Regardless of whether you chose a supplement you can get drug coverage separately through “part D”… the cheapest Aetna Walmart pharmacy option has worked well for me since I don’t like pills but you should do your own analysis. Also worth noting or considerring is whether you frequently leave the country. Some supplements cover healthcare outside the US and some do not. Part B does not cover you outside the US…
I have a text yet they did generative type, but I am trying not to take any medication for it as nothing really helps. I have Crohn’s disease and take a tier 5 drug every two weeks and I need to know what part D plan will cover my injection medication fully. Silver script said I would have to pay up to 1500 a month to take this drug, but I cannot afford to have it as I don’t draw that much disability.
How did you find an insurance broker that knew about Medicare?
I don’t exactly remember exactly how I found one, it was quite a few years ago, but I just did a search with google and here is what I found https://medicaresupp.org/find-local-agent/
Just type in your zip code and you will have a list of available agents.
Let me know if you have problems. Good luck,
Cicina
I think some plans don’t allow you to get other insurance so you should check this out.