Yes, we have had H’s great insurance for his entire career and since his retirement. When he was an “employee,” his insurance was primary. One he was retired and re-hires as contractor, insurance was secondary to Medicare B. That’s what insurance contract said and how it was processed.
The big issue was after he got A, his insurer assumed he also got B and his claims kept bouncing because insurer kept trying to get Medicare B to pay 1st. We kept saying he didn’t have B, but for years they kept sending claims there 1st. Once he had B, it was pretty seamless.
One great thing about private insurance + B is that 100% of physical therapy is covered. Before we had varying copays for that. He also gets more covered sessions with the two coverages. He has gotten a lot of PT with dual coverage.
Day 2 of my medicare-application: (1) I received an automatic email from the social security office saying that they have my app, and (2) “My Social Security” website shows app status at “Step 2” (“Processing”) with the notation “We are reviewing your Medicare benefit application. A Social Security Representative may contact you directly if we need any additional documents or information.”) So far seems to be working.
Meanwhile there doesn’t seem to be an easy online way to get OFF the Covered California train. They’ve pretty much got things set up to auto-renew unless I phone in. But I’m going to wait until I have my Medicare card issued before doing that, just in case there is any unanticipated hitch.
On Monday I submitted H’s application to SilverScripts part D. At the end of the process I was given a confirmation number. Given the warnings from others who’ve had their ‘confirmed applications’ lost in the black hole of Medicare/SilverScripts…I decided to give them a call today. The agent was very helpful and kind. After searching ‘three different areas in our system’, he was unable to locate H’s application. Sigh.
Spent 30 minutes doing it on the phone. That’s difficult modality not only due to the large amount of script which the agents are required to read but also due to the long and difficult spelling of my name. All the stuff runs under my email address etc. At the end, I received another confirmation number. I plan to call in a week, just to make sure.
So…be forewarned…at least with SilverScripts something isn’t working as smoothly as it appears.
Woohoo! Just logged into MySocialSecurity and it says:
I don’t have the “detailed notice” yet but I assume that’s going out on paper and I should probably have it in the mail on Monday or Tuesday.
But I am delighted it is arriving because I had a little bit of an age-related medical scare this week. No big problem, but I went through all the mental gymnastics of stressing over costs of seeing a specialist, and “what ifs” on the money end of things, because of my current high deductible plan. I will be SO happy when I just don’t have to worry about that.
Plus I’ve confirmed for myself that I’ll go with the Blue Cross Innovative F plan because I confirmed that my optometrist does take accept their vision plan— which isn’t much, but probably about a +$150 value every year.
The medical thing was an eye problem that turns out be a fairly normal part of aging — of which I was blissfully unaware until all of the sudden I had a bunch of floaters in my eye & thought I needed to see an ophthalmologist ASAP, but where to go? who’s in network? what will it cost? So I headed to my regular optometrist instead – because that was cheaper and faster, since they could see me right away as a drop-in “eye emergency” – and it turned out she could and did do all tests needed to figure out what was going on. (I have PVD - “posterior vitreous detachment” – which apparently happens to 75% of people over age 65… but wait, I’m not there yet, I am only 64, too young for this…)
Anyway, just a reminder as to why I want the Medigap insurance. I don’t mind the concept of using in-network doctors – the problem is with figuring out who they might be, especially in a context where I might want or need to get into see someone quickly. And the only Medicare Advantage plan that would allow me to see my current regular doctor is an HMO … and an HMO would have required a referral from the primary before seeing the specialist, as well as the whole in-network thing.
Ok, still don’t have the paper mail from SS, but there is now a benefit verification letter online and I am approved for Part A & Part B starting January 2019… so I guess I’ve got what I need … ??? I want to sign up now for Part D & Medigap, but don’t have the MBI number yet, just the BNC number. (* MBI / BNC = part of the government’s continuing effort to confuse old people with random alphabet letters)
I spoke with a SHIP rep in SoCal last week and he suggested waiting until after mid-Oct to check the medigap rates/plans for '19. He said the state is supposed to have the numbers by Oct 1, but it usually takes a couple of weeks to upload the deets on the state website.
Don’t make the mistake we made. DH applied for Medicare in early August and was told to expect it to go through in 30 to 60 days. We waited the full 60 days to go into the office and ask why it was still “pending”. Turns out someone whom he had given extra needed info to in August had forgotten to make note that the info was complete. I think his account would have said “pending” forever if he hadn’t finally inquired. So don’t wait the full time the way we did. Luckily the lady helping him today said she would be able to give him his Medicare number and verification by the end of the week so he can apply for his supplemental.
DH got his medigap card last week. He will be set when he turns 65 next month. Went with a plan G, he has high costs and would never pass underwriting if he wanted to switch up to that later.
Then I can drop him from my work insurance and save $600/month on that premium. Net savings, about $300.
Okay…looks like everything is finally in place for H. But…dear Social Security office … are you trying to compete with colleges during application season in the volume of mail generated. 1st letter - we will deduct your Medicare from SS. 2nd letter…here is your SS payment for the next year (didn’t include MC deduction). 3rd letter, we will doc you the standard part B copayment. 4th letter, just writing to let you know some people, based on income, will need to pay more for part B, we will send another letter. 5th letter, here’s the standard part B deduction and the amount of SS left over. 6th letter, - wait - we will be deducting more than the standard amount so you will be receiving X each month.
Oh and UHC/AARP…glad you got my EFT permission slip and have itemized what and when you will deduct. Now, how about sending the policy info.
Whew, think I got it.
P.S. All governmental agencies…it is 2018 not 1977. And chance of upgrading to a font that looks like it wasn’t typeset on a mimeograph machine?
I changed from Plan F to Plan G last week. I’ve already received my new card. I got the plan info brochure and the information about my new premium. Tomorrow I will see if they have deducted the new (lower) premium from my Social Security. So far so good.
@bluebayou – I’m pulling rates from the actual company websites, not the state insurance website. Unless there is a newcomer to the field, I don’t think I’m going to see a better rate than the Blue Cross Innovative F – which is $123 monthly in my zip code. That’s actually the same among the UHC/AARP plan is charging for their G. Probably not an accident. HealthNet has an Innovative F as well, but it is not priced competitively.
The Part D drug plans have had something of a shakeup with new plans that will be available October 15… but I have the rates on those already as well.
This sounds like a complicated mess! How far in advance should one apply for all this, in order to begin coverage on a late March birthday? It sounds like the application must be done well before to be able to start on your birthdate. At this point I’m leaning toward Medigap supplement (rather than Advantage), for the wider range of Doctors. A HMO will not work for me. So, if you need to be approved and issued a Medicare number and verification first, and THEN apply for Medigap, does that mean Medigap cannot start until after your birthdate?
Medigap can start the same month that Medicare starts – and that is the MONTH that you turn 65, not the day. So a person with a March 30th birthday could start Medicare on March 1st. And you can apply 3 months in advance – so for a March start date you could apply on December 1.
I applied online on October 1 and my application was approved on October 5th. So 5 days, but October 1 was a Monday.
I have not yet received my Medicare card. The card will have an ID number on it that I will need for my application forms for Medigap and Part D.
I haven’t done this yet but I’m assuming that I’ll probably get the card in the mail before the end of this month, and will have plenty of time to apply for the other insurances and have coverage in place by January 1.
I changed plans–F to G-- on September 28. I have received my new card and the correct new (lower) premium was deducted from my SS deposit for October. I am impressed with AARP’s efficiency.
@bluebayou – you were right about waiting until mid-October – Blue Shield now has an “F Extra” plan along with a $25/month new to Medicare discount that brings the premium for the F + Vision + other extras down to $112/month with the auto-pay option. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t on their site the last time I checked - or at least not at that price.
Anyway, I still don’t have my Medicare card yet, so don’t know the relevant ID number I would need to sign up for stuff.
I’m glad we have the birthday rule in California I’m sure that these Plan F Innovative/Extra plans are offering teaser rates hoping that members won’t want to give up the extras (vision, hearing, Silver Sneakers, etc.) after the first year when the rates go up. Then again… that birthday rule is going to keep the market competitive going forward, although the insurance companies probably also have a counter dis-incentive when it comes to older customers. I mean… in the Medicare Supplement market, 65 is pretty much as young as it gets.
I do think that the cost of the supplement plans probably causes a drop off of older customers when they can no longer afford premiums and get shifted into Medicaid to cover whatever Medicare doesn’t.