Posted on 11/06/2025 11:35:57 AM PST by Blood of Tyrants
Okay, my wife and I are approaching 65 and need advice/personal experiences on what company to go with for parts C and D? I don't know much and appreciate the experiences of other Freepers.
I recommend that you reevaluate you starting premise. Medicare Part C is also known as Medicare Advantage. The alternative is Part B “Traditional Medicare” supplement insurance. Medicare Advantage companies make vast profits by rationing and delaying care for patients. Frequently prior authorization is required for testing or procedures. Do you really want a high school graduate, with no medical training, deciding if you really need that CAT scan or operation?
Talk with an insurance agent whom you trust about a Medicare Supplement Part B policy. (FWIW I have Mutual of Omaha.)
The only “Advantage” in “Medicare Advantage” is for the insurance companies to ration care and make larger profits for their investors.
Do you have any kind of medical insurance now? I was fortunate in that I kept my govn medical insurance when I retired. Then when Medicare kicked in it became my supplement plan, whereas Medicare became primary. My prescriptions are all covered under my original plan, now my supplemental.
Their best advice was that blue cross paid for LOTS of advertising. My little company didn't and my plan F was MUCH better coverage for a couple of dollars more. Plan F is SO good they have cut it out and if I get off of it, I will never be able to get it back.
I have heard that https://askchapter.org/ was started because their parents got screwed over and they want to make sure that doesn't keep happening. MAKE sure that you get signed up for part D on time. You will pay more every month for the rest of your life if you do not.
I would be happy to help. My wife and I run MK Dallas Insurance Services, LLC, and deal exclusively with Medicare Insurance. We are brokers for Humana, Blue Cross NC, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, WellCare, and a couple of others. We are licensed in several states, but even if not in yours, we could help you dodge the pitfalls in this business. Send us your contact info through our business site, www.mkdallas.com, and one of us will get back to you promptly. Do not send your Medicare number to us and be careful if you talk to anyone over the phone.
Will Dallas
My wife worked in the medical field for 30+ years. We decided to just go with straight Medicare, with no Medicare Advantage or supplement of any kind.
The reason for this is the problem getting anything approved.
In 2021, I had a Cervical Fusion and Discectomy. My neurosurgeon said he was happy to see that I had straight Medicare, since my surgery was approved by them in two days.
He said he had another patient with the same diagnosis that he had been trying to get approved for a month through Humana Medicare Advantage.
According to Medicare, my total bill was something over $200,000, with $20,000 for the titanium bracket and screws put in my neck.
I paid a little over $1300 before the operation, and maybe another $500 afterward. That was it.
Then in 2024, I had the Lumbar Fusion and Discectomy, and paid a total of about $1500.
Also in 2024, my wife had a Parathyroidectomy for a total of about $800.
We are now in our late 70’s, and so far it’s worked for us.
However your mileage may be different.
My wife hired a Medicare consultant / adviser. They are paid by the companies so no cost to us. The person was good to work with and an expert on all that crap. She got us good Part B plans. She knew all the providers and could make solid recommendations. We sent her our prescription medication lists to help make the selection.
I find it all to be an incomprehensible mess and don’t want to deal with it. So hire an expert, especially since they are free to you.
That was the advice I got from a number of people I interacted with who were on Medicare but not retired yet. It has been good advice (so far).
I stumbled across a regional company who specialized in such things, and it got me started. About a year later, a relative pointed me to someone who her in-laws had used, so I have ended up with an agent who is known to the extended family (and now me).
+1 for BCBS Plan G. In our 70’s and always been happy with them.
Thanks, I’ll get in touch when both my wife and I are available for a period of time.
Plan C, i.e., Medicare Advantage is a trap: once in one you can never get out without potentially incurring massive expense because medicare supplement plans are obligated to sell a plan to you within six months of when you originally sign up for regular medicare ... after that, if you try to switch from medicare advantage to regular medicare and you have contracted a serious chronic illness, no supplement provider will sell one to you and you would become obligated to pay co-pays and the 20% of total medical costs that regular medicare never covers ...
always go with regular medicare and buy Supplement G ... sooner or later, EVERYONE contracts one or more serious chronic illnesses unless they simply drop over dead instead ...
Avoid Medicare Advantage if you want freedom to choose your doctors and hospitals. Advantage also often requires that you get their approval for your treatment. Plan G, on the other hand, is best.
“You need an expert. These people are experts.”
Yes, we have a broker that took us through the rather complicated options.
Do yourself a favor and look up “Medicare Advisor: in your phone book or ask a friend or local hospital who to call for good advice
Our senior complex invited a professional Medicare Advisor to come to our clubhouse and talk about various plans. She also left her card and invited anyone interested in personal advice to call and she’d come to our house.
I needed a corneal transplant. Only company that paid for it that my opthalmologist takes was Humana. So that’s what I have this year. Next year, I’m going back to United Healthcare, taken by almost everyone including my dentist and physical therapist.
I believe hospitals take everyone’s insurance.
We did that and have been happy.
Medicare Parts A and B.
Supplemental through Mutual of Omaha.
Part D with Humana.
We contacted AMAC when it was “our time”, and they steered us to a great broker.
“As someone suggested look to see what is available in your area. I read a while a go that if you start with and Advantage plan you cannot later change to Supplemental but I don’t know if that is true or not.”
It used to be true, and probably still is.
bkmk on Medicare info
My friend always bragged about her wonderful Advantage plan... until she broke her neck and the provider wouldn’t approve the surgery she needed.
She was sent home to lie on her back for about three months until things grew back together.
AMAC helped us with a broker.
Best advice.
I have a Medicare advisor who put me in Humana last. year for a corneal transplant. This coming year, I’m going back to Uniited Healthcare, which almost all doctors and hospitals take. I take only 2 cheap rescritption drugs, so drug plan means nothing to me.
BTW, you can buy “Carditone” on AMZ. Friend’s naturopath sells it to her for blood pressure regulation. My MD wants me to call him if my blood pressure gets too low.
Stay away from the Advantage plans. One of the best things about Medicare is no longer having to screw with in network or out of network BS. Part G is important if you go that way. 20% of a hospital stay can be a bunch of money. We don’t do Part D since the few prescriptions we take are cheap and we are fine with paying cash. Good luck!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.