It's official. I'm an old fart.

Willowy

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It makes no sense for them to be paying for a Medicare supplement, with Medicaid in addition to their Medicare they don't pay anything anyway.
It might be that they feel like they're "paying their own way". My paternal grandmother didn't want Medicare, at all. She said it was welfare (they were fairly well-off though not rich---my grandfather was a Captain). So because Medicare covers everybody whether they like it or not, she went and got the fanciest supplemental insurance she could find, that got billed before anything went to Medicare. So maybe in some small way that makes them feel better.
 

JamesCalifornia

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It makes no sense for them to be paying for a Medicare supplement, with Medicaid in addition to their Medicare they don't pay anything anyway.
~ They probably do not even know this. I wonder who is selling them the unnecessary supplement ? :ohwell:
 

denice

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I don't know. It seems like it is always AARP but that supplement seems to be the one that I see more then any of the others. It is entirely possible that the people at MCAID don't know about the supplement. I actually know that they don't. When we check MCAID eligibility it always shows their other insurances because MCAID is the payer of last resort. It shows MCARE but it doesn't show the supplement. They may not be telling the people with the supplement that they have MCAID because of embarrassment; They also may have qualified for MCAID after they started with the supplement.
 

Foundkitty

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The key difference between Plan F and Plan G is that Plan F has no deductible for Part B expenses. For 2019, the Plan G deductible is $185. And naturally, Plan F premiums are higher than Plan G.

Be forewarned, Plan F is probably going away. According to congress.gov, starting in 2020, Medicare Supplement plans that pay the Medicare Part B deductible (which is Plan F) will no longer be sold to those newly eligible. This change is part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA).
  • If you already have Medicare Supplement Plan F (or Plan C, which also covers the Part B deductible), you can generally keep it.
  • If you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, you may be able to buy Medicare Supplement Plan F or Plan C.
  • If you qualify for Medicare on January 1, 2020 or later, you may not be able to buy Medicare Supplement Plan F or Plan C.
yes I got a notice in the mail but didnt pay attn. to effective date.
 

misty8723

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You are so right, same thing with Medicare! Sad some “politicians” are pushing ”Medicare for all” and I’m quite sure supporters think it is a free give away from Uncle Sam. People don’t realize that they pay taxes into Medicare and then we you get on it you pay. There is nothing free.
I've had a lot of people surprised when you tell them you have to pay for Medicare. Even a friend my age when she was getting ready to retire a few years ago was shocked.

I've been paying into Medicare through payroll deduction since I started work at 16. Dang right I'm entitled to it now!
 

misty8723

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It is a maze to figure out. One thing I have seen quite a bit in billing is people who have Medicare and Medicaid then they have a supplement plan, usually AARP. I am completely baffled by that. It is nice for providers because the supplement will pay the copay where Medicaid in most states pay nothing, we write the copay off. It makes no sense for them to be paying for a Medicare supplement, with Medicaid in addition to their Medicare they don't pay anything anyway.
My sister gets disability and has Medicare and Medicaid, but she still has a supplement too. I think it works that the supplement pays first, then Medicaid. But I'm not 100% sure. She is actually required to have the supplement. I just helped her sign up for one since the one she was on is going away. It's not AARP.

I think AARP is a Part C, but you still need Part A and Part B.
 

misty8723

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I can't wait to turn 65 and receive Medicare, I am so tired of paying 700.00+ health insurance with a 6500.00 deductible. I will be 64 on March 18th, so not long now! THEN, I don't ever want to rush a birthday again! I don't EVEN want to think of how many years I might have left, sigh..... it seems like just a few years ago I didn't think of things like that at all......
I am looking at what insurance I want to get us this year and the plan I will probably go with premiums are about $500 / month $6,000 family deductible ($3,000 per person). And that's really the cheapest I can go because hubby was/is having health problems.

I can't even figure out Medicare, but I'm going to hav
~ And Part D - prescription drugs.
But if you get a Part C I think the drug part is included.
 

denice

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My sister gets disability and has Medicare and Medicaid, but she still has a supplement too. I think it works that the supplement pays first, then Medicaid. But I'm not 100% sure. She is actually required to have the supplement. I just helped her sign up for one since the one she was on is going away. It's not AARP.

I think AARP is a Part C, but you still need Part A and Part B.
People on disability usually have some type of spend down deal on their MCAID. The premiums for the AARP is probably her spend down. MCAID generally always pays last, the only exception is something like Crime Victims.
 

Foundkitty

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I am looking at what insurance I want to get us this year and the plan I will probably go with premiums are about $500 / month $6,000 family deductible ($3,000 per person). And that's really the cheapest I can go because hubby was/is having health problems.

I can't even figure out Medicare, but I'm going to hav

But if you get a Part C I think the drug part is included.
on most if them
 

Foundkitty

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My sister gets disability and has Medicare and Medicaid, but she still has a supplement too. I think it works that the supplement pays first, then Medicaid. But I'm not 100% sure. She is actually required to have the supplement. I just helped her sign up for one since the one she was on is going away. It's not AARP.

I think AARP is a Part C, but you still need Part A and Part B.
Just to be clear not all medicare plans are not part c. Part c is medicare advantage. Aarp/uhc offer both kinds and part D drugs http://insurewithintegrity.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Medicare-Supplement-1-v1.2-600-1024x984.png
 

denice

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Yes UHC offers a Medicare Advantage plan as well as a supplement. What they are called depends on where you live. The AARP Medicare advantage seems to be concentrated in some western states. We bill all of the UHC plans to UHC Medicare. Another big one in some states is called Sierra but that is UHC Medicare Advantage. It has been my experience at least with ambulance billing that UHC Medicare Advantage leaves people with a smaller copay then some of the others. Humana tends to leave people with a larger copay but Humana is the one that has the Silver Sneakers which is some type of health club membership. It is a maze. Which one is best depends on the person, it definitely is not a one size fits all.
 

misty8723

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