My card came in the mail today. Weird feeling. They finally have the card without the person’s SSN on it. About time.
@calmom Here’s a recent article on Sutter and it’s practices. http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-sutter-health-20180413-story.html
And in my county, what Sutter hasn’t gobbled, Dignity is in the process of acquiring.
I don’t want to derail this thread anymore - the Medicare info is needed and helpful. So end of my rant.
@dietz199 - thank you for sharing that article. I do agree that Sutter’s practices have problems – but health care provisioning and pricing is complicated, and I think that some of what the insurers & employers are seeking would only shift a higher burden to patients. For example, they don’t lke the all-or-none policy of network inclusion – but it seems to me that the exclusion of some, but not all, Sutter facilities rfrom network coverage would put a higher burden of researching and validating coverage on consumers, and make it all the more likely that consumers would face unexpected out-of-network charges because of confusion over coverage. Also, the idea of a two-tiered copay system for more expensive vs. less expensive facilities would tend to create wealth based disparities in quality of treatment for patient groups.
I’m not a defender of Sutter… but there is a real qualitative difference between level of care I receive there and care I have received in the past from the Catholic hospital which is closest to me. And “level of care” is tied in closely to level of staffing and quality of equipment. I have no ability to discern where costs might be shaved… I mean… do I really need to have the 3D digital mammography that is standard at the Sutter facility, but may not be offered over at the less costly Catholic hospital? The article says… “the restriction prevents insurers or employers from steering patients to lower-cost hospitals”… the problem is that as a patient, if lower-cost also means lower-quality, then I don’t want to have to pay extra out of pocket to go there – given that I’m already paying extra for my monthly premium. (On the exchange, the Blue Shield policy with the Sutter coverage is also the most expensive within its metal band).
But I agree that this is diverting the discussion-- I don’t want to “win” an argument or score points – just pointing out that the interests of employers/insurers in holding down their costs may not necessarily be what is best for patients. And as much as I want my medical treatment to be affordable, I also hope that when my daugher-in-law finishes completes her residency she will be able to get a hospital job that compensates her for the outsized investment she has made in her medical training.
And I also agree that geographic disparities are a huge problem.
I just have been hoping that things would get simpler for me once I hit age 65… and now I’m not so sure. More homework to do, for sure. (And it mystifies me how anyone expects old people to figure this out on their own.)
Medical care is still very labor intensive. And much of that labor requires education and training that is very expensive to the student. So it is not surprising that many people in medical care need high enough pay levels so that they can pay off their student loan debt, along with the other usual living expenses, saving for retirement, etc…
@jym626 you are one of the first! I got mine about 2 months ago and it is my SS#. I wonder if I will get a new medicare card anytime soon.
Well…the letter we all got said we would be getting new cards sometime after April 2018. So…it makes sense that new Medicare cards would not be issued with the SS number on.
I’m patiently waiting for my new card…
@NJres - its a very weird combo of letters and numbers.
I was told I’d get a card in May that probably would still be in the old format and then I’d get a replacement in June, but nope— this one has the letter/number combo. Bu-bye SSN on Medicare card.
Finally Medicare joins the rest of the medical insurance companies in using a non SSN on its cards…
" …it makes sense that new Medicare cards would not be issued with the SS number on."
You’d think so - but i got mine just a few weeks ago. The old type with SS #. I was surprised they didn’t issue the non SS # one as I am new to Medicare.
Govt and makes sense don’t seem to walk hand in hand
Does anyone know if a new Medicare card would be forwarded to a new address? My FIL just moved to be closer to us and he is reluctant to call and change his address . He doesn’t hear very well and created a huge problem for his credit cards when he tired to change his address.
Have him change his address. I know it’s not going to be fun…but maybe you could help him do this online. Wouldn’t that be easier than hoping something will be forwarded?
I just went through this with my mother. You can try to set up an online account for him and if successful, you can change his address that way. We couldn’t (i’m still not sure why) and my sister had to take our mom to the local SS office to do it in person. She had to bring evidence of the change of address (lease, utility bill etc.) but once there, it was pretty painless. It can’t be done over the phone.
Just an observation (not really a complaint): Pre-Medicare my wife and I were on the same health insurance plan, so we got one bill each month. Now we have six bills! Three each, although some are quarterly; 1. Medicare A&B, 2. Supplement (mine is G, hers F high deductible), and 3. Drug plan part D. I think I will sign up for autopay.
I have been an Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield Medicare Advantage subscriber since I turned 65. I just have an HMO, with part D included, and I live in Brooklyn, NYC, not far from Manhattan. I have zero complaints. Last year I had three hospitalizations at three different hospitals in three different networks (one through an ER) and every doctor took my crappy plan, which costs $104/month taken out of my social security check. After what I thought was (and I was right) a misdiagnosis of fatty liver disease, I went to a specialist at the transplant network program at Mt. Sinai hospital where my brother had a liver transplant. Even though it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my liver, I was their patient to the end, through a nasty case of pancreatitis from an endoscopy (5 days through an NYU Langone ER in Brooklyn), an MRI, and open gallbladder surgery at Mt. Sinai. Then I had knee replacement surgery at a different hospital in a different network (Weill Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian), totally covered including a whole bunch of physical therapy. I am very happy with my insurance.
This year, a visit to my PCP costs $15, $40 for a specialist. Free for follow-up visits to the orthopedic surgeon after surgery. It was $10/$45 last year. All lab work free.
My monthly meds cost $12/month (generic Lexapro, generic Synthroid, generic blood pressure-water pill). I use an asthma inhaler which is expensive ($200 or so) until I buy 3 and use up the deductible, and then it goes down to less than $50. So I buy them every month one year, and then I have a year without buying them.
Old mom, if you were seeing a psychologist weekly, you’d be paying $160 a month. Add on the psychiatrist or NP, and you’d be better off with a more comprehensive plan.
The less expensive plans don’t cover the Medicare deductible. They have to meet the $2200 deductible. I just don’t comprehend why people in their mid 70’s or older chose these plans, then argue to not pay.
Not clear on the Medigap options. Assuming you choose one of the letters during your 7 month window, can you change from one plan to another during the ‘open enrollment’ periods should your needs change over time?
You can change during future open enrollment periods but you are not guaranteed issue for a higher level policy. So if you try to go from an initial C level gap policy to an F or G policy at a later date you may most likely be denied. As I understand it, you can change carrier within a category or you can downgrade.
I was able to change my FIL address with Medicare by phone. After I waited on hold for 45 minutes, he gave the representative his name , SS# and permission to talk to me, we got it done !
When we were working with Medicare to get my folks’ address changed for Medicare, they asked a series of questions of both mom and dad. They said they couldn’t be prompted but it took two phone calls before we could get it done. It saved a longer trip to the Medicare office. It was hard for dad to hear so he was giving the wrong answers to the questions the Medicare person was asking. 
I read (and heard at a seminar) that plans C and F will be discontinued in 2020, but those already on it (or those turning 65 in 2019 and choose C or F) can keep it. HOWEVER, since these two plans will no longer be offered, the pool of customers will both shrink and age, most likely resulting in much higher premiums in the future. (They can’t earmark recipients to raise prices, but they can raise the price for everyone in the same category). SO, we were advised to choose G instead, which appears the same as F, but doesn’t cover the yearly deductible. Has anyone else been advised similarly?