Healthcare due dilligence is very important before moving to the villiages

[joelfmi]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

[tuccillo]

Not true. VHC accepts Florida Blue Medicare Advantage and one other Medicare Advantage Plan (Aetna, IIRC).

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

[Kenswing]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city
I have Florida Blue and have been going to The Villages Health since we moved here.

How long have you lived here?

[baileysdad]

I moved here in 2008. I have NEVER had ANY problems with my healthcare providers. Actually, I found the care in the Villages far better due to the fact the doctors treat seniors and know what they are doing. They are not delivering babies!

[mrsstats]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?

[retiredguy123]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?
Yes, you will have no problem finding providers who accept Medicare.

[Altavia]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

Advantage Plans have risks. They are great as long as you are healthy but not so good for a long term illness or significant medical issues. Good luck getting first line cancer care if on an Advantage Plan.

Stick with standard Medicare if you can afford it.

[roadrnnr]

Yes, you will have no problem finding providers who accept Medicare.

How far outside the newer sections would one travel to find providers who take Medicare with supplemental not Advantage Plans

[retiredguy123]

How far outside the newer sections would one travel to find providers who take Medicare with supplemental not Advantage Plans
I think there a large number of providers both in The Villages or very close by who take Medicare. Any provider who doesn't accept Medicare will not get much business. The only issue with original Medicare is that you cannot use the Villages Health system for your primary care provider. But, you can use their specialists.

[ThirdOfFive]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city
It is a fact that health care is different in TV than in areas where many of us came from. I don't think that necessarily means that the physicians are any less skilled, but we've found in several instances that support staff services; scheduling, record-keeping, ordering prescriptions, etc., are often haphazard at best. Case in point: I was originally served by a physician about three miles from our home. But calls to his office routed to a call center in, I believe, the Bahamas. Messages were not passed on, or passed on in garbled form. Calls were not returned. The pharmacy we use had similar problems trying to contact the physician. It was a mess. He may have been the most skilled doctor in Florida, but the incompetence of his support staff made health care from that particular organization more or less a crapshoot.

Another thing to be aware of is that a lot of the providers here in TV are one- or two-physician clinics, sometimes with CNP assistance, with only basic services provided onsite. Lab work may mean driving several miles to a lab. X-rays, same thing. Specialist services require yet another referral and a drive. Many of us come from situations where everything is provided on-site: for instance the town where I lived, 25,000 people, had a state-of-the-art medical complex that included a full-service hospital with two clinics attached. Everything was done on-site; an annual physical usually meant an initial examination by your doctor, who then sent you down the hall for labs, maybe x-rays, whatever. About an hour later you had your final visit with your doctor, who had the results of all the tests done, discussed them with you, made any changes necessary to prescriptions and transmitted the prescriptions to your pharmacy before the end of your visit. There may be exceptions but in my experience things are not done that way here.

[Bogie Shooter]

It is a fact that health care is different in TV than in areas where many of us came from. I don't think that necessarily means that the physicians are any less skilled, but we've found in several instances that support staff services; scheduling, record-keeping, ordering prescriptions, etc., are often haphazard at best. Case in point: I was originally served by a physician about three miles from our home. But calls to his office routed to a call center in, I believe, the Bahamas. Messages were not passed on, or passed on in garbled form. Calls were not returned. The pharmacy we use had similar problems trying to contact the physician. It was a mess. He may have been the most skilled doctor in Florida, but the incompetence of his support staff made health care from that particular organization more or less a crapshoot.

Another thing to be aware of is that a lot of the providers here in TV are one- or two-physician clinics, sometimes with CNP assistance, with only basic services provided onsite. Lab work may mean driving several miles to a lab. X-rays, same thing. Specialist services require yet another referral and a drive. Many of us come from situations where everything is provided on-site: for instance the town where I lived, 25,000 people, had a state-of-the-art medical complex that included a full-service hospital with two clinics attached. Everything was done on-site; an annual physical usually meant an initial examination by your doctor, who then sent you down the hall for labs, maybe x-rays, whatever. About an hour later you had your final visit with your doctor, who had the results of all the tests done, discussed them with you, made any changes necessary to prescriptions and transmitted the prescriptions to your pharmacy before the end of your visit. There may be exceptions but in my experience things are not done that way here.

The doctor three miles from you was, where?
BTW your second paragraph , about the town you came from, are the services I get from The Villages Health. So, yes things are done that way here.

[villagetinker]

OP, if you are over 65, contact SHINE, SHINE - Home (https://floridashine.org/), or 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) to get unbiased info on health care options for those 65 or older. We were grandfathered in the Villages Health System, until they decided to completely stop allowing Medicare and Supplemental participants. We tried an advantage plan, it did not work well for use, we left and were able to get back to original Medicare. Your supplemental provider should be able to provide a list of doctors in the local area.

[villageuser]

That is why, thankfully, Gainesville is not too far away where one can find excellent medical care.

[Papa_lecki]

So wait, a region with over 100,000 Medicare patients (most of whom have a solid secondary insurance) doesn’t have good health care.
It seems like a license to print money for a physician’s group.

Seems like an orthopedic would be bust beyond belief.

[JeanC]

Yes you would find care around the villages. Outside of the villages healthcare system. There are plenty of non villages Practices as well.

[Happydaz]

So wait, a region with over 100,000 Medicare patients (most of whom have a solid secondary insurance) doesn’t have good health care.
It seems like a license to print money for a physician’s group.

Seems like an orthopedic would be bust beyond belief.

Medicare Advantage plans and regular Medicare are on the lower end of payments to physicians. Younger patients who are employed and have health insurance reimburse doctors at higher rates than Medicare does. I remember when I worked in the biotech industry I was sometimes involved in discussions with physician offices about reimbursement for our oncology products. The physicians and practice managers kept track of the percentage of Medicare patients in their practices. The higher the Medicare percentage got the lower their reimbursement rate became. They obviously preferred private insurance and younger patients. So bottom line, an area like the Villages, with mostly Medicare patients, is not attractive to physicians or hospitals. That is why we don’t attract a large number of physicians to this area. Low reimbursement from Medicare equals low interest from doctors to locate here.

[Rwirish]

Been in TV 6 years and the healthcare has been outstanding,

[ThomasMur]

The above statement is incorrect and he should have done a better job to research his claim prior to posting.

[sianagers@att.net]

I have been a nurse practitioner for over 25 years and have practiced in too many states to mention. :)
I moved here because my folks are here part of the year ! The sad reality is the number of patients per doctor ratio is limited. The Volume load is unrealistic and the Emergency situation personally scares me. I LOVE the Villages, my neighbors the best ever. The patients my favorite ever ! Sadly however I feel the care is great if you have a Medicare plan that you can go anywhere Without. A referral. If you are healthy you can’t compare your situation to others. Be thankful you are blessed. Many patients are unaware of the lacking skills of routine practitioners. I would rather work in an A environment rather than s subpar one. I wish I could not write this but be judgmental of your care. Research guidelines. You can trust that all the providers are 1. Board certified
2. Penalised for referrals
3 seeing way too many patients a day
Im not even talking about one practice in particular. These are my personal views on my experiences as an experienced practitioner
With that said I continue to support life here it is paradise. Please just don’t be blind. What the author said is often correct here
I am a patient advocate , I love this community. I hope one day the services improve for health care ! Sometimes Gainesville doesn’t help if you need an ER.

[Altavia]

How Much More Than Medicare Do Private Insurers Pay? A Review of the Literature | KFF (https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/how-much-more-than-medicare-do-private-insurers-pay-a-review-of-the-literature/)

Key Findings

Private insurers paid nearly double Medicare rates for all hospital services (199% of Medicare rates, on average), ranging from 141% to 259% of Medicare rates across the reviewed studies.

The difference between private and Medicare rates was greater for outpatient than inpatient hospital services, which averaged 264% and 189% of Medicare rates overall, respectively.

For physician services, private insurance paid 143% of Medicare rates, on average, ranging from 118% to 179% of Medicare rates across studies.

[waterflower]

And if you have cancer your oncologist will not cure you. All they do is destroy your immune system. Learn how to be your own doctor.Understand what is poisoning you first and formost. When we go back to the original healing system we will be much healthier. Remember 70 years ago. Very few doctors, hospitals, cvs, walgreens, cancer centers, etc..Our food and water system is slowly killing us.

[GmaLisaG]

Another silly post. Villages takes my insurance and we have other great providers. Also, mother in law lives here and has Medicare and she also has great providers.

[sarvbill]

OP is same person that posted about HOA fees.

[DonnaNi4os]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

Your post is incorrect. I do not have United Healthcare Advantage, I have Medicare and UHC and most of my specialists, cardiologist, rheumatologist, gynecologist are with The Villages Health.

[ASR1515]

How far outside the newer sections would one travel to find providers who take Medicare with supplemental not Advantage Plans

You do not have to go outside TV. We have Medicare with a supplemental plan and are very happy with our doctors....all within TV!

[DonnaNi4os]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?

Yes! I have the same insurance you mentioned and have multiple physicians in The Villages Health.

[Dantes]

Go to Ocala family health they have everything under one roof
It’s only s 25 minutes from the villages They are honest and have there prices posted

[JWGifford]

So wait, a region with over 100,000 Medicare patients (most of whom have a solid secondary insurance) doesn’t have good health care.
It seems like a license to print money for a physician’s group.

Seems like an orthopedic would be bust beyond belief.
That’s what I’ve always thought. Doesn’t make sense.

[chrissy2231]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city
The Villages Health has the best doctors!

[MandoMan]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

I was unable to use The Villages Healthcare System (except for the medical imaging, which is fine) because my retirement package requires me to use Blue Cross as my backup or pay a lot more. My first interest was to choose doctors who are affiliated with a hospital with an A rating. The Villages hospital and all the Ocala hospitals have B ratings. Not good enough. Often this is due to higher rates for hospital-acquired infections. (Sort of like finding roaches in a restaurant kitchen, right?) The closest A-rated hospital is AdventHealth/Waterman. It is excellent, but it’s 45 minutes away from my house. So it goes. That’s no farther than Ocala. I then went on their website, where I found a list of affiliated doctors. Many were not accepting new patients, but some were. For my “family doctor,” I found a Peruvian med school graduate who is board certified in Internal Medicine, Dr. César Unyon. I’m very pleased with his work. If I need a specialist, he gets me an appointment with a doctor who uses AdventHealth/Waterman, including with doctors not accepting new patients. If I were to need even more advanced care, AdventHealth/Waterman is allied with AdventHealth/Orlando, the top-rated hospital in Florida. Waterman is new, quiet, semi-rural, with good parking, right off 441, and friendly. I had major surgery there, and I was very impressed.

One thing about doctors around here: a LOT of them are from a wide variety of minorities. If that’s a problem for you, you would do well to not move to this area.

[Nana2Teddy]

OP doesn’t live here, and never has. Not sure what his agenda is? Both of his posts yesterday (there’s one about HOA fees) aren’t even his own words, they’re just copied from another source as someone pointed out in the HOA thread.

[Carla B]

To the OP, you have opined on several subjects concerning The State of The Villages from your Long Island base which I gather is where you live: HOAs (which we don't have), lack of public transportation, healthcare. Just curious, have you ever visited The Villages?

[golfing eagles]

I have been a nurse practitioner for over 25 years and have practiced in too many states to mention. :)
I moved here because my folks are here part of the year ! The sad reality is the number of patients per doctor ratio is limited. The Volume load is unrealistic and the Emergency situation personally scares me. I LOVE the Villages, my neighbors the best ever. The patients my favorite ever ! Sadly however I feel the care is great if you have a Medicare plan that you can go anywhere Without. A referral. If you are healthy you can’t compare your situation to others. Be thankful you are blessed. Many patients are unaware of the lacking skills of routine practitioners. I would rather work in an A environment rather than s subpar one. I wish I could not write this but be judgmental of your care. Research guidelines. You can trust that all the providers are 1. Board certified
2. Penalised for referrals
3 seeing way too many patients a day
Im not even talking about one practice in particular. These are my personal views on my experiences as an experienced practitioner
With that said I continue to support life here it is paradise. Please just don’t be blind. What the author said is often correct here
I am a patient advocate , I love this community. I hope one day the services improve for health care ! Sometimes Gainesville doesn’t help if you need an ER.

I respect your years of experience and some of those comments are right on the mark.
But also consider that The Villages Health System books 1/2 hour appointment for revisits and 1 hour for new patients. Each physician is limited to a panel of 1200 patients, are not "penalized for referrals, and hardly are time pressed. The drawback is that they only accept UHC and Florida Blue advantage plans.

[golfing eagles]

And if you have cancer your oncologist will not cure you. All they do is destroy your immune system. Learn how to be your own doctor.Understand what is poisoning you first and formost. When we go back to the original healing system we will be much healthier. Remember 70 years ago. Very few doctors, hospitals, cvs, walgreens, cancer centers, etc..Our food and water system is slowly killing us.

Those statements are just inane. Not just some of them, pretty much all of them. Know any cancer survivors? Guess not. Aware that even in stage 4 Hodgkin's Disease has a 98+% CURE rate? Guess not. Aware that very few types of cancer are related to food or water??? Guess not. Be your own doctor???? Let us know how that works out for you:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

I strongly suspect that God forbid anyone with that attitude gets any type of neoplasm, they'll be on the doorstep of an oncologist faster than a jackrabbit

[MaryShields]

Advantage Plans have risks. They are great as long as you are healthy but not so good for a long term illness or significant medical issues. Good luck getting first line cancer care if on an Advantage Plan.

Stick with standard Medicare if you can afford it.
Agree totally

[golfing eagles]

OP is same person that posted about HOA fees.

Yes, he is a perennial troll that doesn't even live here

[golfing eagles]

One thing about doctors around here: a LOT of them are from a wide variety of minorities. If that’s a problem for you, you would do well to not move to this area.

Shouldn't be a problem for anyone, as long as they are qualified.

[MaryShields]

It is a fact that health care is different in TV than in areas where many of us came from. I don't think that necessarily means that the physicians are any less skilled, but we've found in several instances that support staff services; scheduling, record-keeping, ordering prescriptions, etc., are often haphazard at best. Case in point: I was originally served by a physician about three miles from our home. But calls to his office routed to a call center in, I believe, the Bahamas. Messages were not passed on, or passed on in garbled form. Calls were not returned. The pharmacy we use had similar problems trying to contact the physician. It was a mess. He may have been the most skilled doctor in Florida, but the incompetence of his support staff made health care from that particular organization more or less a crapshoot.

Another thing to be aware of is that a lot of the providers here in TV are one- or two-physician clinics, sometimes with CNP assistance, with only basic services provided onsite. Lab work may mean driving several miles to a lab. X-rays, same thing. Specialist services require yet another referral and a drive. Many of us come from situations where everything is provided on-site: for instance the town where I lived, 25,000 people, had a state-of-the-art medical complex that included a full-service hospital with two clinics attached. Everything was done on-site; an annual physical usually meant an initial examination by your doctor, who then sent you down the hall for labs, maybe x-rays, whatever. About an hour later you had your final visit with your doctor, who had the results of all the tests done, discussed them with you, made any changes necessary to prescriptions and transmitted the prescriptions to your pharmacy before the end of your visit. There may be exceptions but in my experience things are not done that way here.
Totally agree. Extremely frustrating

[Bogie Shooter]

The above statement is incorrect and he should have done a better job to research his claim prior to posting.

Who?

[Karmanng]

advantage plans have risks. They are great as long as you are healthy but not so good for a long term illness or significant medical issues. Good luck getting first line cancer care if on an advantage plan.

Stick with standard medicare if you can afford it.

yup agree !!!

[jump4]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?

The Villages Health primary care does not accept original/standard Medicare, and only 1 or 2 Medicare Advantage plans.

[champion6]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?You will be able to find many primary care docs in the area - even in Villages-owned plazas. Attached is a list. The office of my PCP is adjacent to Lake Sumter Landing.

Specialists are also convenient. My cardiologist and gastroenterologist are adjacent to The Villages Hospital. My podiatrist is adjacent to Colony Plaza.

My imaging services office and lab services office are in Villages-owned plazas.

[Marathon Man]

To the OP, you have opined on several subjects concerning The State of The Villages from your Long Island base which I gather is where you live: HOAs (which we don't have), lack of public transportation, healthcare. Just curious, have you ever visited The Villages?

He has lots of time typing away from his mother's basement.

[QPB0078]

I think there a large number of providers both in The Villages or very close by who take Medicare. Any provider who doesn't accept Medicare will not get much business. The only issue with original Medicare is that you cannot use the Villages Health system for your primary care provider. But, you can use their specialists.

Why can you not use the Villages Heath system for your primary care provider? I have seen this multiple times, but I have not understood why

[BrianL99]

Why can you not use the Villages Heath system for your primary care provider? I have seen this multiple times, but I have not understood why


I believe they only accept Medicare Advantage Plans, not Medicare & Medicare Supplemental insurance.

[Escape Artist]

Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city

I can’t believe what a nightmare healthcare is here. I came from a place with excellent healthcare with competent doctors, responsive service, and clean, well-run medical offices. I’ve had three of my doctors “retire “ or move since I’ve been here, one I left of my own accord because he was unprofessional, and another doctor who complained to ME about The Villages! I had a totally unsatisfactory experience with The Villages Health which included not being assigned a primary care doctor for several months because the one they had me with suddenly quit before I ever saw them. So I’m no longer with TVH, but my new provider is not much better. “Hokey” is the word I’d use to describe my experience with healthcare in The Villages.

[Quixote]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?

In a word, YES. Without a doubt. This is exactly the coverage we have.

How far outside the newer sections would one travel to find providers who take Medicare with supplemental not Advantage Plans

Speaking for myself, expecting—and receiving∏[[‚competent care::

Within TV (i.e., even golf cart accessible!): dermatology (including cancer If oine is etreatment), pain management, podiatry, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pulmonology (including sleep studies)
Immediately adjacent to TV within, say, a mile): primary care, cardiology, hand surgery (intermittent(

Heakth care a du=istance frin TVL nine,
_
OP, if you are over 65, contact SHINE, SHINE - Home (https://floridashrg/), or 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) to get [U]unbiaseTYC Health System, until they decided to completely stop allowing Medicare and Supplemental participants. We tried an advantage plan, it did not work well for use, we left and were able to get back to original Medicare. Your supplemental provider should be able to provide a list of doctors in the local area.

IMHO there is no advantage to an advantage plan. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is..A healthy person may dquestion those opposed to advantage plans. but check out actual costs (deductioble, copays, ans moew).Onemay switch to an advantage plan, but it is often made extremely difficult to switch back, and then one is then stuck.


Do your homework amd exercise due diligence!!!

[kingofbeer]

In a word, YES. Without a doubt. This is exactly the coverage we have.



Speaking for myself, expecting—and receiving∏[[‚competent care::

Within TV (i.e., even golf cart accessible!): dermatology (including cancer If oine is etreatment), pain management, podiatry, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, pulmonology (including sleep studies)
Immediately adjacent to TV within, say, a mile): primary care, cardiology, hand surgery (intermittent(

Heakth care a du=istance frin TVL nine,
_


IMHO there is no advantage to an advantage plan. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is..A healthy person may dquestion those opposed to advantage plans. but check out actual costs (deductioble, copays, ans moew).Onemay switch to an advantage plan, but it is often made extremely difficult to switch back, and then one is then stuck.


Do your homework amd exercise due diligence!!!
It is difficult to find a doctor accepting new patients in this area that meet my basic criteria. For primary doctor, I want a doctor who went to medical school in the United States. I am not on medicare yet. I selected a primary physician from The Villages Health who was not educated in the US. The Villages Health has a limited number of primary doctors who are accepting new patient.

[Captmagic]

Incorrect information; The Villages Health accepts Medicare Advantage plans from United Healthcare, Blue Cross and 1 plan from Humana. No other plans are accepted. I am an agent and sell those plans.

[JoMar]

Advantage Plans have risks. They are great as long as you are healthy but not so good for a long term illness or significant medical issues. Good luck getting first line cancer care if on an Advantage Plan.

Stick with standard Medicare if you can afford it.

Did not know Advent Health was not considered first line cancer care.

[lindaelane]

We have Medicare and AARP supplemental insurance. Would we be able to find doctors in the Villages area?

You will find doctors. However, you cannot use The Villages Health Primary Care, because you have Medicare Supplement. It is much better, in the end, to have original Medicare, with supplement (not Medicare Advantage) but the big disadvantage for you is not being able to use The Villages Health Primary Care. You can see the specialists with them. You can see pretty much any other doctor with medicare supplement.

With "advantage" - really it should be called disadvantage - you could only see doctors who were in-network (or pay fees to see out of network) plus you could get denied care for things your doctor says is necessary if Advantage - which is an insurance program - decides not to cover it. Advantage covers some drugs but you have no coverage for infusions, which are very expensive. (What I am saying about Advantage is true for all the companies - only the "perks", for instance some medical supplies shipped free to you in order to get you to sign up and keep you signed up, will vary)

[lindaelane]

TV Health Care is good. However, only certain people - those who have certain forms of Medicare Advantage - can use there Primary care. Otherwise, primary care is hit and miss. I am happy with my primary care, which is outside TV Primary. It is with a very good nurse practitioner. I know some people are against nurse practitioners but I find they have addressed my needs beautifully. There are at least two very well reputed nurse practitioners in The Villages area.

[lindaelane]

Does everyone know that if you are on Advantage and have a "health event" (generally, a major illness, e.g., heart attack/stroke/cancer, etc.) you cannot go on original Medicare with Supplement (or if you do, the prices will be unaffordable). So please, if you can afford a Supplement plan, and be accepted, get it. When you have major needs, you will be glad you have it.

[rustyp]

Does everyone know that if you are on Advantage and have a "health event" (generally, a major illness, e.g., heart attack/stroke/cancer, etc.) you cannot go on original Medicare with Supplement (or if you do, the prices will be unaffordable). So please, if you can afford a Supplement plan, and be accepted, get it. When you have major needs, you will be glad you have it.

That would be like buying a used car with a major dent in it - insuring it and then trying to get it fixed under the insurance. Hint as of last year over 45% of seniors are on advantage plans and projected to grow to over 50% in two years. My particular advantage plan has a $2700 out of pocket max with unlimited inpatient hospital care. So is the gamble $2700 vs whatever a supplemental plan would cost ? If I'm that ill the last thing I'll be worried about is $2700.

[golfing eagles]

You will find doctors. However, you cannot use The Villages Health Primary Care, because you have Medicare Supplement. It is much better, in the end, to have original Medicare, with supplement (not Medicare Advantage) but the big disadvantage for you is not being able to use The Villages Health Primary Care. You can see the specialists with them. You can see pretty much any other doctor with medicare supplement.

With "advantage" - really it should be called disadvantage - you could only see doctors who were in-network (or pay fees to see out of network) plus you could get denied care for things your doctor says is necessary if Advantage - which is an insurance program - decides not to cover it. Advantage covers some drugs but you have no coverage for infusions, which are very expensive. (What I am saying about Advantage is true for all the companies - only the "perks", for instance some medical supplies shipped free to you in order to get you to sign up and keep you signed up, will vary)

TV Health Care is good. However, only certain people - those who have certain forms of Medicare Advantage - can use there Primary care. Otherwise, primary care is hit and miss. I am happy with my primary care, which is outside TV Primary. It is with a very good nurse practitioner. I know some people are against nurse practitioners but I find they have addressed my needs beautifully. There are at least two very well reputed nurse practitioners in The Villages area.

Does everyone know that if you are on Advantage and have a "health event" (generally, a major illness, e.g., heart attack/stroke/cancer, etc.) you cannot go on original Medicare with Supplement (or if you do, the prices will be unaffordable). So please, if you can afford a Supplement plan, and be accepted, get it. When you have major needs, you will be glad you have it.

Best advice, and I'll borrow it from Village Thinker's playbook:

Contact SHINE and get the correct information.

[kingofbeer]

TV Health Care is good. However, only certain people - those who have certain forms of Medicare Advantage - can use there Primary care. Otherwise, primary care is hit and miss. I am happy with my primary care, which is outside TV Primary. It is with a very good nurse practitioner. I know some people are against nurse practitioners but I find they have addressed my needs beautifully. There are at least two very well reputed nurse practitioners in The Villages area.
Any idea why The Villages Healthcare does not accept traditional medicare?

[kingofbeer]

Best advice, and I'll borrow it from Village Thinker's playbook:

Contact SHINE and get the correct information.
How does SHINE address this major local healthcare issue?
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

[tuccillo]

The percentage of people with Medicare Advantage Plans is actually less than half but it continues to grow and one estimate has it at 50% in a couple of years. There is no doubt that the plans have become more and more popular. I was on the fence when deciding because I would have liked to have kept my Villages Health PCP. My Supplemental plan runs about $1500 a year and I can see any provider that takes Medicare. My only other cost will be the $200 Part B deductible plus some providers may charge up to a $20 co-pay. I can also change my Supplemental Plan whenever I want with no underwriting. Everyone's situation is different. Fortunately, there is no shortage of information to help you decide.

That would be like buying a used car with a major dent in it - insuring it and then trying to get it fixed under the insurance. Hint as of last year over 50% of seniors are on advantage plans and growing. My particular advantage plan has a $2700 out of pocket max with unlimited inpatient hospital care. So is the gamble $2700 vs whatever a supplemental plan would cost ? If I'm that ill the last thing I'll be worried about is $2700.

[golfing eagles]

How does SHINE address this major local healthcare issue?
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

Not what I was responding to

[kingofbeer]

Not what I was responding to
I understand. From what I know, SHINE provides health insurance advice but does not address this local healthcare issue. SHINE is a Health insurance agency in Rockledge, Florida (Shine/Serving Health Insurance Needs).
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

[golfing eagles]

I understand. From what I know, SHINE provides health insurance advice but does not address this local healthcare issue.
"Anyone moving to The Villages needs to check out the health care situation first. Good physicians are few and far between and difficult to find. A physician told me today that general practitioners in the area are "sketchy." The much touted Villages Health Care system only accepts United Healthcare Advantage plan for primary care. The Villages Health care doctors sign 2-year non-competes. So, even if you have the correct insurance, if your dr. quits or is terminated by The Villages Health Care, you are out of luck if you want to continue seeing that physician because they are no longer permitted to practice medicine in the area.
If you are thinking of living at the villages make sure that you can get good healthcare before you leave you home city"

I think we have a non-sequitur here.

You are responding to the OP
I was responding to the misinformation in the 3 sequential posts I quoted
SHINE will give the proper advice and information---of course they can't solve the problem.

[kingofbeer]

I think we have a non-sequitur here.

You are responding to the OP
I was responding to the misinformation in the 3 sequential posts I quoted
SHINE will give the proper advice and information---of course they can't solve the problem.
Correct. I was responding to the original post. To navigate Medicare choices, Shine seems like a good resource.

SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) is a free program offered by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and your local Area Agency on Aging. Specially trained volunteers can assist you with your Medicare, Medicaid, and health insurance questions by providing one-on-one counseling and information. SHINE services are free, unbiased, and confidential.
Our Mission

The SHINE program supports the Florida Department of Elder Affairs’ mission by providing free and unbiased health insurance counseling through a dedicated network of volunteers, empowering Florida seniors to make informed health care choices.

[ThirdOfFive]

Shouldn't be a problem for anyone, as long as they are qualified.
I think we can all assume that the doctors who practice here ARE qualified. That says nothing about their experience, personal interaction skills, or the quality of their various support personnel. But they do meet minimum standards to practice in Florida, or else they wouldn't be here.

But that is only part of the issue. Another part is that The Villages (and Florida in general) seems to be a jumping-off point for Doctors, qualified CNPs and other medical personnel to get their start in America. So far here I've been served by a total of six such; three MDs, two CNPs, and two dentists. Doctors are from the Philippines, Mexico and Kosovo, CNPs from the Philippines and Columbia, and dentists from Canada and Ukraine. Other than one doctor (and my dissatisfaction was not so much with him as with his "support" staff) their service has been excellent. But one of the dentists and one of the CNPs have already moved on, and my current MD is looking to move his practice out of TV. From what I've read here and information I've gathered from speaking to to others, turnover of staff is a significant issue. It is a pretty human thing that, as you advance and gain experience, you want to go where the pay is better.

I have a niece who, next month, will be entering her first year of two of medical residency; her first year in the Philippines (where she is in med. school) and her second year of Thailand, which is her country of origin. Her plan after that is to come to America to work as a G.P. for a year or so, then go on to obtain a more specialized ticket. Her plan is Florida at this point for three reasons; family, climate and numerous openings for doctors. But if she follows her plan, she won't be here long. Greener pastures will beckon.

As they have apparently for a lot of the doctors who practice, or who have practiced, in The Villages.

[golfing eagles]

I think we can all assume that the doctors who practice here ARE qualified. That says nothing about their experience, personal interaction skills, or the quality of their various support personnel. But they do meet minimum standards to practice in Florida, or else they wouldn't be here.


I wouldn't be all that quick to jump to that conclusion. About 7 years ago when my late wife was in the hospital, a medical subspecialist told us something that was the most ridiculous utterance by any physician I ever knew, so I asked him where he had heard that. He gave me the name of his supervising physician in his fellowship---unfortunately for him it was a doctor I had trained, so I knew it was total BS. And he is not alone. Minimum standards---yes, but I would hope we could strive for something better

[CoachKandSportsguy]

He gave me the name of his supervising physician in his fellowship---unfortunately for him it was a doctor I had trained, so I knew it was total BS. And he is not alone.

I am not sure how to interpret this. . . ie, the doctor you trained is full of BS. . .
so you didn't train him well or he passed the exams but is incompetent in the profession. . . .
or the BS statement is one you trained him with when the answer is unclear. . . he is not alone in the doctors you have trained?

again, not sure how to interpret this statement . .

[Aces4]

I am not sure how to interpret this. . . ie, the doctor you trained is full of BS. . .
so you didn't train him well or he passed the exams but is incompetent in the profession. . . .
or the BS statement is one you trained him with when the answer is unclear. . . he is not alone in the doctors you have trained?

again, not sure how to interpret this statement . .


Try this, the physician was originally well-trained and now flies by the seat of his pants. Like that doesn’t happen…. :mornincoffee:

[golfing eagles]

I am not sure how to interpret this. . . ie, the doctor you trained is full of BS. . .
so you didn't train him well or he passed the exams but is incompetent in the profession. . . .
or the BS statement is one you trained him with when the answer is unclear. . . he is not alone in the doctors you have trained?

again, not sure how to interpret this statement . .

I guess I wasn't very clear. Part of the responsibility of 2nd and 3rd year medical residents is to teach interns and medical students. From 1984-6, one of my medical students and subsequently interns went on to do a fellowship in a medical subspecialty, returned to the hospital that we both had trained at, and eventually became head of that department. While he was dept. head, he had a fellow in that subspecialty that he trained, obviously one that was younger than both of us. It was this physician that I encountered here in TVRH and gave an ignorant answer as a solution to a diagnosis, and claimed he heard that particular info from his head of dept., who I had taught. I knew the dept head pretty well and know that he would never have told anyone the BS that this guy here in TV was laying on me. Hope that clarifies the issue.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

I guess I wasn't very clear. Part of the responsibility of 2nd and 3rd year medical residents is to teach interns and medical students. From 1984-6, one of my medical students and subsequently interns went on to do a fellowship in a medical subspecialty, returned to the hospital that we both had trained at, and eventually became head of that department. While he was dept. head, he had a fellow in that subspecialty that he trained, obviously one that was younger than both of us. It was this physician that I encountered here in TVRH and gave an ignorant answer as a solution to a diagnosis, and claimed he heard that particular info from his head of dept., who I had taught. I knew the dept head pretty well and know that he would never have told anyone the BS that this guy here in TV was laying on me. Hope that clarifies the issue.

umm, yes, that makes sense! my respect for teaching doctors has been restored!

[MichaelAllsup]

Advantage Plans have risks. They are great as long as you are healthy but not so good for a long term illness or significant medical issues. Good luck getting first line cancer care if on an Advantage Plan.

Stick with standard Medicare if you can afford it.

Would do you consider "first line cancer care"? Moffit & Shands aren't on your list?

[Happydaz]

Would do you consider "first line cancer care"? Moffit & Shands aren't on your list?

Which Advantage Plans allow subscribers to go to Moffitt Cancer Center.

[tophcfa]

I did my health care research the hard way. I went to the ER at the Villages Hospital with a life threatening infectious disease, had the worst experience one could possibly imagine, was in a hell hole for about 12 hours, finally got misdiagnosed and given medication I didn’t need, and was sent packing to go home in my golf cart after midnight to die (I was in absolutely no shape to drive). If I didn’t get to a real hospital in Gainesville in short order for proper care and treatment, I wouldn’t be here today. I love the lifestyle of The Villages, but I am in constant fear of needing competent health care while here. BEWARE!

[Dusty_Star]

This is interesting, the original post was by a troll hoping to disparage The Villages health care options. But, in spite of his negativity the resulting discussion was very positive and informative. Another fail for the troll and another win for Villagers with helpful advice to add to the comments section.

[NotGolfer]

We moved here in 2009 and never an issue with health-care. We have TVH and couldn't be happier. It's been our experience that some of the "stand alone" dr's are the ones that cause issues for their patients. We've been fortunate to circumvent those, so far. That said though...we have a family member who lives on the frozen tundra whose at their "end of life". The care there has them falling through the cracks even with hospice. I think the way our health-care in this country is designed it will continue to slide with more and more people not getting what they need. It's not just in Florida!!

*****edit. we had good health-care in our previous community in the mid-west. BUT we've been away for years now and by what I can tell things have changed up there. NOT so sure if we'd ever go back (no plans as yet) we'd find the "comfort" we once had there.

[paulat585]

You can find docs who take these here, but I had to go to Winter Park to get a "good" endocrinologist and to Clermont to get an OB/GYN when there were none who were taking patients nearby.