[jerseyjoy]

We are thinking of moving to TV and medical care is important to us. Seems like there are several local hospitals and one does not accept medicare? Can someone clarify?

[villagetinker]

OK, I will start this. First, please contact SHINE for detailed unbiased information, SHINE - Home, SHINE Program
Department of Elder Affairs 4040 Esplanade Way, Suite 270 Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000, Toll Free 1-800-96-ELDER, 1-800-963-5337
TDD/TTY 1-800-955-8770 Fax 850-414-2150 Email information@elderaffairs.org.
Now for some background, the villages health system will accept ONLY Medicare ADVANTAGE insurance (they have 2 or 3 options), so if you want your primary care physician to be in villages health care, you have no choice. If you want to keep Medicare SUPPLEMENT insurance, then you will need a primary care physician OUTSIDE of the village health care system. It is interesting that the SPECIALISTS in VHS still accept supplemental insurance, as well as all of the local hospitals. NOW THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE CURRENT SITUATION, as I stated, talk to SHINE.
Hope this helps.

[rivaridger1]

Search on this Forum for commentary on The Villages Hospital and particularly The Villages Hospital ER. Thoroughly evaluate if you should switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan from Medicare plus a Supplement to enjoy access to The Villages Health System. Again there are numerous threads on TOTV discussing this. Talk to SHINE. Keep in mind the same people that manage The Villages Hospital also manage Leesburg Hospital. The Ocala hospitals are reportedly good. Shands Hospital in Gainesville is really good. Choose carefully your primary care provider and specialists. There are a lot of physicians in Florida that are not board certified. Finally, there is always Mayo in Jacksonville.

[Inexes@aol.com]

To answer your question about local hospitals and Medicare..... the only hospital that I am aware of that does not accept Medicare is Mayo in Jacksonville. You can Google this yourself, but it appears they have you sign a waiver that if Medicare does not pay the bill, you will be responsible. But from patients I have spoken with,I am told they are not a Medicare Provider period. All the hospitals local to The Villages accept Medicare.

[jeriteri]

Originally Posted by jerseyjoy

We are thinking of moving to TV and medical care is important to us. Seems like there are several local hospitals and one does not accept medicare? Can someone clarify?

I really want to recommend The Villages Healthcare. It doesn't touch your Medicare and offers everything you need in healthcare right here in The Villages. Go into a Medicare store in one of the squares and talk to them. Zero or small premiums offered.
I personally have experienced what most are afraid of and that is a heart condition gone bad and everything was covered, my doctor, my specialist and The Villages Hospital and surgeon. I only had a small deductible.
Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

[jerseyjoy]

Thank you all!