JNF said...
…For many people, Medicare Advantage plans work well. For many people traditional Medicare plus a supplement and drug plan work very well. Thank goodness we have the flexibility and choice these various plans provide. My advice is always to consider objectively all your options before deciding. Often this means enlisting the assistance of an industry professional. Thankfully these professionals are available at no additional cost. Use all resources wisely.
Well-stated. My wife, a CPA, ramped way up on the learning when she was approaching 65 last year. When it came down to decision time, we ended up with a local “industry professional” who really helped clarify a few points and we made the final decision in his office. The two of them really churned the options and, in fact, he offered her a job as a Medicare advisor. (She declined.)
We are on a Type G supplemental through Mutual of Omaha with WellCare for the Part D. I only take 2 drugs, a statin and one for BP, but she has major eye issues and takes some kind of exotic drops which I think she gets off the plan with GoodRx but has to shop all over town for the best price as the price changes month by month.
We have an acquaintance who snowbirds and is on an Advantage plan which does not cover him and his wife during the winter due to them being out of network. He’s gaming the system by signing up for an Advantage plan where he spends the winter. When asked about
he gets away with that since it’s illegal, he just laughs it off.
A friend was just diagnosed with breast cancer for the 2nd time. The first time around her surgeon told her he didn’t get clean margins after which she and her oncologist had some kind of falling out and she had no further treatment. Her siblings are now after her to go to Mayo or MD Anderson but her Advantage plan isn’t accepted at either. Her plan will not cover 2nd opinions so she’s now sort of stuck. Our two local facilities are a mess with high rates of turnover in CEOs and doctors, long wait times to see anyone, and some specialists simply not available.