Does anyone remember when Medicare was cut by 500 billion? It sounds like a lot but I believe it's 500 billion over 10 years, which may help to put it in perspective. Because of that cut, I was warned last year, by my agent (the man who signs me up for HMOs), that the monthly premium reimbursement would likely disappear in the future, along with other benefits like SilverSneakers. Well, he predicted it, and it has come true.
But there are other forces at work contributing to this. He told me last night that Preferred Care Partners had a loss (in our area) of $30,000,000.
If you are looking for a replacement HMO with some premium reimbursement, Optimum is the next best, assuming you have no major health issues. If you have a major health issue like heart disease, diabetes, or lung disease, Freedom Health will reimburse about $72. Otherwise, if you don't qualify for that, Optimum will reimburse about $39.00.
With Optimum, primary care will still be free of any charge to the patient. But seeing a specialist will go up to $30. from $25..
I'm not sure if it will offer SilverSneakers or not, but I'm not counting on it.
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