Hospitals are dropping Medicare Advantage plans left and right: 13 updates

Backers Hospital Reviee ^ | November 16, 2023 | Jakob Emerson

[sneakers]

You're welcome! I did my research on Youtube. Type in "Medicare supplements" and there are a number of agents who explain how it works.

One important thing to note: There are four parts to Medicare: Parts A, B, C and D.

Parts A and B are original Medicare. It pays 80% of hospital procedures, dr visits, etc.

Part C is Advantage Plans. If you choose part C, you are NOT on medicare; you are with an insurance company.

Part D covers medications

If you decide to stay on original medicare, you can purchase a supplement (medigap) plan to cover the remaining 20%. The insurance company has NO SAY in whether you get a procedure done or not. They agree to pay the remaining 20%. If your doc says you need a knee replacement - you get it. Whatever your doctor says you need - you get. Also, you are not limited to a network. You can go to any dr who accepts Medicare, anywhere in the country.

On an Advantage Plan, the insurance company has to approve any procedure the doctor says you need, and you are limited to a network.

I hope this didn't make it more confusing. I spent hours watching videos explaining how it all works! It's not as hard to understand once you really dive into it!

[thinden]

“I signed up for standard Medicare.”

i’ve helped three people besides myself sign up, and had no problems ...

standard medicare (Part A and Part B) plus a standardized supplemental plan like Plan F or Plan G are the best medical insurance in the world, and for anyone who has significant and/or serious chronic issues, it’s the only way to go, because so-called advantage plans limit you to an EXTREMELY small set of providers, whereas almost ALL medical providers accept standard medicare ...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

so where does the money come from to pay for the benefits offered on these zero premium medicare advantage plans?

does enrolling in these “so called advantage plans” that are “limited to an extremely small set of providers red-direct that $ 164+/- withheld from SSI checks go to pay the medicare advantage providers?

the money’s got to come from somewhere?

DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE ANSWER?

[mewzilla]

Deep State doesn’t like competition.

[unread]

"how much pressure do you think the illegal migrants are putting on the health care system costs?"

Well, apparently enough to destroy or at least disrupt the entire system.. I guess that's pretty much what's happening...

[G Larry]

Not Yet.

[gloryblaze]

... Where’s the money coming from to pay for all this if not the policy owners???

It has to be Uncle Sugar.

[Drago]

Medicare pays the “Advantage”.plan private insurance companies about $1K to $1200./mo. per enrollee depending on their Medicare “star rating” (consumer satisfaction rating).

[winodog]

There is a large price spread on the part G policies. Any advice to follow on choosing? I am ready to switch back to medicare with part G.

[catnipman]

when one signs up for an advantage plan, they sign over the financial benefits that they would have received from medicare Part A and instead medicare pays THAT money to the advantage plan ....

[catnipman]

looks like ya’ll did your research and made some smart choices!

[winodog]

If I switch back to medicare part a and b price would remain the same taken out of monthly SS check? Then they would deduct the price of the part G policy on top of that?

[catnipman]

If I switch back to medicare part a and b price would remain the same taken out of monthly SS check? Then they would deduct the price of the part G policy on top of that?

medicare advantage is assigned all benefits from Part A & Part B (meaning you still have to pay a Part B fee), plus some advantage plans have an additional monthly fee

for regular medicare, Part A is without charge ... Part B is still automatically subtracted out of your medicare payments, but one must privately pay for any optional medicare supplement (such as Plan G) and/or Part D (drug plan) ... however, it’s usually most convenient to get those payments automatically deducted from you bank account ...

so, your Part B payments remain the same if you switch back to regular medicare, plus whatever fees you privately pay for a standardized supplement (highly recommended) and a part D (drug plan) you optionally elect ...

standardized supplements are relatively easy to choose, as they are standardized to pay everything exactly the same way within a given plan type (e.g., Plan G) ... so, whatever standardized supplemental plan you decide you want (e.g., Plan G), you basically choose the provider in your state that is the cheapest for that standardized plan (assuming you have a choice) ... in colorado, for example, the cheapest provider for Plan F is AARP’s United Health Care partnership, meaning you have to join AARP ...

choosing a Plan D is a whole nother ball of wax, though (thank you very much George Bush, you piece of shite) ...

[winodog]

TY for the information.

[thinden]

thanx for all the info, catnipman

[StAnDeliver]

"York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health will no longer accept Humana Medicare Advantage and UnitedHealthcare-AARP Medicare Advantage plans starting Jan. 1. UnitedHealthcare group MA PPO and Humana employer PPO MA plans will still be accepted."

Good luck with that. Humana is exiting employer-based plans January 1, 2024. So they'll probably try to bait-and-switch those poor mopes onto their straight MA non-coverage, as explained in the very next graf:

"WakeMed cited a claims denial rate that is "3 to 4 times higher" with Humana compared to its other contracted MA plans."

The fact that Humana announced they were leaving employer plans waaay back in February of this year, means there is a fait accompli to rearrange the insurance industry next year, with Humana abandoning employer in order to meet anti-trust regs to take on more Tricare (probably acquiring Health Net) and also expanding their Tricare For Life Medicare-wraparound coverage. Be very concerned.

[StAnDeliver]

"I go to the doctor as little as possible. Not a one has assisted me with a medical problem in the past 20 years. For almost every single visit lately, the PA’s recommendation has been the drug Neurontin — no matter what the problem may be. I’ve seen what that drug can do. My late sister was on so much of that drug that I swear it destroyed her brain."

Neurontin is so in need of a class-action suit to bring it to an end, it boggles the mind.

In the next decade people will look back and regard it the way we regard thorazine dumped into nursing homes in the 70s and 80s.

[StAnDeliver]

"I expect TRICARE for Life to be the next target of the collectivists."

See #175. Those wheels were set into motion last February. The irony? The GOP will hide it in the military fat of the upcoming omnibus bill.

[PerConPat]

Thanks for the heads-up...

[coalminersson]

I just quit My wife is just into social security and she is a RE broker. I was a broker till recently. Never took a dome, left it in the company or gave it to her. Paid cash for business cars etc. My insurance is from my job in corrections. Left after a heart attack in 97. Best wishes

[coalminersson]

Thanx