Medigap or Medicare advantage plan???

edflorence · Post by **edflorence** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 7:16 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:What details. I need help. What are you seeing that I might have missed?

Once in an Advantage Plan it might prove difficult to get into a Medigap if you decide to change. That is one reason I went with a regular Medigap Plan F.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 8:17 pm

edflorence wrote:Once in an Advantage Plan it might prove difficult to get into a Medigap if you decide to change. That is one reason I went with a regular Medigap Plan F.

Yes I just discovered that. Apparently you have a years grace period but once you have been in an Advantage plan for over a year to go back to Medigap plan you must go through underwriting which included pricing your insurance on preexisting conditions. That could get costly real quick.

If you stay in the Medigap plan the only increase would be an age increase but I think that is even controled to some degree.

keakap · Post by **keakap** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:54 am

edflorence wrote:Once in an Advantage Plan it might prove difficult to get into a Medigap if you decide to change. That is one reason I went with a regular Medigap Plan F.

Aha. Now I believe we are getting into the area the White House refuses to discuss- that O-care stole nearly a Trillion from Medicare, aimed at removing, eventually, Advantage options (freedom of choice).
(When the trillion was taken I looked into the details, and altho I don't remember them in particular, I did note 'my' conclusions at the time. The plan was to remove you from Advantage, and F will also disappear.)

Key item: anything under O-Care is subject to change without reason or notice! They keep saying "it's the law of the land", but it is not. O continues to re-write the law by executive order, which is absolutely illegal. Those 'corporate exemptions' to mandates you've heard of? Illegal! That is O rewriting the law outside of congress.

Today's guarantee is tomorrow's lie. Careful!

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:26 pm

May there NEVER BE another Harvard Law Professor in the Office of the Presidency!!!

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:06 pm

keakap wrote:Aha. Now I believe we are getting into the area the White House refuses to discuss- that O-care stole nearly a Trillion from Medicare, aimed at removing, eventually, Advantage options (freedom of choice).
(When the trillion was taken I looked into the details, and altho I don't remember them in particular, I did note 'my' conclusions at the time. The plan was to remove you from Advantage, and F will also disappear.)

Key item: anything under O-Care is subject to change without reason or notice! They keep saying "it's the law of the land", but it is not. O continues to re-write the law by executive order, which is absolutely illegal. Those 'corporate exemptions' to mandates you've heard of? Illegal! That is O rewriting the law outside of congress.

Today's guarantee is tomorrow's lie. Careful!

Actually it seems like everything I'm seeing is trying to move you to Medicare Advantage plans. From there it would be a very short move to full socialized medicine.
The Advantage plans are usually HMO's and very closely watched PPO's. So they can direct you to doctor and hospital with little or no choice on yours. Also most Advantage plans carry Drug coverage which are usually fulfilled from the plans pharmacy rather than the neighborhood pharmacy. Again not far from socialize medicine.

The Medigap plans have very little Governmental oversight and still offer the participants ability to choose Doctors, hospitals and pharmacy. And they aren't territorial so they can't control your travel.

I see Advantage plans as the plan for the masses and Obama and the Democrats are aimed at socialized medicine.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:57 pm

Face it and get used to it. We are moving toward a society that can't do anything without Government approval.

The approach that they are using is so obvious. There isn't a day goes by that you do not hear about something that the Government is "Giving Us" or telling us we can't have.

It won't be long until Grandma won't be able to give you a home baked loaf of bread or her famous apple pie because they are not FDA approved.

I was told last week that this year is the last time I will be able to get unpasteurized sour cream. We use sour cream in many of our favorite seasonal goodies like sour cream raisin pie. Store bought cream does not cut it. We also can no longer get home made minced meat from our regular source.

BAH HUM BUG

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:01 pm

dusty wrote:Face it and get used to it. We are moving toward a society that can't do anything without Government approval.

The approach that they are using is so obvious. There isn't a day goes by that you do not hear about something that the Government is "Giving Us" or telling us we can't have.

It won't be long until Grandma won't be able to give you a home baked loaf of bread or her famous apple pie because they are not FDA approved.

I was told last week that this year is the last time I will be able to get unpasteurized sour cream. We use sour cream in many of our favorite seasonal goodies like sour cream raisin pie. Store bought cream does not cut it. We also can no longer get home made minced meat from our regular source.

BAH HUM BUG

So make yer own! Whipping cream, vinegar, apples, raisins, corn starch, . . . Just like g'ma did!:D

keakap · Post by **keakap** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 4:09 pm

JPG40504 wrote:So make yer own! Whipping cream, vinegar, apples, raisins, corn starch, . . . Just like g'ma did!:D

EEEE-Hah! WIth a good ol mincemeat recipe and the home-made egg-nog from Cooks I just saw-- 18% booze!-- who needs sour cream?

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:28 pm

Come on guys I need help.
Medigaps plans pay for everything but cost.
Advantage plans have copays. Some high some low most have a max out of pocket. The max out of pocket is nearly equal to what the Medigaps costs.

Seems like a crap shot. If you get Advantage and don't have any many hospital stays you are well ahead cost wise. If you get medigap and don't have any Hospital stays you paid a lot of money for nothing. If you have hospital stays your max out of pocket is the monthly Medigap premium.
However with Medigap you need part D for drug and that can cost a lot too.

Without going off track or changing the subject which plan did you go with and why PLEASE I'm looking for advice.

charlese · Post by **charlese** » Sat Nov 16, 2013 9:49 pm

Been reading, but really can't help - sorry! I think it's purely an individual decision/risk.

What I've always done throughout the years is to choose a plan that will offer the family with the best protection for extreme sickness. It has always cost more for little events, but got through Proton therapy for prostrate cancer without a cent out of pocket. Best I could figure, the cost for the cure was so high that my minor costs (including all premium payments) over the years were less.