Medicare enrollment before Dec 7th. Additional plans, costs and penalties.
- Thread starter Snattlerake
- Start Date
Thank you.
Part A also covers home health at 100%
Part B also covers DME (medical equipment) at 80%
So A and B are regular Medicare paid for by the government because I've been paying the government my premiums my entire working career?
Part C, (Advantage / disadvantage) is another plan that I have to decide upon which includes A and B supplied by a PPO or HMO that they bill the government for on my behalf along with Part D (drugs) that I pay for?
If'n I don't decide they will take money from me for not deciding?
I needs some duct tape fer ma head ma brain hurts.
Part C, (Advantage / disadvantage) is another plan that I have to decide upon which includes A and B supplied by a PPO or HMO that they bill the government for on my behalf along with Part D (drugs) that I pay for?
If'n I don't decide they will take money from me for not deciding?
I needs some duct tape fer ma head ma brain hurts.
Sums it up pretty well, except you forgot part F or G which you pay for to cover the gap that A and B do not cover. At least I think I got that right. Our guy told us when we first signed up that Part C is great if you do not end up in the hospital a lot.
When I did end up there for so long I was scared what the bills were going to be. Luckily out of almost a million dollars in bills, we only had to pay about $1500 total. At one time they said there was going to be another $3000 but we were never billed for it. I have been very happy with our Advantage plan so far. It has taken good care of us thru my illness, the wife's cancer scare, her gall bladder surgery, etc, etc. I also think all the freebies we get cover what copays we do have.
Don’t pm, there are people out There watching this thread that have the same questions you do and they are learning from it.
My advice is to go to an independent insurance agent who should be well versed in the supplement that changes every year.
Revisit your independent insurance agent annually during the enrollment period to see if the changes effect you personally.
My agent told me the Medicare advantage plan was not for me or anyone else.
I’m 100% covered by the VA on medical and prescription meds yet required to enroll in Medicare
The VA can be kinda slow no matter what the media tells you unless you live near one on mailed prescriptions when you live 2 hours away.
Since we travel a lot I had to sign up while holding my nose to a part D that has Walmart as the preferred vendor that can be used if a VA doesn’t have a presence in that area.
The system is a quagmire.
My advice is to go to an independent insurance agent who should be well versed in the supplement that changes every year.
Revisit your independent insurance agent annually during the enrollment period to see if the changes effect you personally.
My agent told me the Medicare advantage plan was not for me or anyone else.
I’m 100% covered by the VA on medical and prescription meds yet required to enroll in Medicare
The VA can be kinda slow no matter what the media tells you unless you live near one on mailed prescriptions when you live 2 hours away.
Since we travel a lot I had to sign up while holding my nose to a part D that has Walmart as the preferred vendor that can be used if a VA doesn’t have a presence in that area.
The system is a quagmire.
https://www.medicare.gov/what-medicare-covers/your-medicare-coverage-choices
Two General options.
Option 1: Traditional Medicare
Enroll in Part A (hospital) and B (doctor), then Part D (drug). Then add a supplement/Gap plan (G, F, etc) if you want to have no or very little out of pocket cost as you have 20% Coinsurance (you pay) on your part.
You pay nothing for A. You pay $144 a month for B. You pay premiums for your supplement depending on your age, gender and if you're a smoker. Usually starts about $100-$150 a month. Part D pricing varies. You can go here....
https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compa...esPX3oUUBEAIaAqNGEALw_wcB#/?lang=en&year=2021
To compare Part D plans. Highly recommend using an advisor here to help you get on the right plan.
Option 2:
Get on part C. "All in one" so to speak. You still pay your part B premiums. However, most "Part C" premiums are very cheap, if anything. They may cover vision, dental, etc. Your out of pocket costs will vary and is at the will of the insurance carrier you chose. I've seen people get hammered after cancer or a long hospital stay, and I've seen them walk away without owing a dime. Once you are on it, it is tough to get back on original medicare because by the time you figure out most Advantage plans suck, you are too sick to switch back over to medicare and get a supplement.
The big difference between the two is freedom. You have choices with medicare. Something like 90% of the doctors in the U.S. take Medicare. I think it's like 40% of doctors take Advantage plans. Plus with Advantage plans you are limited to that company's network, just like you were with the under 65 plans everyone has been on for years. So you basically give back any benefit Medicare affords you. Also keep in mind they may deny certain treatments if you want to go a different route. Saw this with several individuals on Advantage plans when they got diagnosed with cancer.
Last edited:
^^Thank you for posting this JD8.
The part C can be good or can be bad according to your individual lifestyle and medical tendencies? I see and hear of mostly horror stories when insurance companies run your healthcare decisions. I am a freedom lover free to pick and choose who I deal with. I have been on both PPO and HMO's but that was in the 80's and 90's and 2000's.
