Kadee, If AARP medigap is offered for under 65 in your State and if it is not more expensive for you than the plan you have now, go for it and if they offer plan F ask for that, If not take Plan J. You can always go lower if the premiums get to high but you can't get a higher plan without health review questions.
If you opt for something like Plan J and later find you can only afford a plan C or F etc then you can switch, but if you opt for a lower plan you have to go lower than what you already have until he reaches 65 if you need to change due to the cost. Am I making sense?????
Jane, You can not believe the help you have provided to me, you are able to explain things so that even my simple mind can understand. I am now convinced that I do not want Advantage. I am almost certain that AARP offers Plans F & J through United Health Care, I will need to check again. Thank you again, for all your help. As my friend in England would say "YOU ARE A STAR"
Ooh...good question, Charlotte....I turn 62 in August and I plan to start collecting my late husband's Social Security....so I guess I should get on the stick....
I understand you can apply for social security three months before the birthday. Go to the Social Security web site and the question and answer section will answer this question.
I know, but my financial guy said to wait until 62.....so that is what I am doing....almost everyone I know who has retired has taken their benefit at 62. It must be the magic number....LOL!
By the way, I checked the website the other night to see if I could apply online and it was currently not in service...they had a number I could call. I will check the website again later this week and see if it is up and running...otherwise I will give them a call. It should be a fairly easy process since I took all the documentation into their office last year when my husband died.
Jane, I checked with AARP (United Healthcare) The F plan would be $203.50 a year, D prefered plan for July thru next enrollment would be $41.90 a month. The Humana Advantage Plan is $44.00 a month, which is a PPO plan. Why is there such a difference? I am paying $630.00 a month now. These were the only 2 for Indiana for those under 65. What do you think? Anyone else is welcome to weigh in on this? Thank you in advance for any help. :)Kadee
Kadee, You must mean the F plan with AARP is $203.50 per month, not per year??
You asked the difference with the Humana Advantage plan since the premium is much lower. (Remember you get what you pay for.)
Some people love the Humana Advantage, they have not yet run into the following examples:
Your Doctors and Hospitals have to accept the plans term and conditions before Humana will pay.
Some of the plans require permission to see a specialist.
Most plans do not allow care outside the plans service area or network, and if they do there are sometimes certain limits on the type of care.
What are the deductilbes, and co-payments
Are there additional co-payments for lab tests, diagnostic tests, MRI scans etc.
Some of the Humana plans require the patient to check with the Doctor each and evertime before the visit to make sure they still accept the terms of the plan, Hospitals also. With this type plan Hospitals and Doctors can opt in and out of the plan anytime they choose to and also can pick and choose the patients they want to see.
You need to find out how and how often you can change from one type of plan to another such as from traditional Medicare to an Advantage Plan and back. If you enroll directly in an Advantage plan for the first time upon becoming Medicare eligible or you have dropped a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) ONCE, you can voluntarily leave from their plan anytime within the first 12 months of enrollment. If it has been more than 12 months since enrollment, there are limitations as to when you may leave the plan
First you have an Annual Election Period which runs from November 15 through December 31. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan you can switch to Original Medicare (and a Part D Prescription Drug Plan) or you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan. Changes will take effect January 1 of the following year.
Next you have an Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage that runs from January 1 through March 31 of each year. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan with Prescription Drug coverage you may switch to another similar plan offered by another company or return to Original Medicare and select Part D Prescription Drug Plan. You cannot switch to an Advantage Plan that does not provide Medicare Prescription Drug coverage.
So, if the time your husband turns 65 and you have a new open enrollment for a Medigap if you are not allowed to leave the Humana plan (in otherwords if the open enrollment period for going back to original Medicare does not happen to be in the open enrollment for the age 65 Medigap you will have a problem. REMEMBER KADEE, when selecting the Humana Advantage plan you are selecting this plan for his Medicare and will not be in the original Medicare program, the Humana Advantage plan is an all in one plan.
Also do not confuse the low $41.90 premium as the only payment you will have with Humana, there are co-pays on top of this. With Plan F it will pay the co-pay on anything that Medicare approves. The only thing you will have to pay will be a visit that Medicare does not approve.
I hope I have helped and have not confused you. I know this is in depth but I wanted you to see the complete picture and I am sure I have left some things out.
Jane, You are correct I did mean 203.50 a month. Thank you so much for all your advice, I think after your comments, that the AARP (United Healthcare) would be the best suit for him. It kind of scared me to think that I would be going completely out of the Medicare program with the Advantage plan. The thought of changing doctor's if that was required was not something I wanted to do. I do have one more question that I think I know the answer, however, I want to make sure. The 98.00 that will be taken from his SSD check each month, then we will pay the supplement, so the total monthly cost would be 301.50 for medical supplement & 41.90 for the precription supplement, is this correct? Thanks again Jane.
Kadee, Yes you answered your own question correctly. I do feel you will be making a better decision as far as the benefits you will receive by staying with Original Medicare and then the AARP supplement plus also the plan D For the Drug. It also depends on what a person can afford, but if this is something you feel you can afford it is the best route to take. Also remember these large payments with the AARP will be reduced once you go on the age 65 plan with them.
The Advantage plan will really be around $142.00 monthly by the time you count the Medicare Part B premium and then you will have co-pays on top of this as you receive services.
A lot of people do not realize that some of the Humana Advantage plans do not even pick up the co-pay of a skilled Nursing Facility. There are a lot of things you have to look at when you take a plan like the Advantage plans.
Kadee, Let me further explain the Advantage plan not being original Medicare, You will still be in Medicare Part A and B with an Advantage plan, it will just be that the Advantage plan will manage the way Medicare pays for your services, You will still have Medicare but it will not be the Original Medicare Plan. That is the reason with an Advantage plan you still have the Part B Medicare premiums.
Has this confused you even more? If so please feel free to ask me anything you need to, If I know I will tell you and if I do not I will also tell you that I don't know.
jane you have given excellent advice as usual. if it were me, i'd be doing as you advised and choosing the aarp medigap plan J as suggested. you are so correct in that the advantage plans have alot of hidden stipulations many overlook. your advice is appreciated even for those of us not yet ready to prepare for these issues but helps to know whats ahead. divvi
divvi, I did suggest the Plan F rather than J just because the added covered charges are really not that much better than plan F and usually plan J is more expensive, if a person can afford just the Plan J then it is a wonderful plan but I would not worry about the difference in the two.
thank you divvi, I always try to help when I can but each situation is different and sometimes it is so hard when I am not really informed of all the circumstance with that particular person, but at least we all do try to help each other, that is what we are here for.
I see this was brought to the top. Medigap plans have now effective June 1, 2010 been revamped. They are being swept into two different groups. Plan J will no longer be sold. Plan N and Plan M are being introduced and of those two plans, N would be the best. It is not as good as Plan F but of course less expensive. Covers everything plan F covers with exception of Part B deductible and excess fees if your Doctor does not take Medicare Assignment. Also you have a $20.00 co-pay with Plan N but in many States no health questions have to be answered. Depends on your State.
Also folks this shows why old advice is not always current and update, what is good at one time may not be at another time. Still PLAN F TO ME IS THE ROLLS ROYCE OF THE PLANS.