I worked several years for a Medicare Advantage PPO and HMO insurance company as an RN health coach. Most of the nurses I worked with agreed that when we retire, we would not have an advantage plan. So much of our time and our clients time was spent determining copays, searching for in- network doctors and hospitals, whether certain procedures would be covered and donut hole concerns. Deductibles and co-pays can add up through the year and over a lifetime, and many of my clients would decide not to have a recommended procedure because they could not afford the copay. Or they may not be able to go to a preferred specialist because they were not in network. I am with AARP Medicare Supplement insured by United Health Care and I am very happy. I have been in good health and an advantage plan may have cost less initially. But I am starting to go the the doctor more frequently now and I do not have to worry about any copays or specialist selection. If I would develop a series health issue, those copays can become overwhelming. When you retire and start medicare, you have six months when insurance carriers who provide a supplement plan have to accept you in spite of any health issues. However....after that they do not have to accept you and your option of choosing a medicare supplement plan may not be possible. So I highly recommend a medicare supplement plan over any Advantage program. If down the road you decide you want an advantage plan....you can switch. But you may not be able to switch from an advantage plan to a medicare supplement plan after that initial 6 month period.
|