First of all let me say that having a health care system in a huge retirement community while not accepting original Medicare is ludicrous!
Starting in January 2017, The Villages Health will only see patients that have purchased their Advantage Plan, have Tricare For Life, or have their own commercial health insurance policy if under the age of 65. The Villages Health hopes to lure the 65 and under crowd to buy their Advantage Plan once they become age eligible. This group is seen as a potential revenue generator, but The Villages Health has no idea if this group will buy into it or jump ship.
If you want to read unbiased news about The Villages, don't read The Daily Sun. For example, this Tampa Bay Times article is dated 2014. It shows how important the Advantage Plan sales are to the viability of the health care business. The article states that the University of South Florida pulled out of The Villages due to lower than expected sales of the Advantage Plan. It was clear that there were big monetary issues and losses. Now fast forward to 2016 and the story remains the same. The Villages Health needs to ramp up their Advantage Plan sales to keep afloat. According to a **************.com report, the Developer has kicked in a substantial amount of money to help balance the books.
USF pulls out of its $4 million specialty care clinic at the Villages | Tampa Bay Times
If you are happy with The Villages Health, then stick with them. They want you to believe their plan is all about YOU, according to The Daily Sun. It is actually about their revenue and bottom line. Just remember they can rewrite their rules on a whim and you must conform during open enrollment or you must get out. Remember rule changes are based on the almighty dollar and not your best interest. Buyer beware. Will there be an Advantage Plan the following year? Let's wait and see.