^ @kjofkw
Yes, H and I were advised exactly the same in a Medicare info and prep class we attended at our library (but led by, I believe, one of our state’s Medicare info people, who advise people re signing up for Medicare.) We took Plan G as our Medicare supplement.
Each state has a dept of health with an office on aging Who is supposed to provide free, unbiased Medicare and Medicaid info. I’d use them 1stas they don’t sell anything, just provide info.
As far as I can tell, plan G is exactly the same as plan F except for the single, annual part B deductible. I got a quote sheet in the mail with the rates for the AARP United Health Care plan and did the math.
Here are the current rates for California at age 65 with the 36% enrollment discount:
F: $144.48 monthly (1773.76 annually)
G: $123.84 monthly (1486.08 annually)
Difference: $20.64 (287.68 annual)
Standard rates are as follows (the AARP plan offers a discount based on age of enrollment, which is reduced by 3% each year)
F: $225.75 monthly (2709 annually)
G: $193.50 (2322 annually)
Difference: $32.35 (387 annual)
Current Part B deductible is $183 — so the 65-year-old with the maximum discount on plan F is paying out $104.68 more annually than an equivalent policy holder with plan G. And the 77-year-old who pays standard rates is paying $204 more annually than a plan G holder.
I assume that every other company is going to be the same. I admit that there was a strong emotional appeal to me to get the F plan- it would be nice to go to the doctor and never have to worry about paying a dime – and the idea that I can lock in a plan now that will be discontinued later also is hard to resist. But I just don’t see the value of paying an extra $100-$200 over and above the deductible cost – and unless my agent or someone here can convince me otherwise, I’m signing up for plan G when I enroll in October. (The rates I’m looking at are for 2018, so I anticipate that 2019 rates might be higher-- I’ll actually start Medicare in January)
So honestly, unless someone other than the policy holder is paying the premium… I just don’t see any value at all in Plan F. I
Medicare website states that if you are already getting SS when you turn 65, you will be automatically enrolled for A and B. Does that mean I don’t have to do anything? The retirees benefit will cover D and supplemental in my case.
There is a lifetime penalty if you’re late for signing up for Medicare, so I’d just double-check ymrhat you/spouse are enrolled as intended in Medicare so you don’t have any expensive surprise that somehow you weren’t enrolled.
H had a pension and no SS. We sent in all the paperwork for him to enroll in Meficare B but for reasons unknown, a Medicare employee decided NOT to process H’s paperwork. We walked down to SS and waited a few hours to find our paperwork was NOT processed but handed back to us at our request.
H returned the next day with the SAME paperwork, it was instantly processed and he just barely missed being assessed the lifetime penalty for applying late for Medicare B. (We still have no idea why the 1st guy wouldn’t process H’s paperwork. )
Based on our experience, I’d certainly verify soon after you turn 65 that you ARE on Meficare A & B.
Yes, advised to take G supplement for the same reason when husband became eligible in 2016.
When I get off DHs insurance and select Medicare B, I will probably take G as my supplement. Some people said plan N was similar. Does anyone have plan N? Thoughts?
I think the big difference between G & N is that the latter does not cover the Part B deductible ($183) nor Excess Charges, which may be important to you if you want the most flexibility for choosing providers. OTOH, if your providers all participate in Medicare, maybe excess charges is not an issue for you. N may also require a copay for doctor’s visits (~$20), which, if healthy, may not matter.
I think of the non-Advantage plans, only F covers the deductible, but the price difference between F and G is usually more than the $183 deductible. What “excess charges”? Didn’t think Medicare providers could balance bill.
~5% of providers can balance bill.
That’s like Champus- There are a few who are participating but accept medicare.(Didnt know that was available for medicare). It only allows the provider to charge $15% over the medicare allowable. Drs who opt out of Medicare can charge whatever they want but medicare doesn’t pay a penny.
And there is a $20 copay per visit ($50 ER) for plan N
There are a number of states that do not allow billing ecxess charges for Medicare including PA.
thanks for starting this thread, I have much to learn.
I read the many suggestions for Plan F, but does it make a difference which insurance company providing Plan F? I have initially looked into Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, but it seems that Humana is cheaper, but I never heard of Humana. Is there any down side if I were to choose Humana (or any other insurance company)? Given the plan is non HMO, do I still have to worry whether my doctor is in-network or not?
All the companies have to offer the exact same benefits in relation to the letter designation for Medigap Plan – and there are no networks to worry about if you have Medicare parts A & B with Medigap – all you have to know is whether the doctor or group accepts Medicare (and most do).
But there might be a difference between one company and another in terms of overall customer service … though obviously that is not something you are going to find out from their promotional material.
Do keep in mind that there is a difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap. If you go with Medicare Advantage you will generally get cheaper rates, but that is more like regular insurance, and does have networks to worry about.
As posted above, with a Medigap program, the only difference between the F and G plans is that the F will pay your small ($183) Medicare deductible – but the premiums for the F plans add up to more than that deductible. So basically with Plan F you might pay the insurer $250 extra a year in exchange for a promise that they will pay $183. So I might be missing something, but I don’t see any value in getting Plan F unless someone else (like an employer) is paying your premium.
I’ve been wondering the exact same thing (altho I still have 5 months to figure it out). I get the point about customer service that Calmom raised, but what about price increases? Who increases faster, or do they mostly just average out?
^^ I suspect we will have to look into whether the medical facility accepts the insurance. However, what I do not understand is when a person bought medigap from Humana (in my example above), is the person considered insured under Humana or medicare? I checked my doctor’s policy, they accept blue cross/blue shield, medicare, but they did not say anything Humana. I will have to call her on Monday but it is really a generic question as I am not sure what other doctors do, I like to avoid finding out when I need it.
The supplemental plans are regulated and provide the same benefits.
I think one of the big differences is the way the plans determine the costs. AARP in our example bases their pricing on ‘community rating’. No matter your age, you are charge the same monthly premium as everyone else in the plan.
https://www.ehealthmedicare.com/medicare-supplement-articles/community-rated-no-age-rated-pricing/
I have raised the question on why different companies charges differently with the same medicare supplement plan, will it be possible that some companies are more difficult to deal with or that they may just deny some services even with plan F?
My recent experience dealing with my DD’s doctor’s billing was scary. It was an annual checkup and we expected annual checkup would be fully covered, but then the insurance denied some work, apparently the doctor did not expect it to be denied.
My concern is on purchasing a plan thinking my doctor’s visit is $0 and deductible is $0, but then I find out the insurance company denies the charges. Is it possible for one company will deny the charges, but another one is not? In another word, will a plan F cover me even the insurance company believes that it is not necessary? but then another company may ? In that case, I cannot just look at the cost to find the cheapest company.
Here is information that I am pulling from the website of an insurance agency that specializes in Medicare-- note that this applies to Medigap policies, NOT Medicare Advantage:
So basically, the way it works is that you deal with Medicare, not the gap insurer, which is getting the bills from Medicare and not the doctor.
The reasons different companies charge differently is that they do have flexibility on how to set premiums. Some companies set the same premium for everyone, and some set a premium that is based on your age when you sign up, and some set a premium that is based on your current age. Some companies also offer additional benefits tied to the plan – for example, Silver Sneakers or access to a nurse phone help line. Some states have laws that will allow you to change your Medigap plan during an annual open enrollment period; some don’t.
So the lowest rate you see could be essentially a teaser rate that will go up in future years, and depending on your state, you may not later have the option to change.
@calmom thanks
for those that don’t allow me to change during the open enrollment, does it mean that I have to stay with the same plan forever?