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Old 04-13-2021, 06:19 AM
Heyitsrick Heyitsrick is offline
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Namath (and others) are hawking Medicare Advantage (aka MA) plans - private insurance plans that are alternatives to standard Medicare and Medicare Gap plans. MA plans are traditionally much cheaper - sometimes with a $0 premium - than traditional plans. Sometimes they offer free gym plans, like the Silver Sneaker plan. Sometimes they have offerings with dental and some hearing aid coverage. The MA plans come with "Plan D" prescription coverage built in.

The downsides? There could be lots of out-of-pocket costs for some services. My late mom was talked into switching from a Medicare/Medicare Gap plan to a MA plan by her doctor's office in TV. She ended up having to go to the hospital as an in-patient several times one year. Her MA plan only covered in-patient care after the third day you were there. That's lots of $$ to pay when you have separate in-patient hospital visits. Her MA plan was regional, and her doctors had to be part of that plan. Some plans require your doctors to act like HMO doctors, where they need to refer you for care you want/need.

Make no mistake about it - lots - millions - of people opt for these MA plans because of their low initial costs. If you're healthy, they're a great deal. When you're sick and need serious care, you could be in a for a financial shock. I would never go for one of these MA plans after what my Mom went through. But lots of people are happy with them.