Phil Loomis
A
I'm looking for the over-65s living in the U.S.

Why? Because a member of my household is eligible for Medicare next year and, from a quick look around, the system appears to be a huge cluster of "what the feck?!"

Parts A,B,C,D,E,F,G and who knows who needs what or what is best.

Where to start?
10:17 PM - Oct 31, 2023
Avatar Avatar
0
11
2
BryanOfOhio
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
My two cents.
Thom Hartman has a book all about this...
Hidden history of Healthcare in America.
Oh and
There's nothing Medicare about Medicare Advantage. Those commercials are private insurance companies who will be paid by the government nothing's free good luck my friend
03:51 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
4
Doug Ray
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
Finally,
If yo go to medicare.gov (not social security.gov) there is more information and you can call them for a phone conversation. I'd stay away from the *help* advertisements who are paid by insurance companies to assist in finding a plan.
Sorry for the hacked up responses. Hope this helped.
12:52 AM - Nov 01, 2023
1
1
Phil Loomis
A
In response to Doug Ray.
Yes, thank you. I think my first stops will be medicare.gov and AARP.
01:55 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
0
Doug Ray
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
D is prescription drugs. Again many options depending on how many drugs are involved. HMO Medicare Advantage plans like Kaiser include Part D. PPO plans generally have a separate Part D with a separate payment.
12:50 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
0
Doug Ray
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
B is Medicare Supplement and it costs additional. Generally it takes care of the other 20%. This part gets complicated because there are options like Medicare Advantage, which has multiple plans. It can be an HMO (Health Maintenance Option) or PPO(Preferred Provider Option).
12:48 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
0
Doug Ray
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
There is a lot, but here are the basics.
A is basic Medicare and it's what is paid for through years of mandatory payroll deductions just like social security. It is free for life. Pays for up to 80% of doctor and hospital costs.
12:46 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
1
DianeInNashville TN
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
Following as this will be me in two years.
12:10 AM - Nov 01, 2023
0
1
Barbara Seiders
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
There is a fair amount of controversy around Medicare Advantage plans which are intended to give patients access to more services - incl vision, hearing, and dental. Some are famous for denying coverage, but I've had a plan that's been great. I recommend looking for providers that are non-profit.
11:36 PM - Oct 31, 2023
1
2
Barbara Seiders
A
In response to Barbara Seiders.
The non-profit providers tend to have a higher rating than some of the big, profit-driven providers like Humana and United Healthcare.
11:39 PM - Oct 31, 2023
0
1
Chris
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
They have to have parts A and B. One is for hospitals one for doctors, etc. Those are the ones that come thru the gov. Part A is free, Part B has a monthly premium that can be deducted from Social Security payments or paid quarterly. For 2024, the premium is $174.70/mo with a $240 deductible
11:30 PM - Oct 31, 2023
1
1
Chris
A
In response to Chris.
C is the private insurance part so you have to shop around and see what's offered. D is prescriptions. If they're a member of AARP, they offer D plans. F pays for everything, all deductibles and co-pays, except for prescriptions, but is being phased out by a lot of companies and has a high premium.
11:34 PM - Oct 31, 2023
0
1
L Geisenest
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
Also, Medicare.gov

Can print out useful handbook that has glossary and talks about oart and benefits… just for a contextual base before you dig in deeper!
11:20 PM - Oct 31, 2023
0
2
L Geisenest
A
In response to Phil Loomis.
I bookmarked this just this morning because it had sone good bits of info on the quiet cons against Medicare Advantage.

https://www.nbcnews.com/he...

I don’t need for another decade but learned a bit for my ailing mom towards her end.
11:19 PM - Oct 31, 2023
1
0
Phil Loomis
A
In response to L Geisenest.
Thank you for sharing this with me.
12:25 AM - Nov 01, 2023
1
1

 

{{ notificationModalContent }} {{ promptModalMessage }}