Posted on 12/02/2020 6:30:58 AM PST by Patriot777
Just went through this selection, sign-up process and it is one of the most frustrating experiences I have ever had.
The insanity of the entire nation signing up to renew medical care in the same two month period is, insane. The system is gridlocked and unfortunately it coincides with my first sign up as I turn 65 this month and my wife in February. Thus sign up for the rest of this year and renewal is a cluster fluck even much more complicated than I’ve already described below.
The system is rampant with opportunists selling things and lots of legal wiggle words to execute scams. I do not see how a simple person manages their way through the maze without being taken to the cleaners. I have thought about writing a short guide to the process but think that short may be impossible while still being honest about options.
For us G is the best gap plan coverage. It is similar to the old F plan but has the $189 part B deductible. You can’t get plan F anymore for some reason.
I did not want Advantage at all since it is much like an HMO and I can’t even go to the doctor or hospital out of network without penalties. This means that across the state line, 25 miles away is off limits and instead, to get to a decent hospital system already brim full, I have to go 100 miles. On top of that travel coverage is limited at best and zero our of the country.
Part G for me starts at $239 or so a month but with discounts is $126 or so and for the wife it is $118.
We chose United at the recommendation of many acquaintances in spite of my hatred of AARP and because they are the only carrier in our area large enough to offer community based pricing which is a relatively fixed price for a large group policy. Allegedly this only goes up by inflation each year as opposed to the other two that go up by a schedule that gets pretty pricey in the out years plus inflation. My other choice had been Mutual of Omaha but they only offer Age Based Pricing and the out years get pretty sporty.
Some of the comments on this thread make me wonder about United now. It is always something. Always.
The literature says you have only one opportunity to get Medigap and that you are stuck with the provider you initially choose unless you apply and requalify subject to a physical, acceptance and limitations or wait periods for prior conditions but only during the annual election period and otherwise subject to other conditions. Then there are others in our family who say that is not so and that they change Medigap carrier and plan regularly. I think it is because they are covered by a UAW plan for that in their retirement. I am not as I have never been in a union and have been self-employed and taking care of myself and others all my life.
Then there is Part D drug coverage which is another cluster fluck but not so much as the Medigap.
Simple things, like just a note by mail, e-mail or in your account web page telling you: “You are renewed for next year for Medicare / Medigap / Part D.” would make things so much easier. But hell no! For some reason the Einsteins who run these fool programs can’t do even that simple thing to reduce or eliminate the angst of coverage, the log jam of calls and the confusion it creates.
And then there is the maze of automation you have to navigate to eventually maybe talk to a person who can and will help you. With each group I have had to call it takes at least five minutes to give your name, DOB, address, policy number etc. to even get to the help menu that does not have any items pertaining to your question so that you can wait for a person who you can maybe hear or not. All the time praying your cell phone connection will not quit and you have to go through the whole access drill again. All the while you are out on the porch or making like Green Acres up a telephone poll trying to get two bars from Verizon and keep them meaning you must stand frozen like a statue once you have a connection.
So now I have three medical insurance cards for each of us and a personal information web page for each of the six cards to keep up with now.
I think our total insurance bill will be less than half the nearly $24,000 we pay now that we only benefit from after something like $17,000 out of pocket. Our new deductible should be $189 each for Part B.
What would you expect from a gooberment designed program from a gooberment that can’t even get rid of the twice annual charade of Daylight Savings Time / Standard Time switch or that takes decades to procure an F-35 that won’t work or an election system that destroys our voice?
You had better keep up your prayers to the Lord because He is the only one remotely interested in helping you or able. Uncle Sugar sure doesn’t love you.
They sure make it hard to find good reliable information.
They sure make it hard to find good reliable information.
United Health Care canceled coverage in one of our two big hospitals here. Huge deal since many who had UCH coverage found themselves unable to use the hospital. To make things worse this happened when the Wuhan started to infect people here. Both UHC and the hospital blamed each other and it dragged on for a half a year or so before UHC agreed to cover the hospital again.
i got a Medicare advantage health plan Anthem zero premium, zero copays 900.00 annual out of pocket, starts in jan.
“Part G for me starts at $239 or so a month but with discounts is $126 or so and for the wife it is $118.”
EXCELLENT write-up and I’m taking notes on this thread!
One question on the above, though - what kind of discounts are you referring to (I’m not familiar)?
Thank you.
Family and no smoking so far as I know.
I meant to say family plan. Also something like 4 bucks for auto draft which I will not use.
The UHC notations by others bother me. I suspect that some of the same problems happen with any carrier.
The whole thing is an obama care contrived divide and conquer structure. State by state and county by county making it all unbelievable and unnecessarily complicated.
The saying should be, “I’m from the gooberment. I was sent here to screw you over as much as possible. This guy in my hip pocket is big business. He is my benefactor and he is her to help me. I hold you down and he does the deed.”
All a very neat and tidy arrangement of corruption hidden in plain site and cloaked in sanctimony.
The medicare.gov site does lay out what is available but is vague about the actual cost instead saying “starting at”. They and the carriers are also evasive about the type of premium and the smaller carriers by state will lay the limitations off on the state instead of telling the truth that they have divided coverage by state and can only afford to offer certain premium types in small markets. Small markets that they conveniently are put into by their own lobbying effort to prohibit a national market for their product.
Guess what my FRiend, old men are cynical for a reason. Know what it is? Experience is what it is. They have seen enough to know that bull makes the world go ‘round. I’ll tell you this as well, it makes a lot of them sad to know these things.
Flee medicare advantage. It is a scam.
Anything too good to be true still is.
I hate BCBS.
“Family and no smoking so far as I know.”
Appreciate it, thanks!
“Guess what my FRiend, old men are cynical for a reason. Know what it is? Experience is what it is. They have seen enough to know that bull makes the world go ‘round. I’ll tell you this as well, it makes a lot of them sad to know these things.”
Thanks, and I hear you!
BKMK
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